Councillors will today (Thursday) be asked to approve more than £330,000 for North-east community transport initiatives.

The Aberdeenshire Community Transport Initiative (ACTI) was established in April 2008, following the transfer of responsibilities for funding by Holyrood to councils.

Grants are awarded of up to 75% of project costs for the provision of community-based rural passenger transport such as community buses, dial-a-trip services, and voluntary car schemes.

ACTI currently provides grant funding to seven local groups who were previously funded by the Scottish Government - Buchan Dial-a-Community Bus, Banffshire Partnership Limited, Ballater Royal Deeside Limited, Mid Deeside Limited (Deeside Community Transport Group), Mearns Community Transport, The Silver Circle and WRVS.

WRVS has a three year grant up to March 2013, and after it was asked to reduce costs for 2012/13 it has cut its funding request from £27,351 to £25,160.

The six other groups are seeking funding of £332,169 for the financial year 2012/13.

Given the council’s current financial position, the funding will run for one year if approved by councillors, having previously been allocated for a three-year period.

The policy and resources committee will be asked today to approve the applications.

The overall amount is a reduction of around 10%, or £40,000, on previous annual funding packages, decided by the full council.

Community groups were advised in February 2011, to allow them time to plan how to manage the reduction.

Only Buchan Dial-a-Community Bus anticipates it will have a direct impact on services. Aberdeenshire Council’s Head of Transportation, Ewan Wallace, said: “Our officers are continuing to speak to Buchan Dial-a-Community Bus to help them identify alternative sources of funding.

“As the service is aimed at patient transport, we are also speaking to NHS Grampian about any assistance which it may be able to give.

“Work is also currently being done by public sector partners to look at the wider delivery of patient transport under the Health and Transportation Action Plan, so there is potential here for any gap in service to be filled.

“Of course, it is up to all of the groups how they allocate the funds we provide – they do have the option of looking at overheads generally, or to levy a small increase in charges to the users of that service.”

Due to the current financial position, it is not considered appropriate to agree further funding beyond 2013. Any proposed grant awards for the financial year 2013/14 onwards will be contained in a future committee report.

]]> 1.2123713 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.ellontimes.co.uk/ellon_farmers_market_needs_new_co_ordinator_1_2130177

ELLON Farmers’ Market has launched an appeal for a new co-ordinator to facilitate the group’s fortnightly markets in Neil Ross Square.

Chairwoman of Ellon Traders, Tracy Gibb, told the Times that the position had been made vacant after former co-ordinator Sarah Bonner resigned earlier this month due to work commitments in Aberdeen.

The market, which is a long standing fixture on the Ellon calender, takes place every second Saturday at Neil Ross Square in the town centre, with a selection of locally produced fruit and vegetables, foods and crafts on sale. The event runs from 8.30am - 12.30pm, and responsibilities for whoever took the position would include organising and communicating with stall holders, publicising the event, and being able to store and transport the stalls.

Tracy added that the voluntary post would be ideal for a retired person, and that getting a new appointee would go a long way toward the Traders’ objectives of creating a vibrant town centre environment.

“We’re looking to see what we can do to make the town centre a better place for visitors and shoppers at the weekend,” she said. “We’re looking for someone to bring a bit of enthusiasm and organisation. There are six regular stalls, bought and paid for at the event already, but it would be a great event to grow and develop.”

Anyone interested in applying for the position can contact Tracy Gibb on 01358 724600, or via e-mail at tracygibb@hotmail.co.uk.

Local photographer and artist, Liz Alderdice is currently working in conjunction with Aberdeenshire Council and Alzheimer Scotland to pilot a scheme where people living with dementia can benefit from being creative.

Liz, who regularly runs courses from her home entitled ‘Ways of seeing’ which encourages creativity through the right brain, is applying this form of learning to the dementia group, which is proving very rewarding for all concerned.

Liz explained: “It’s exciting to work with the group, they are very responsive and they seem to be getting a huge amount out of it.

“They have expressed their surprise because it wasn’t the art they were expecting - it’s about being creative in a very free way, and they found it to be both enjoyable and accessible.”

Aberdeenshire Council Principal arts officer, Carol Leathley said: “Aberdeenshire Council arts and community planning teams has been developing pioneering work to enable dancers, musicians and visual artists to work with people living with dementia, their carers and volunteers. We are early in the project but things are going well and the idea is being well received. It is exciting to see improvements in participants’ self-confidence and their cognitive and motor skills through engaging in the creative process. The creative process can touch and inspire everyone deeply somehow.”

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