Lochside Neighbourhood Group
Making a Real Difference in our Community
Lochside, South Ayrshire, Scotland
Background
2012 – local
residents
identified a
need
Develop a more
co-ordinated
approach to
community
issues,
neighbourhood
improvements
& partnership
working
Key stakeholders
committed to
support a
community led
multi-partnership
forum for the
Lochside area
Community
Development
approach was
adopted
Local residents
and local
voluntary sector
organisations
identified issues
as well as
strengths within
the community
Core principles
Engagement
Empowerment
Capacity
Building
Key values
Collective
Action
Working &
Learning
Together
Equality
Community
Development
Participatory
Democracy
Antidiscrimination
Community
Empowerment
Social Justice
Process – Stages of Development
Achieving Better Community Development (ABCD Framework, CHEX)
Process- Stages of Development
National Drivers
• Community Empowerment Scotland (2014) Bill
• The Christie Commission (2013)
• Public Service Reform : locality planning and effective
partnership working
• Co-production model: shared role, catalysts, mutuality,
networks, assets and capacity
“Co-production is the process of active dialogue and
engagement between people who use services and those who
provide them.”
Sir Harry Burns, Chief Medical Officer
Regional Drivers
• Single Outcome Agreement
Long Term Outcome (5-10 Years)
 Communities are more confident and empowered to address
issues that matter to them.
Intermediate Outcome (3-5 Years)
 Communities can more effectively influence decision making and
service development.
• Community Health Profiles for Braehead,
Whitletts & Lochside areas
Partnership Development
Representation from local residents, voluntary, private/business , faith and public sectors:
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Local residents (age range 5-86)
North Ayr Community Council
Lochside Community Association
Cowan Crescent Tenants and Residents Association
The Jolly Dollies (local womens’ drama group)
Lochside Church
Ayrshire Housing
Braehead Primary School
Access to Employment
Local Businesses including ASDA and Family Shopper
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
Police Scotland
South Ayrshire Council - Departments involved have expertise in the key
components of regeneration - social, economic, physical and
environmental
Achievements
• 92 local residents involved and
informed of all developments via
email, word of mouth, meetings,
one to one interviews, focus
group discussions, Facebook page
and events
• 210 local children involved in
active citizen initiatives and
promotion of community pride in
the area
Community
involvement &
participation
Effective & meaningful
partnership working
• Partners from voluntary, faith,
private/business and public sector
which has enabled the process of
partnership development to be
meaningful, effective, efficient
and productive
• Planning & visioning outcomes
sessions took place with local
residents and group members
which provided the basis for
collating issues of interest and
concern as well as identifying
strengths, knowledge and skills
Development of local
Community Action
Plan
Achievements
• Delivered locally covering
committee skills, governance &
management, promotion &
marketing, funding and social
enterprise
Community capacity
building programmes
Community Health &
Wellbeing
programmes
• Health issues in the community
(CHEX) delivered to local
residents based on the
principles of community
development and community
led health approaches
• Local residents raising traffic
and parking issues
• Less obstruction to the area
and working with planning
department to paint yellow
lines
Parking & Traffic
management
Achievements
‘Keep Lochside Tidy’ campaign
• Community led campaign promoting active citizenship and community pride and the
importance of looking after the local environment.
• Local children designed posters of their ideas and suggestions to keep the area tidy and
encouraged friends, family and neighbours to put posters in house windows.
• 210 local children and 40 adults involved as well as local services and key stakeholders
Making A Difference in Our Community Awards
Achievements
Development of creative play areas
Ideas and designs came from workshops organised through the group
where local children and their families designed the space based on what
they liked and wanted for the area. The group developed a proposal and
project plan for a creative play initiative
Achievements
Inter-generational approaches
The group have worked on a number of inter-generational projects,
bringing together children, young people and older people from the
area and presented their work at a national conference which took
place in Troon in 2013.
Achievements
Housing Developments
• New housing development underway for the area with an
investment of £5 million.
• As a result of consulting with group members and the wider
community, MAST architects revised housing plans for new housing
development and changes were made based on suggestions of
group members
Achievements
Alcohol and Drugs
• A series of focus group discussions took place with local residents,
voluntary sector organisation reps and key stakeholders
• Analysis of data will inform our Community Action Plan 2014 – 2017
Achievements
COSLA Award winners 2013/14
• Group received national recognition for providing excellent service to the
community
Featured in national publication
• Group featured as case study in Scottish Co-Production Network magazine
and website and asked to provide workshops at national co-production
event, Edinburgh, April 2014 as example of good practice in Scotland
Produce Lochside Community Newsletters
• Sharing and promoting “good news” stories with 600 local residents
Aligned with Lochside masterplan
• An overall design and provision of new houses and improvement of leisure
facilities & the ADP asset based project
Achievements
Economic Benefits of partnership development
The economic benefits for adopting a multi- partnership approach
to neighbourhood improvements have been considerable as the
total spend to date is
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£3,000 (Ayrshire Housing)
£10,000 (Lottery Fund) and
£2,000 (South Ayrshire Council) approximately
For Further Information
If you would like to have your say and get involved in issues
that matter to you please contact:
•
Robert Green, North Ayr Community Council
robertdgreen69@yahoo.co.uk
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Colette McGarva, Community Engagement/Development,
South Ayrshire Council
colette.mcgarva@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
Any Questions?
What do you like best about our
group?