Rattray Community Garden has 23 raised beds for planting and growing fruit and veg locally to help with the circular economy and cost of living by making more food available locally. 

Collecting water from main building and greenhouse:

3 x water butts £134.97

3 x Rainwater Diverter Kits £29.97

To support cultivation: wheelbarrows, watering cans:  £43.99 and £20.97

Progress/Activity chalkboard: £88

Signage: 3 signs @ £95 each - total £285

Installation costs £250

50% Running costs for 2024 - £960 water, £400 electricity 

Total request is £2,576

Impact

Implementing water collection and supporting running costs and equipment will bring the use of the garden to fruition alowing us to put it to full use which will include:

• planting fruit and vegetables in our 23 riased compost beds, involving locals and demonstrating how to plant, nurture and grow our own food
• working with schools and local groups/organisations on growing food locally - the garden volunteers, Blair in Bloom, Biodiversity Blair, SCYD etc
• offering the fruit and veg to volunteers, locals and selling some to help with on-going costs
• hosting events, food fesitvals, food demonstrations etc 
• demonstrating ways of collecting and using rain water which can be replicated at home thus potentially reducing water bills

All of the above is taken from the original business plan created back in 2019/20 and is aimed at providing food and knowledge to locals to reduce their food purchase costs by growing their own, allowing those without garden space to grow items and sharing the cost of growing locally. This will have a direct imapct on the local Cost of Living with the fruit and veg being made available and will have the longer term benefit of sharing the knowledge and ideas of growing your own food with the community and can be a stepping stone to create a wider, larger community farm where locals can grow and access home grown food thus reducing their food bills.

LEARN HOW TO UPCYCLE FURNITURE

Tayside Upcycling & Craft Centre is a “Not for Profit”, Community Interest Company set up to champion the environmental and social benefits of Upcycling.

We showcase the creations of close to 40 Artisans all of which produce unique items which have been either upcycled or recycled. We also offer free advice on upcycling whilst selling all the materials customers need to embark on their own upcycling journey.

We are very proud of the impact we make in Perthshire having diverted over 50 tonnes of furniture from landfill and especially proud that as individuals and businesses aim for net zero, we are way beyond that and are Climate positive.

With this funding we hope to launch a series of upcycling workshops that will highlight the environmental and social benefits of Upcycling. We will hold some of them here in the Centre but also use a local Community Centre in order enable larger attendances. We will train attendees in basic upcycling step by step, giving each of them an item of furniture that was destined for landfill and teach them how to give it a makeover. We will explain the environmental/carbon impact of the project as well as highlight the cost benefit and affordability of upcycling, especially during a cost-of- living crisis. We will also evidence the fun and wellbeing of the creative process and how it benefits mental health as well as the pocket.

ENGAGEMENT How have we identified the demand for this your project in our community?

Based on the success of our current Upcycling outreach project (funded by Perth and Kinross Council Community Investment Fund), we have been inundated with requests on giving Upcycling workshops/courses as a direct result of the educational talks we have given. We also have visitors to our centre asking regularly if we could teach them how to upcycle an item of their own furniture. Visitors more than ever now understand the financial and environmental benefits of Upcycling but need a helping hand to start their own project. We will also lay on specific workshops for parent/child (14 upwards) sessions and group bookings as well as we already have interest from many local groups.

We will try to ensure that every person that takes part in this project becomes an advocate and ambassador for the environmental and social benefits of Upcycling. We will hope to generate more workshops once the funding is spent but make them financially sustainable whilst ensuring that affordability is not a barrier for people that can't afford them.

WASTE- reduce, reuse and recycle.  Our aims to tackle this and Affordability

With the cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency impacting on everyone we will demonstrate how much more affordable it is to upcycle rather than buy new as well as highlight that although they may be working on an item of furniture that is 50 years old, they can give it a makeover that will last another 50 years. Not only does this divert furniture from landfill, it reduces the amount of CO2 that would have been generated in producing a new item of furniture. The Upcycling process is a very rewarding one with both physical and emotion benefits, it can be hard work at times but we will demonstrate ways around this for those not fit enough whilst showing that the design and creative element is FUN! We now have Artisans selling their own creations here that started on their journey with us 3 years ago with no experience and mental health issues and now have their own small business.

We are very confident that our project will be fully subscribed due to the number of requests we have had from our Outreach project, from visitors to our Centre as well as the many Community groups  getting in touch with us.

Letham4All operates Community Fridge Projects in the Letham, Muirton, and Moncrieff areas of Perth City, collecting good surplus food from local supermarkets and suppliers to prevent going to waste. All the food is distributed, free of charge in the 3 community fridges and also shared with partners such as Martha's Kitchen and Giraffe to be used and prepared in their kitchens for free distribution in the community. Around 350 people a week access food from our Community Fridges and last year we prevented 5.4 tonnes of good food from going to waste, saving 13.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Initially, Letham4All collected only ambient fresh food products, bakery, unprepared fresh fruit and vegetables, etc, however, we have been testing our ability to collect fresh prepared food products such as ready meals, meat and meat products, fish, and other prepared food products. To carry out this test we have been lucky enough to borrow a blast freezer from Giraffe Check-In Works and have all the necessary environmental health policies and procedures in place to allow this to happen. By being able to blast freeze food on the evening of collection we are preventing more good food from going to landfill, as well as providing valuable sources of protein into people's diet. All the Community Fridges have freezers where the food can be accessed free of charge by local people.

We now need to return the borrowed Blast Freezer and are seeking funding to purchase our own, now we know that we can operate the collection and distribution of fresh foods safely and that these products are valued by people who access the Community Fridges . Very soon, we will be operating our Community Kitchen in the new Letham Community Hub and we will also use the blast freezer to enable surplus food to be processed and frozen for future use, such as bread, vegetables, etc. 

The Core Path network in and around Milnathort encourages the local community, visitors and tourists the opportunity to explore the beautiful countryside and enviroment of the area .  This in turn promotes what the area has to offer for businesses and investors.

The Core Path Group, under the umbrella of Milnathort and Orwell Community Council, operates to maintain the core paths encouraging biodiversity by preventing overgrowth of single species and allowing monitoring of invasive/dangerous species such as Knotweed and Giant Hogweed.   By maintaining the core paths it promotes the natural enviroment to the community as a whole and offers learning opportunities for the local primary schools, tying in with the Curriculum for Excellence.

Failing to maintain the core paths means they would quickly become inaccessible, denying users the benefits of being able to engage in physical activity and improved mental well being by spending time in external environment.  

Milnathort Core Paths Group receives many plaudits both when we're out maintaining the Paths and through our Facebook page. Facebook comments include: "Thank you - I love walking the paths around Milnathort", "Thank you to everyone taking the time to help keep everything nice", "Amazing thank you so much", " I have two small children and the impact of the work you do on path clearing is so greatly appreciated!! Makes our walks less stressful 

In order to maintain the core paths the group, has overtime purchased and been donated tools, such as strimmers, hand saws, rakes and other pieces of equipment.   Following a successful application to the Community Investment Fund, the group have purchased a motorised flailing machine.   This flail allows vegation to be safely cut back from the path edges and negates the need for any chemical intervention such as glysophates.

As a result of the purchase of this specific piece of equipment and the collection of  various tools required to maintain the paths, it has necessitated the need to identify and provide secure storage.  To date, volunteers have agreed to store pieces of equipment in their own sheds/garages but it would be advantageous to hold all equipement in "one store" allowing acess at anytime to any of the volunteers to undertake path maintence, and removing the responsibilty of storage from any individual.

A suitable storage facility has been identified within Milnathort and it is for the rental of a storage container within this yard that this application is submitted.

The application is made for an initial 12 month rental of a storage container, which is housed within a secure yard, accessible 24hrs daily.   During this initial 12 month period it is envisaged that the group will seek to identify and secure a permanent storage option.   

Should the application be successful, the Core Paths Group would be open to sharing the storage facility with any othe local community organisation, to allow offset of costs.

The use of Core paths encourages active travel, promotes health and well being, aids resilience by managing biodiversity and engages the community by raising public awareness 

In November 2023 Wisecraft sadly lost access to a neighbouring green space; an area which had been utilised by our clients and volunteers since 2013 (see former green space photos document). Plans will soon commence to develop this area into an outdoor eatery and bar by a local landowner, having a detrimental impact on Wisecraft’s surrounding environment and the clients who worked tremendously hard to maintain this beautiful space, entitled ‘Wellbeing Blooms’. To maintain our green approach and establish new client led opportunities, we aim to reduce the size of our car park and create a green space for growing fruit, vegetables and wildflowers (see existing car park photos document). To help insects thrive we will establish seasonal flowering plants and plant wildlife-friendly shrubs, and take a fully organic approach. We will reuse and upcycle materials within our joinery department to build new planters. These planters will hold fruit and vegetable crops for clients’ use during our Community Cookit sessions, or for them to enjoy at home with supporting Community Cookit recipe cards. Our Healthy Lifestyle Engagement Worker will deliver workshops on ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’; supporting sustainable living skills which can be transferred into clients’ day to day lives. We will provide/support waste education and awareness as a driving change towards waste and litter. Other sustainable practices will include collecting rainwater. Lack of space and gardening expertise is consistently shared as one of the biggest barriers for clients engaging in horticulture activity. Creating this supportive space will help remove this barrier and hopefully motivate client towards considering their green approaches at home; demonstrating how much can be achieved in a restricted area. To account for condensing the car parking area we will encourage employee car-sharing, and with help from Cycling Scotland, we will embrace our new cycling initiative ‘The Pedal Revolution’.  

‘Wisecraft Blooms: Renewal & Wellbeing’ fits three criteria within the Green Living Fund; that being Waste, Resilience and Engagement. By helping our client and volunteer community to grow produce on site, engage in accessible cooking groups and enhance skills to grow/cook at home, we are also supporting with the cost of living crisis.

Ember has introducd an all electric bus service between Dundee and Edinburgh, with the availability to alight/disembark in Bridge of Earn.  Zero exhaust emissions means it is good for the environment enjoying a smoother, more peaceful journey – no engine rumble or fumes.

This service has been well received by the residents with in the Earn Ward.  However, presently no bus shelter for a very exposed stop.  This service also offers the opportunity for disabled users to travel and likewise cyclists with storage available for chairs/bikes.  The success of this service is also attracting cyclists to use the service, and SUSTRANS now have a project underway for the provision of a bike rack nearby to leave bikes safely.

A bus shelter would compliment this stop and be most welcome by users.

This funding bid to the Green Living Fund, if successful, will materially help Auchterarder Community Bus Group (ACBuG) maintain at least a three-day a week timetable on the Auchterarder Town Bus Service from April 2024 for the subsequent 12 months.  If sufficient funds can be generated a fourth day will be added.

Auchterarder Community Bus Group (ACBuG) was formed to address community concerns about a lack of public transport provision within the residential areas of Auchterarder.  For a not insignificant proportion of the local community carrying out relatively straight forward daily activities, such as shopping or going to a medical appointment, was difficult or even impossible.  Social isolation was clearly seen to be a real issue for some residents.

Since its launch the Town Bus Service has successfully helped an increasing number of residents to participate more fully in their community. 

In early 2023 the ACBuG faced some significant financial challenges, and the Town Bus was only able to operate for two days a week from June 2023.  Fortunately, with crucial funding support received from Friends of St Margaret’s, The National Lottery Community Fund and through the Perth & Kinross Warm Welcome Fund, amongst others, a four-day a week timetable was implemented from 06 November 2023 and will continue up to the end of March 2024. 

The two-day operation saw the average number of daily journeys increase significantly, with an overall average of 56 passengers per day.  Initial figures for the four-day timetable look encouraging and the usage target(s) will be reassessed to better reflect the enhanced timetable.

ACBuG believes that a three-day timetable offers a reasonable degree of accessibility for local residents to the shops and community facilities in central Auchterarder, as well as to the health and social care facilities at St Margaret’s; whilst this would be materially enhanced with the operation of a fourth day.

How the Town Bus helps improve quality of life in our community

Clearly the overarching aim of ACBuG has been to make our community more accessible, so that individuals do not find it as difficult to participate in community life.

Through on-going survey work, ACBuG has received numerous positive statements with accessibility to shops and other community facilities for those with no car or limited mobility an important benefit highlighted.  Complementing accessibility, bus users also mentioned the bus providing them with independence to get out, including reducing isolation.

Whilst the Town Bus service is open to the whole community, our focus has been on assisting people in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, or residential isolation.

The timetable and routing of the bus service, which operates hourly during the day, is intended to make it attractive and easy to use.  ACBuG also offers one-to-one support to potential new users through Travel Assistance for Independent Mobility.  An increasing number of residents with wheelchairs and other mobility aids regularly use the bus.  With the bus operating on a ‘hail and ride’ basis, the driver can also be particularly sensitive to the mobility needs of passengers.

How does the bus help people in our community with the cost of living

The Town Bus is a registered local bus service and, as a result, most passengers travel free if they have a valid National Entitlement Card.  For the elderly, people with a disability and young people under 22 years of age, this is important because it avoids any fiscal barrier to using the service.  For those that must pay to use the Town Bus, a low flat fare of just £1.20 single applies to all journeys.

This pilot project was inspired by Blairgowrie & Rattray's new town twinning with Brebieres in France, which has a Biodiversity Park where trees are planted each year for the babies born in the town that year.  The Blairgowrie & Rattray Community Council delegation that visited Brebieres was impressed by this initiative, and sees it supporting BRCC resilience, climate action and twinning endeavours. BRCC has shared it with other groups and residents in our community, who also see its multiple benefits. These include Biodiversity Blair, the Climate Cafe, Soroptimists International Perth and others.  BRCC itself lacks the resources and capacity to take this idea forward. This pilot project would help to address this issue, with a view to establishing longer-term financial viability.

This project is focused on resilience and engagement, with the long-term benefits of biodiversity and food growing, bringing about cost savings as well as climate and social benefits.  By planting a range of site-appropriate food-bearing trees, this project aims to help the climate by increasing local biodiversity, improving air quality, benefiting local wildlife.  Trees planted for each newborn in the community will create a sense of ownership of the project with the families of our newest residents.  The planting of food-bearing trees will result in free food for the community!  Sites could also be chosen which will help prevent flooding, thus reducing the financial and mental impacts of these events.

This project requires research, preparation, implementation and follow-up.

During the research phase suitable sites large and small will be identified and who owns them established. Suitable food-bearing trees for the site will be identified. The number of babies born in the town (approx 130 each year) and the best method of contacting the families to confirm how many of them would like to take part in this pilot project will also be established. Any existing local projects that might include tree planting and food growing willl be identified so as to work together and not duplicate effort. A policy for future-proofing and evaluating this project would need drawing up. This would include record-keeping (what planted, where and for whom) and maintenance plans.

The preparation phase will see an appropriate location for the first trees selected, and permissions sought as required. Advice on appropriate food-bearing trees will be sought, and trees sourced. Soroptimists International Perth, a local group, is happy to provide funding for purchasing trees. A source of slate which could be repurposed to create commemorative name plaques, as well as a volunteer to do so, have already been identified

The implementation phase is a planting event, to which the whole community will be invited.  This may involve one or more family members per tree, and other support volunteers, as well as interested members of the community. Certificates for presentation to the families.

Follow-up would include record-keeping, maintenance and evaluation as above. If the pilot project is deemed successful, plans for future funding would need to be explored.