One of our correspondents has passed us a copy of a poster and a booking form for a playpark renewal meeting that has been whizzing around the town's digital thoroughfares today. The meeting will be taking place on the morning of Friday the 18th September in the Nairn Community and Arts Centre between 9.45 and 11.15 a.m. It is about getting lottery funding as they did in Ardersier. Poster below for any Gurnites that may be interested and below the poster a wee bit of Gurn comment.
Very good now the community has to try and "win" lottery funding. Let's hope we can but in the broader sense of the big slide aftermath does this not seem a bit stable-door-after-horse has bolted to be having a meeting to explore Lottery funding after the HC has spent a lot of public cash demolishing the brae and the slide and putting in new equipment. Why didn't they have a public meeting, discuss options, explore funding, and make the community aware before they set about wrecking what was there?
Times on your write up should be a.m.
ReplyDeletethanks for that will change.
ReplyDeleteJust to be clear this meeting has nothing to do with the Links. There are many play areas in Nairn that could do with community love such as the riverside for example. This meeting is about learning from the experiences from the Ardersier Community Play group and from this I hope we can gain enough interest to form a community group of our own to focus on creating an inclusive community play area for all ages.
ReplyDelete"Just to be clear" this meeting wouldn't be taking place if it wasn't for the debacle at the links with the removal of the slide Steven, for you to think otherwise makes me question my decision to vote for you.
ReplyDeleteThe above comment reminds me of the Iraqi Information Minister "Comical Ali" trying to deny that there were no American tanks in Baghdad as they were passing behind him in the camera shot.
Ardersier had the funding in place long enough for Nairn's councillors to have taken notice, "Horse Bolted, Stable Door".
If you want to make a difference to the community please try not to go down the route of making "Politico Bullshine" comments
So anyone who wants to see the big slide back on the Links is not wanted at this meeting then?
ReplyDeleteEveryone is welcome to this meeting, but the meeting is about listening and learning from the Ardersier group with an aim of looking into creating a community play park like that seen in Ardersier. This is going to be a learning process and I suggest that we focus on one of the many other play areas in Nairn before diving in and tackling the Links. If we are successful then the community group may build up the experience and the confidence to move on to other play areas, potentially this could move on to the links to create something on a grand scale that Nairn can be proud of. Ultimately this should be community lead so it all depends on the views of the group.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 7.21
ReplyDeleteCouncillor Fuller had nothing/nada/zilch to do with the decision about the slide.
Before he was elected, he was already bringing parents together to develop all Nairn's play facilities.
In other areas - such as Arderseir and Drumnadrochit - it has been community groups who have formed committees to pull funds in from the Lottery to bring facilities into the 21st Century. The Council can help, it can contribute - but the big dosh is available through the Lottery and from Europe. The Cooncil is skint - but I'm glad that young Mr Fuller has his head above the parapet and will work tirelessly to make sure Nairn gets better and better facilities around all parts of the Town.
Anon at 7.36
I'm sure everyone who has ideas and energy would be welcome at the meeting. Girning and carping probably not constructive - if you really want better facilities.
It's amazing that there are so many comments moaning about the removal of an out dated slide... Yet no mention on all the wonderful new playground equipment that has been gradually replacing it.
ReplyDelete@anon @5.17 This observer would suggest that there was genuine outrage expressed by quite a few people (maybe even a majority of citizens) over the removal of the big slide and the brae.It will probably resonate for a generation yet and will resurface every time when large scale play equipment changes in Nairn are discussed. You have to remember also that even councillors didn't seem to know that it was going to happen. It is stuff like this that comes out of nowhere, gets citizens off their arses and into action - whatever happens it isn't going to go away easy - that's just the way of things. People felt wronged, it was an easy issue for them to get involved in and it all kicked off. Que sera, sera.
ReplyDeleteWhat would be wrong with just a wee bit of retro and the brae back and a new big slide - would go a long way in the hive mind perhaps?
So it looks like the time of the meeting has been chosen to exclude most people that have to work during the day. I certainly will not be able to attend even though I do have strong views on it; and using a third party to confer these views would not be practicable.
ReplyDeleteIn reply to Anon at 12:26
ReplyDeleteI never said the good councillor did have anything to do with the slide removal, read my post again, I doubt that the meeting would have the impetus it has/is raising if it wasn't for the slide removal, to think otherwise, well you know my feelings.
Thanks for informing me the cooncil is skint, also that the big money is really from Europe, and from my pocket, well, it is when I buy a ticket!! Still can't see how from my post you thought otherwise.
I wish Steven all the best, truly do, the council needs his youth and vision, I hope he can gel Nairnites to have a more community minded spirit, just like Ardersier, but my thoughts on that are for another time.
What's to stop any one to put there self forward for the commit if one is formed and put some effort in to improving things??
ReplyDeleteI know from my own experience of trying to get a ramp for the unfortunate who can't cross the Firhall Bridge. Plenty of approval for the need for A ramp but when it comes to the Doing then all the support falls away.
Action is what is needed so rather than mouthing of complaints about things. You have a chance to get it done your way. Ultimately this should be community lead so it all depends on the views of the group. The man is trying and will come in for a lot of slagging from the armchair professionals who will do nothing but complain.
GET OUT THERE AND HELP
M.R. DUNBAR
Have you ever considered murd,that even with a ramp the bridge is to narrow for some wheekchairs?
ReplyDeleteNo Anonymous
ReplyDeleteNO I HAVE NOT CONSIDERED THAT OVER 1M CLEARANCE WAS TOO NARROW BUT PLEASE TELL ME WHO HAS GOT ONE THAT WON'T GET ACROSS. I HAVE TO YET COME ACROSS ONE??
ALSO WHY PENALIZE ALL OTHERS WHO COULD HAVE ACCESS FOR THE SAKE OF SOMEONE WHO HAS SOMETHING THAT IS OUT SIZED.
On this blog there was a photo of a wheelchair on the bridge with ample room.
So my attitude is to consider the majority of users. Not the one who you think might be out there.
MURD
The big slide was far from outdated merely needed updated and a couple of fixes to make the most popular attraction at the links back in use for the many kids that loved it, instead of the one that looks like it came from a catalogue !
ReplyDelete