Community

It’s game on for 50-Plus Club!

by

Alyth’s long-running 50-Plus Club is now equipped with loads of new games, craft materials and a projector to help guest speakers, thanks to a £950 grant from pour Community Projects Fund.

The money has helped the Club to buy board games and table-top games, art and craft materials, and a small bingo machine as well as a projector for guest speakers to use and for other community groups to borrow if they need it.

The Club had been running for many years but had to stop because of COVID.  It has restarted recently and membership is at a reasonable level, but the Club would like to encourage more members, especially those who are still reluctant to go out and about much.  

The aim is to give people aged 50 and over an opportunity to socialise, learn new skills but also have time for a cup of tea and a blether. Some current members have said the club is a lifeline for them as they live alone and are rarely out of the house.

The Club’s John Lindsay said:  “We want the club to provide the place where people can come for a get-together and socialise with a cup of tea and cake.  However we also want to provide a variety of activities for the members to choose from, to help stimulate their physical and mental wellbeing.  Our members told us they would like more craft activities and some more up-to-date board games, ones to play in groups.” 

John added: “We hope the new equipment will create an enjoyable and informative experience for our members and also encourage more people to attend the club, especially those who live alone and would benefit from the social aspect of the meeting as well as the stimulation provided by the games, activities and talks.”

The Club is also now working with Alyth Primary School to encourage more interaction between the young and the elderly in Alyth.  The projector would help with pupil presentations to Club members:  the elderly would enjoy seeing the youngsters doing something and the pupils would get valuable experience presenting to groups.

ADT’s Community Projects Fund distributes the community benefit funds provided for Alyth by the operators of the Tullymurdoch Windfarm, some five miles north of the town.  Applications to the fund are judged by an independent panel of volunteers drawn from across the community.  Apply at https://lovealyth.org.uk/projects/alyth-community-projects-fund/.

Local footpaths promoted with new leaflets

by

Alyth’s wonderful network of paths connecting it to the beauties of the surrounding countryside is getting a welcome profile boost thanks to a grant from our Community Projects Fund.

The Fund has given £2000 to the WalkAlyth project to fund the design and production of a range of leaflets detailing individual walking routes along existing footpaths starting and finishing in Alyth.  The routes vary from one hour to four hours in length and the leaflets provide not only a route-map but also pictures and interesting information about things to see along the way.

The leaflets are available from the local library, local accommodation providers and businesses, and can also be downloaded from Alyth.Online so that ramblers can use them on their phones or other mobile devices.

Local artist and craftsman Ron McGill , who has done all the research and photography for the leaflets, commented:  “Alyth is a wonderful centre for exploring the amazing local countryside, flora and fauna.  Until now, there has been little information available to visitors and members of the local community who want to enjoy this unique environment. 

“Walking is an increasingly popular pastime, which has many benefits for physical and mental health. We hope that these leaflets promoting walking around Alyth will contribute to the wellbeing of local people and also help to increase the number of visitors to Alyth, with benefits for the local economy.”

Leaflets/maps of walking and cycling routes around Alyth were identified as a priority in the Alyth Community Action Plan 2021-26. 

ADT’s Community Projects Fund distributes the community benefit funds provided for Alyth by the operators of the Tullymurdoch Windfarm, some five miles north of the town.  Applications to the fund are judged by an independent panel of volunteers drawn from across the community.  Apply at https://lovealyth.org.uk/projects/alyth-community-projects-fund/.

ADT helps Community Council celebrate local heroes

by

We’re proud to be supporting Alyth Community Council (ACC) as they prepare to celebrate the people and organisations in the town who have gone above and beyond to make Alyth the wonderful place it is.

A £1,175 grant from our Community Projects Fund is helping to fund prizes, catering, advertising and venue costs for ACC’s Volunteer Appreciation Event this coming Saturday (21 October) in Alyth Town Hall starting at 7pm.

As well as the ACC presenting the Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Community Group of the Year awards, it is planned that other groups will also present and/or celebrate their internal awards there.  There will be refreshments provided after the awards ceremony. 

We salute ACC for arranging this prestigious ceremony and social event, and we’re proud to be able to support it.

ADT’s Community Projects Fund distributes the community benefit funds provided for Alyth by the operators of the Tullymurdoch Windfarm, some five miles north of the town.  Applications to the fund are judged by an independent panel of volunteers drawn from across the community.  Apply at https://lovealyth.org.uk/projects/alyth-community-projects-fund/

Millhaugh site transferred to community stewardship ready for new development

by

Alyth is getting ready to establish a new educational, environmental and tourism-related resource on the former sawmill site at Millhaugh, following the transfer of the land from private ownership to community stewardship.

The sale by the former owners to Alyth Development Trust (ADT) on behalf of the community was signed last week.  The deal clears the way for local people and groups to join together and agree on how best to ensure that the town benefits from having access to this beloved landmark.

ADT is inviting interested parties to agree on a date for a meeting in late September to begin mapping out what sort of activities and programmes the site could be used for, and how best they could be developed.  Many individuals and groups have already said they would like to be involved and ADT plans to contact them all, as well as invite others who want to join the process.  Suggested dates for the initial meeting will be circulated for comment soon.

If you or your organisation would like to be included in the invitation for the initial meeting, please email millhaugh@alyth.online.

view of derelict buildings on Millhaugh site
Image courtesy of Richard Wilkins/Blairgowrie Advertiser

At present, the site is being made safe and is not open to the public.  There is a significant amount of work to do with asbestos removal, removal of underground tanks and enclosure of some dangerous structures.  This work is being done by licensed professionals, paid for with grant monies from the Vacant & Derelict Land fund and the Scottish Land Fund and support from ADT.  It is expected that this work will take a few months to complete and ADT hopes to announce a more specific schedule as soon as possible.

George Hall, chair of ADT, said:  “This is a vital asset for Alyth, with so much potential to benefit all sections of the community in a variety of ways.  It’s essential that the community is represented as fully as possible in the design and planning that now needs to be done to make the most of the site.

“ADT is proud to have enabled the community to acquire the site and we are excited about supporting the community in deciding what to do with it.  We are urging anyone and everyone with ideas and opinions to get involved and make sure their views are heard.”

Ron Kirkpatrick, on behalf of the former site-owners, commented:  ““We are pleased to see this development which will see the site revitalised as a thriving asset for the community of Alyth.”

Seven weeks to get your entry in!

by

REMINDER: Just over seven weeks to go to get your artwork in for the Alyth Young Artists’ Competition. There are two age categories: under 10 and between 11 and 18, on the 1st September 2023. Your entry should be connected to Alyth, however loosely, and on the theme of “Reflections”, and can be in any medium: painting, charcoal, crayon, collage, mixed media, three dimensional or any other form. Full details and T&Cs are on our website: https://lovealyth.org.uk/…/calling-all-aspiring-young…/

Calling all aspiring young artists!

by

An exciting opportunity has been created (by ADT and the legacy funding from the dissolution of the Arts and Crafts Guild) to instigate a competition to promote the work of young artists in Alyth. 

The competition will have two age categories: under 10 and between 11 and 18, on the 1st September 2023. 

Art work submitted should be connected to Alyth, however loosely, and on the theme of “Reflections”.

The work can be in any medium: painting, charcoal, crayon, collage, mixed media, three dimensional or any other form. 

There will be prizes for each age group in the form of vouchers to be spent in local businesses and we should like to hold an exhibition of finished work to celebrate the creativity of participants.  The competition will run until the end of September and submission of work will initially be by a photograph of the work, which should be sent by email to the address below.

As the school holidays are upon us we hope that these may provide an opportunity to research, reflect and develop a piece of work in line with the guidelines. 

Remember:

  • Art work can be in any medium
  • Work should be related to the theme of “Reflections”
  • There should be some connection with Alyth
  • There are two age groups
  • The competition will close at the end of September
  • There will be a judging panel, initially looking at photographs of the finished work
  • An exhibition of the art work will take place after judging
  • Vouchers will be awarded to the top performers in each category
  • Photos of work should be submitted to: artcompetition@alyth.online
  • Submissions by 30th September 2023

We very much hope that this will inspire all young artists to develop their artistic ideas and showcase their talents and we look forward to receiving a lot of submissions.

July board minutes now online

by

The minutes of our July board meeting are now available to read online here: https://lovealyth.org.uk/about-alyth-development-trust/board-minutes/

Have a look and see what we’re currently doing, and if you’re like to know more then do please get in touch via alythdevelopmenttrust@gmail.com

Our next board meeting is scheduled for Monday 7 August, starting at 7pm. This will be on Zoom, and anyone is welcome to attend. Email us or send us a message on Facebook and we’ll send you the login link before the meeting.

PAGE TOP