267 December 2016 - Gryffe Advertizer

12 the advertizer t: 01505 613340 07731 923970 e: info@advertizer.co.uk
St Vincent’s Hospice Garden Blossoms
with a Boost from the Postcode ‘Local Trust’
The community garden at St. Vincent’s
Hospice in Howwood, Renfrewshire,
which was officially opened by Ally
McCoist in June 2015, received a boost
this year from the Postcode Local Trust
to the tune of £3,613. The ‘Habitats
for Wildlife’ Small Project Grant from
the Postcode Local Trust has enabled
28 volunteers to create new habitats
in the garden designed to attract more
wildlife, including insects, frogs, birds,
bats and hedgehogs, as well as provide
year-round colour from the planting of
over 1,000 new heathers, bulbs and
perennial flowers.
The biodiversity project was coordinated
by hospice staff and involved
5 supervised group gardening activity
days with volunteers from the corporate
world – including employees from the
Clydesdale Bank, Scottish Enterprise and
Thermo Fisher. The Scottish Enterprise
team enjoyed their day in June so much
that they returned last week for another
day – this time planting bulbs for the
springtime.
The project also involved day patients
and carers, who helped to build the
nesting boxes, as well as committed
regular garden volunteers.
“Since the garden opened last year, it has
become a real focal point for patients,
carers, families and people from within
the local community, and now, thanks to
the Postcode Local Trust grant, we have been able to further enhance the garden
by encouraging bio-diversity.
Carol Service &
Lunch
You are invited to join us at our 27th Annual Christmas Celebration of
Readings & Carols at the Paisley Abbey followed by Lunch at the Paisley
Town Hall on Monday 19th December from 11am - 3pm.
It is £5 to attend the Carol Service and it costs £25 for both Service and
Lunch.
Jingle Bell Fun Run
Sunday 4th December at Barshaw Park, Paisley
Barshaw Park in Paisley will be jingling with the sound of
Christmas bells as runners take part in the annual 2016
Active Communities Jingle Bell Festive Fun Run!
There are two races - a 3k run at 11am open to all runners/
walkers aged 8 and over, and a 1k run at 12 noon open to
runners/walkers of any age, including those in buggies. Both races are set
within the boundaries of the scenic Barshaw Park in Paisley, with the 3k run
covering two laps of the Park. The online price for the 3k run is £3 for those
aged 8 - 17 and £5 for those aged 18 and over. The online price for the 1k run
is £3 for all ages. Entries on the day will be £1 more expensive per person.
Wear jingle bells on your shoes, gloves, hats, jackets or wherever you choose
and be part of an amazing Jingle Bell Orchestra! Bells will be provided. Fancy
dress is optional however there will be spot prizes for the best dressed.
Christmas themed medals will be awarded to all race finishers.
This is a fantastic family day out with everyone entering into the Christmas
spirit, so come along and move your feet to the jingling beat!
Special recognition must also go to our volunteers who, as always, have been
wonderful. Whatever the weather threw at them, their enthusiasm never waned,
whether they were helping with additional planting, making and installing animal
boxes, monitoring the wildlife or weeding and maintaining the wildlife areas. Their
help and support has been invaluable and on behalf of all the patients and staff
at St. Vincent’s Hospice I would like to say a ‘big thank you’ to the volunteers and
to the Postcode Local Trust for making this
project possible,” said Kate Lennon, Chief
Executive of St Vincent’s Hospice.
Speaking about their involvement with the
garden project, volunteers from Scottish
Enterprise said:
“We had such a fun day …. it’s incredible
to think just over a year ago the community
garden was just a field and now it’s a haven
of colour and we are so proud to have been
part of its development.”
“The opportunity to do something so removed
from our day jobs has been great, despite
the weather and it’s rewarding to know that
our contribution makes a difference.”
“The care and dedication shown to my family
member during her stay was exceptional. The
team work so hard and could not have done
any more. When we had the opportunity to
volunteer it was a natural choice for us to
come here to offer something back.”
Dental Blog
by Sheila Macintyre, Practice Owner,
Kilbarchan Dental Practice
Electric toothbrushes are a fantastic stocking filler so I thought I would give
you my lowdown in the lead up to Christmas.
We highly recommend good electric toothbrushes. They brush at speeds of
more than 8,000 rotations a minute and are proven to remove 100% more
plaque than traditional manual toothbrushes. However they are not all the
same and offer a variety of different benefits and features.
In general the more you pay the better they are and the more advanced
features you get. Built in timers are a common and really useful function to
ensure that you and your family brush for the recommended 2 minutes. Most
vibrate to alert you and this is great for kids to make sure they brush their
teeth thoroughly. Some break the time into quarters to ensure each quadrant
of the mouth gets the optimum attention. With advances in technology the
latest models such as the Oral B 6000 costing around £75 even link to your
phone via an app to provide you and your dentist with personalised “dental
care journeys”. Oral B 2000 and 2500 are more basic models at around
£30 but still have good features such as visible pressure sensors.
There are a variety of interchangeable heads, settings and movements to
match your specific needs whether you need a deep clean between the
teeth, stain removal using a polishing feature or softer bristles for sensitive
teeth and gums. Whilst most have round heads there are electric brushes
that replicate the traditional manual toothbrush experience with the
effectiveness of an electric brush. Getting kids to brush their teeth properly
is crucial and child friendly designs, soft bristles and timers are all benefits
you will get with an electric toothbrush.
As well as electric toothbrushes teeth whitening and other aesthetic
treatments are popular at Christmas and many dentists offer gift vouchers.
It is important to be aware that an assessment is required to check suitability
for any treatments.
If you would like to find out more about the electric toothbrushes we have available or for
gift vouchers do nip in to the practice or call 01505 704969. You will also find loads of
free tips and advice at www.kilbarchandental.co.uk
Remember even dentists take some time off at
Christmas and New Year which is a very busy period
so make sure you make an appointment sooner
rather than later if you need one.
The KDP team are off 24th - 27th December
inclusive and then 30th Dec - 3rd January
inclusive so call NHS 24 on 111 if you need
dental advice or emergency treatment at this
time.
Wishing all our patients a Happy
Christmas and Happy New Year!
Sheila and the KDP Team