Renew Your Membership to Have Your Say
Welcome to our weekly Community News and thank you for your support! This week we are asking you to renew your LCDT membership or become a member to receive our member benefits.
As we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic now, more than ever before, the future is all about local. We want to encourage people to embrace their local neighbourhood by spending more time locally, shopping local, using green spaces, cycling and walking where possible and supporting local wherever they can.
Linlithgow Community Development Trust also wants to continue to focus our priorities on what is important to the local community. So, we are asking our existing members to renew their membership which helps support the work we are doing.
You may have also seen we announced our proposed merger with Transition Linlithgow, which will sit as a project within LCDT. So, this is a good time for us to review our membership list and ensure it is up-to-date, relevant to the new organisation and data compliant.
Member benefits include:
- Opportunity to take part in our annual members ‘Have Your Say’ consultation to influence LCDT priorities.
- Be part of a community-led organisation.
- Develop new skills and experiences by accessing our volunteering opportunities.
- Access to learning and training events.
- Receive our Community News e-newsletter.
Linlithgow Community Development Trust’s aim is quite simply “to make Linlithgow a wonderful place to live, work and visit.” Here are some of our achievements over the last eight years which have contributed to achieving that aim. You can help us to continue this work by renewing your membership.
West Lothian Cycle Circuit
Our flagship project is the West Lothian Cycle Circuit. Since 2014 this has been a labour of love over the years with challenges along the way.
The vision is for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy cycling and increase their cycling confidence.
To do this we are creating a 1km tarmac traffic-free circuit made up of four loops, for drop-in sessions, club use and organised activities.
Planning permission is in place and £572k of funding is secured to deliver the first phase (a 0.5km two loop circuit), thanks to the incredible support of our local community!
At the start of the year our successful crowdfunding campaign raised over £30k. This covers the costs of floodlighting, creating a facility to be enjoyed all year round. Thank you to all our supporters and volunteers who made this happen.
Linlith-Go-Solar
Our community energy enterprise project Linlith-Go-Solar aims to make solar work for the benefit of the whole town. We have had two successful phases of the project which has seen solar PV panels installed at Linlithgow Rugby Club, Linlithgow Golf Club and Linlithgow Sports Club.
£42K was successfully raised locally through our Community Bond offers which have helped fund these projects.
These solar panels are now producing cheap electricity for the clubs and paying back bond holders, not to mention being eco-friendly. Over the years ahead as the initiative make a surplus, this will allow LCDT to reinvest back into the community to support local projects. We have ambitious plans for phase 3 to create a place that is sustainable in energy, creating local jobs, business opportunities, community benefits, and young people’s opportunities.
The Community
The community is at the heart of all we do, and LCDT would like to thank all the wonderful volunteers in our town. Our community groups’ consultation in 2017 led us to develop a number of priorities.
We piloted the EH49 Hub, a twice-weekly co-working space at the Star & Garter Café. We also ran learning events for groups and businesses, a virtual business network and set up our popular Community Cake events, which now run online.
Last year we created and launched www.MyLinlithgow.com. It is truly a one-stop-shop for all the information you will need about Linlithgow, with directories of local businesses, community groups, venues, and a ‘what’s on’ calendar of local (and virtual!) events, activities and classes. The site contains tourist information, the town’s history and local volunteering opportunities. We also keep everyone updated via our social media channels.
We are now revisiting the creation of a new co-working hub/community space for the town. Would you be interested in using a co-working space in the town? Is so please let us know!
Transition Linlithgow
Transition Linlithgow’s work began in 2008 and has focused on taking action on local issues of sustainability and climate change.
Current projects include Linlithgow Tool Library and electric van and bike hire.
We also have projects on digital technology donations, plastic-free Linlithgow and encouraging active travel. You can find out more about TL’s previous work at https://www.transitionlinlithgow.org.uk/past-projects.html.
The Future
To continue developing these projects, and new ones, we need your help to show we have the support of the town. This can help us access funding pots to help progress our work. We also want to hear what your priorities are so that we can focus on what matters most to the community.
Please renew your membership to continue receiving member benefits at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/RenewLCDTmyLinlithgow/. It will only take a few minutes of your time.
We would also love it if you are able to share with any other locals who may be interested – thank you!
Please be assured we will only retain and process your information in line with GDPR for the purposes of maintaining our membership list and contacting members. You can view our GDPR Privacy Notice and Data Protection Policy on our website.
Business Spotlight – Meg Wallace Art
Since her early retirement in May, Meg Wallace has turned her love of drawing and painting into a new venture which has kept her busy during lockdown and beyond.
Living in Linlithgow for 30 years, Meg loves the town and its community spirit and wanted to express this in her painting. She has been using pastels to produce paintings of Linlithgow scenes, including some less commonly recorded views.
When she had completed ten or so, the idea of a calendar started brewing and being a determined lady, she soon had twelve pictures ready. A printer was found and the “2021 Linlithgow Life in Pastels” is now on sale in A Wee Mindin’ and Mannerstons.
Meg has also created a colouring book of local places which has been selling fast and is a big hit with the kids. The colouring books are also raising money for ‘River Kids’ charity, with a donation from every sale going to the charity. They are available to buy locally in Far from the Madding Crowd and Bright Star Toys.
So you can support the High Street and a local artist at the same time. All these shops are still open for click and collect during tier 4 restrictions.
Alongside the calendar and colouring book, Meg also has a selection of mounted pastel drawings, coasters and mugs available, all depicting traditional Linlithgow scenes.
There is a competition in the latest Black Bitch magazine to win some of Meg’s items – a calendar, colouring book and 4 coasters, all delivered before Christmas. All you need to do to enter is suggest a view of Linlithgow that would be good for her to paint. Closing date is tomorrow!
You can read more about Meg Wallace Art in the latest issue of The Black Bitch Magazine on page 16. You can follow Meg on Facebook or Instagram and can also purchase items from her Etsy shop.
Community Spotlight – Transition Linlithgow Digital Donations
Do you want to pass on your spare devices but you’re not sure where to donate them too?
It’s hard to imagine not being online at this time, but this is the reality for some people to let’s re-use what we can! Transition Linlithgow would love donation of used IPads, laptops, Kindles and smartphones (android or Apple). Here are details of what we can accept.
After the success of the last event outdoor drop-off event, we are doing it again on Saturday 5th December 10am-12pm at Linlithgow Rugby Club car park. Thank you so much to everyone in the community who came along to our last drop-off, we received a fantastic 71 devices to pass on. If you still have some devices lurking in drawers, we’d love to see you on the 5th December!
Membership Renewal
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.
