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AGM Update LCDT & Transition Linlithgow Merger
We would like to thank all our members who attended our recent Annual General Meeting. At the meeting, we formally agreed on the proposed merger of Linlithgow Community Development Trust (LCDT) and Transition Linlithgow (TL). This means Transition Linlithgow will now sit within LCDT as a specific project. All existing TL activities will continue to be developed as part of LCDT.
We are delighted to join our organisations together and excited at the prospect of the new opportunities ahead.
We would like to welcome three new directors to the Board, who previously sat as TL trustees. They are Carole Racionzer (our new Vice Chair) Des Martin and Chris Gunstone.
At the AGM we also formally welcomed Ian Fyfe and Mike Ewart to the Board who were previously co-opted and are now fully elected Board members.
Membership Renewal Coming Next Week ….
Given the merger between Linlithgow Community Development Trust and Transition Linlithgow, we are renewing our membership list to ensure it is up-to-date, relevant to the new organisation and data compliant.
Watch out next week for a very short survey you can complete to renew your membership. Being a member gives you the chance to be part a community-led organisation and the opportunity to share your views on what is important for our local area.
We will be running our new annual members Have Your Say survey early next year to find out your priorities for the Linlithgow ward in 2021. What do you think is most important for LCDT to focus on post-Covid? We want to hear from you but you must be a member to take part so watch this space!
St Michael Sculpture
We were excited to see the new St Michael sculpture erected recently at Low Port. This is the second of two civic insignia sculptures commissioned by Linlithgow Burgh Trust. The first was the Black Bitch, opposite St Peter’s Church, about a year ago. This image shows St Michael with Alan Herriot the sculptor, which was casted and installed by Powderhall Bronze and the granite plinth was provided by W L Watson & Son. The official unveiling is unfortunately delayed until virus-related restrictions permit.
Sponsor a Tree in Triangle Wood in Time for Christmas
Burgh Beautiful Linlithgow and Linlithgow Community Development Trust have joined forces to raise much-needed funds to help enhance the town with its floral displays, improve spaces for wildlife and support the LCDT’s ambitious plan to develop a Cycle Circuit and wider sports facility.
Triangle Wood is currently grassland, west of the Leisure Centre, bounded by the Union Canal and A706. Over the past year, almost 1,000 native trees have been planted, including 400 on the 22nd November. This is thanks to a kind donation from the Woodland Trust and volunteer tree planters. The wood will eventually provide a shelter belt while opening up a network of paths and adding to the diversity of habitats for wildlife.
Christmas is coming. Why not give a gift of trees? You are invited to Sponsor a Tree at £5 each. In return, a Certificate will acknowledge your contribution and an annual record of sponsorships will be publicised.
If interested check our websites or contact [email protected].
Business Spotlight – Grove & Thicket
Grove and Thicket are a new local family business set up in September and run by husband-and-wife team, Kris and Anne. They offer a range of gardening services including small garden tidy-ups, hedge cutting, felling trees and more!
Kris’s grandfather was a florist and publican, whose pub won ‘Derby in Bloom’ year after year. He taught him everything he knows about gardening and floristry and continues to advise to this day. Kris is also a fully qualified LANTRA tree inspector and holds City & Guilds Qualifications in ground-based tree felling.
Anne runs the business and relationship side of Grove and Thicket. Dealing with new and existing clients, she prides herself on offering excellent customer service and creating a fantastic client experience from start to finish. Her father was a landscape gardener, so she also has a horticultural background.
Grove and Thicket also make seasonal goods. If you’re looking to bring some festiveness to your house, you can now order Festive and Advent Wreaths. They are all natural with some lovely bow choices. Delivery slots are already filling up fast filling up. There is a contactless payment and delivery service to ensure safety and compliance with current restrictions.
Black Friday also sees the launch of Grove & Thicket Garden Tidy Up gift vouchers, which are a great option for Christmas gifts for family and friends. Something practical and a great idea when outdoor space is a priority right now.
Kris and Anne are also committed to sustainability. They have pledged that for every tree they remove, they will plant another from their nursery of saplings or donate money towards planting trees and helping communities rebuild habitats around the world. They also forage locally and use cuttings from their garden work to minimise their environmental impact.
You can read more about Grove and Thicket in the latest issue of The Black Bitch Magazine on page 16. You can also follow them on Facebook get in touch at [email protected].
Community Spotlight – Linlithgow Flyers Netball Club
Linlithgow Flyers Netball Club was established just over 4 years ago and is all about fun, fitness and friendships! Following an innocent post in October 2015 in the local Linlithgow Facebook group, it was clear there was a demand for Linlithgow in the town and lots of interested ladies looking to get involved.
After a lot of work to secure a venue with netball facilities, our first night of netball went ahead on the 28th September 2016 at Linlithgow Primary School with 13 players – just 1 short for 2 teams.
From that day on, the club has gone from strength to strength. We moved to full sized courts at Linlithgow Academy and Xcite Linlithgow. Continuing to meet the demand from our players we progressed to set up a Development Squad who train and compete at a more competitive level. There is also a recreational section of the club who train, play for fun but also take part in netball tournaments.
In 2019 we did some hugely successful Junior taster sessions which lead to us setting up a Junior club, providing netball opportunities for children aged 7 to 12. We also have close links to the Walking Netball Club too.
Covid hit in March and since then things have been on pause, with various online activities taking place instead. We have done a huge amount of work, appointing a Covid Officer who has been key to meeting all the relevant requirements from Netball Scotland, our governing body. We are ready to get back on court and had our first outdoor training session recently focused on skills and drills, as we aren’t able to play games just yet.
Once we are out of tier 4 restrictions, we plan to return to these outdoor training sessions and look forward to when we can return to the indoor court and play games again! We’re always looking for new members so please get in touch if you would like to find out more. Everyone is welcome whatever your age, fitness or netball experience!
You can follow Linlithgow Flyers on Facebook and get in touch at [email protected].
Latest Covid-19 Guidance
West Lothian is now in Level 4 of the Scottish Government Strategic Framework of restrictions until Friday 11th December. These include the following restrictions:
- Socialising – No in-home socialising, 6 people/2 households outdoors and in public places. Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people counted in a gathering.
- Schools – Open with enhanced protective measures in place.
- Hospitality – Restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars will be closed. Takeaways can still operate as normal, provided food and drink is sold for consumption off-premises.
- Travel – No non-essential travel into or out of the West Lothian council area and keep journeys within the area to an absolute minimum. Exemptions include essential travel for work, education, caring responsibilities, healthcare, shared parenting, local informal outdoor exercise or essential shopping not available locally.
- Transport – Avoid car sharing with people outside extended household wherever possible. Avoid non-essential use of public transport.
- Sports & Exercise – Gyms and swimming pools will close. Outdoor gyms can remain open. and outdoor non-contact sports are permitted for all age groups.
- Shopping – Only essential retail will remain open.
- Public buildings – Closed.
- Leisure & Entertainment – Closed.
Full details about the restrictions for each level can be found in the document Scotland’s Strategic Framework. More details can also be found on level 4 restrictions.
The current advice to stay safe, protect others, save lives is available on the Scottish Government.
Many thanks to everyone who has been so vigilant in following these procedures already. This will help to keep our community safe.
Scam Alert
Please be aware, there is a report of a suspected Contact and Trace Telephone Scam in the Forth Valley Area this week. To help recognise genuine Contact Tracers Neighbourhood Watch Scotland are sharing this information about Scotland’s Test and Protect approach. Please tell family, friends and neighbours. One simple conversation may stop someone becoming a victim to these criminals.
