258 March 2016 - Gryffe Advertizer

10 the advertizer t: 01505 613340 e: info@advertizer.co.uk
trust again.
Parliament to Dissolve - On the 23rd March the Scottish
Parliament dissolves ahead of the election on May 5th. As
part of the dissolution process there will be no MSPs until
after the election. Therefore, as I will no longer be an MSP –
albeit hopefully only temporarily – I am under Parliamentary
rules unable to take on any new constituency casework from
that date. With this in mind I would urge any constituent who
has an issue they feel I may be able to help with to contact my
office on 0141 885 2076 as soon as possible. Alternatively,
they are welcome to attend any of my surgeries, please call
my office for full details of times and locations. As you will
know I will be standing for re-election as constituency MSP
in May and will spend the dissolution period speaking to as
many voters as humanly possible to ask for their support and
Funding for new Kilmacolm Primary School - Inverclyde Council will receive
a share of £230 million from the Scottish Government to replace Kilmacolm
Primary School. The Scottish Government is working hard to improve educational
standards across the country to make sure that every child in Scotland has the
ability to achieve their potential. Part of that is making sure children have the
right physical environment to learn in. The announcement from the Scottish
Government of a new school for Kilmacolm is fantastic - a modern building that
pupils, teachers and the whole community will enjoy for generations to come.
In addition to the educational benefits of the new school, it will also provide a
boost to the local economy, creating many construction jobs and apprenticeship
opportunities.
£20m backing to ease argriculture cash flow concerns - The Scottish
Government is taking further action to ease cash flow issues in Scottish
agriculture. Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has announced a scheme
- backed by £20 million Scottish Government funding - to enable more farmers
and crofters to access loans whilst waiting for their Common Agricultural Policy
(CAP) payments. The Scottish Government fully recognise the cash flow issues
facing Scottish agriculture as a result of difficult market and weather conditions
coinciding with the biggest CAP reform ever.
The LEAP BIKE SWAP, held at the Annexe, was a great success
on Saturday 6th February, despite the cold and rainy
Lochwinnoch weather. Lots of lovely bikes were donated, with
19 bikes finding new homes and excited owners. On booking
her new bike out, one girl saw her old bike being chosen,
so had the
pleasure
of
meeting its new owner and wish
them fun and enjoyment on
their new bicycle! Look out for
future BIKE Swaps by visiting
the LEAP website at www.
myleapproject.org or check out
our facebook at www.facebook.
com/myleapproject
Help your environment LEAP welcomes your Pledges
At LEAP are interested in the actions and changes
you are making in your daily lives to reduce energy
and our carbon footprint. For some people it’s about
changing 6 of their bulbs to LED, cycling to work 2
days a week rather than driving, switching off their
games consoles instead of leaving them on standby,
turning the heat thermostat down one notch,
car sharing, insulating lofts, joining a car club, growing vegetables, recycling
clothes and furniture, swapping bicycles and many more. To celebrate this leap
year, LEAP will be sharing this information and showcasing some of the small
and bigger actions individuals, groups and communities are already involved in
taking. For more details visit www.myleapproject.org or our facebook page at
www.facebook.com/myleapproject
Mhairi Black MP and Councillor Mags MacLaren visit LEAP
LEAP were very pleased to host Mhairi Black MP and
Councillor Mags MacLaren for a visit in February to meet
some of our LEAP team and see first-hand how we help our
community. We spoke at length about the issues affecting
local residents and Mags and Mhairi were very interested
in the help we provide in particular the practical actions
thermal imaging, draught testing, installing energy saving
measures and help with fuel bills, LEAP YEP! and LEAP Car
Club. We also toured the most recent solid wall insulation
scheme LEAP has completed in Bridge of Weir. To find out
more about this scheme and other help we provide please
see: http://www.myleapproject.org/energy-advice/
A BIG THANKS from LEAP to everyone who took part in
our Feedback Survey!
During February, LEAP invited our local residents, local groups, organisations
and partners to take part in the LEAP Feedback Survey. We wanted to find
out more about the actions you have taken as a result of LEAP’s information
and advice services and our work with young people, schools and community
groups across our villages and in Renfrewshire. We’ve had a tremendous
response, thank you! We were really excited to get people’s opinion on the
value of what we do and to find out about all the changes you have made
and the social, physical, economic and environmental benefits you have gained
from your own actions and the support you have accessed from LEAP. Looking
into the future, asked how LEAP can help individuals and our community in
future and how you would like to get more involved. If you didn’t get a chance
to complete our on-line survey, we’re always keen to find out your ideas. Thank
you for all your support and a big thanks to The Advertizer for helping LEAP keep
you informed. We’ll publish the results of our survey online with a summary in
The Advertizer. In the meantime keep in touch through the LEAP website at
www.myleapproject.org at www.facebook.com/myleapproject, or get in touch
with the LEAP team by phone on 01505 842530 or 01505 612034.
Dinner & Dance
Every Saturday night from 8pm - 11pm at Willow
Bank Hotel, 96 Greenock Road, Largs. Booking
essential. Call 01475 675435 for further
information.