August 2004  

Plans for a new community centre in Peterhead 

[Press release kindly reproduced from the Buchan Observer, Article and picture by Billy Youngson]

Plans for a new community centre in Peterhead are moving forward. Architects measured out a site for the facility in the town's Dales Park on Friday morning. Tenants First is leading the way with the facility which they want to site at a piece of land at the back of Willowbank Road, near the Berryden shops.

The 21 metre by 23 metre building will incorporate a hall and other youth facilities. It will accommodate drama and sports groups, and have a cyber cafe and outdoors playground. 

A drop-in flat at Peterhead's Slains Court has laid the foundations for the centre for the Meethill, Clerkhill and Dales Park areas. Tenants First's Martin van Der Lee said: "It came about through planning gain from Deveron Homes. 

"Aberdeenshire Council came to Tenants First around two years ago to ask if we would take it forward.

"We get £250,000 from the planning gain, but we know we will need more than that for it." 

He added: "There is a real need for it in this area. That has been proven with the popularity of the Hill Park Community Flat."

Isobel  Davidson, New Community School's, worker has said it aims to bridge the gap between the community centre and the south side of the town. She said: "People living in these areas have quite a distance to go to get to the community centre and that tends to keep them away from it." 

The centre is a joint venture between Tenants First, Community Education and the New Community Schools groups.

Current, plans for the new centre can be viewed at the Hill Park flat. Mr Van Der Lee said: "We are in the very early stages at the moment and the plans could still change.

"We have yet to put forward for planning permission but we hope to do that as soon as possible. We have no timescale for the new centre, we just want it as soon as possible."

Super Sunflower Competition Winners

Tenants First’s tenant members all received free sunflower seeds, kindly donated by B & Q, in their April newsletter.  

Mr Albert Duncan, Peterculter is the winner of our tallest outdoor grown competition.  His sunflower grew to an amazing 10 feet 3! He won £60 of vouchers which he plans to spend at his local DIY store, no doubt on his treasured and beautiful garden.  

Little Liam, aged 5, from Garthdee was the winner of the largest outdoor grown sunflower in the children’s category and he is looking forward to spending his £40 of vouchers on toys and a computer game.

Mr Towns, also from Garthdee won the largest indoor grown sunflower prize of £60 of vouchers.  

Many thanks to all the tenant members who took the time to enter and who brightened up their gardens and homes with these lovely flowers.  All we need now is a little sun to help them flower!.

Recycling Programme

Aberdeen Forward, through their Master Composter Programme, are currently offering city and shire residents composting units at a special price. Over a third of the average household refuse bin is made up of waste that co

There is also a green cone available, which, using solar power, digests food scrapes (both cooked and uncooked) in a safe way, producing a nutrient rich liquid. These are £10 in the city and £20 in the shire (£10 of which will be refunded when additional funding is received).

You can fit both products in the boot of a car (the compost bin is flat packed) and there are various pick up points available across the city and shire. If you have no form of transport, delivery may be available.

Booklets are given out with each bin/cone giving assembly instructions as well as information on how to compost.

Volunteers

The Master Composting Programme is seeking volunteers to form a composting network across the North East.  This is open to people of all ages and abilities.  Volunteers are given training on composting as well as recycling and other ways to reduce waste.  The volunteers have their own newsletter and are invited to attend various environmental events and workshops (expenses are paid for travel).  They are also shortly starting a social activity programme - it is hoped to hold a monthly event.  In exchange for at least 20 hours volunteering a year you will receive vouchers for a local garden centre.

Interested? Contact Sarah Hunter at Tenants First on 01224 628436, or e-mail shunter@tenantsfirst.com  

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