RE-GEN NORTH ISSUE 39

The Paper That Money Can’t Buy!

GENEAST DUNBARTONSHIRE

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The Paper That Money Can’t Buy! FR

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NORTHIssue Number N0-39 November 2012

In th

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Page 16

Incorporating the East Dunbartonshire GEN

Page 14

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COUNCILLOR Gordon Matheson, the Leader of Glasgow City Council, has announced an ambitious "beyond re-cession” blueprint for the city which will support the public sector and open up new job opportunities for Glaswegians.

Speaking at the 15th State of the City Economy Conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cllr Matheson said Scotland's largest city could ensure its future economic success through a three-pronged plan supported by a number of new measures, including: The Glasgow Veterans Employment Programme, under which the council will pay a wage subsidy to city em-ployers taking on unemployed forces personnel, as part of the most com-prehensive package of support of-fered to veterans anywhere in Britain. The £1.5m Glasgow New Business Fund to help new-start small to me-dium enterprises to access affordable business premises. Councillor Mathe-son also announced that Glasgow City Council would support the Green Champions Scheme announced by businessman Sir Willie Haughey last week. This scheme sees young peo-ple given employment within large companies to increase their energy efficiency. Glasgow City Council will become the first local authority in the UK to sign up by employing 20 Green Champions. He said: "I have a respon-sibility to ensure that, as a city, we are

best placed to respond to the oppor-tunities that arise, not only today, but in the future. The decisions we take today will determine what Glasgow looks like in 10 or 15 years. "I am ab-solutely clear that Glasgow must be positioned at the front of the queue to benefit from the opportunities of economic recovery.”

Detailing his three-pronged plan for the city's economy, he said: "We will drive forward capital investment. We will invest in skills and training, and we will ensure that Glasgow is ready for business.” On the new veterans' initiative, he said: "Our Armed Forces make immeasurable sacrifices on our behalf. They also have skills and ex-perience that are marketable once they leave the forces - but it can be tough for veterans to re-adjust to civilian life. "We are committed to helping Glasgow's veterans into em-ployment but, rather than just offer-ing warm words and encouragement, my council will offer a wage subsidy to employers who recognise and re-ward their skills. "We're the only local authority in the UK to provide this sup-port to our veterans. We believe, pas-sionately, that it is the right thing to do.” On the new business fund, Coun-cillor Matheson said: "Small business-es tell me that they are struggling to access affordable business premises, and that the cost of rent stops people from starting their own companies.

"We have listened to these concerns and we will act. Today, I am delighted to announce the establishment of the Glasgow New Business Fund. This will allow new-start SMEs to get financial support from the council which will see us pay all or part of their rent and rates for up to four years.” Cllr Mathe-son said this initiative was the latest in a range of innovative schemes which were already making a difference and helping to tackle unemployment.

These included the £25m Glasgow Guarantee, which brings together the Commonwealth Apprenticeship Ini-tiative, the Commonwealth Graduate

Fund, the Commonwealth Jobs Fund and the Commonwealth Youth Fund, and which aims to ensure every Glas-wegian between the age of 16 and 24 has access to a job or training. He told the conference: "We've made clear from the outset of this recession that we won't allow another generation of young people to be cast adrift, as they were in the 1980s. "I am delighted to announce that from today, we com-plete our £25 million Glasgow Guar-antee to fight youth unemployment in the city.

Continued on page 6

COUNCIL LEADER SETS OUT NEW ECONOMIC VISION FOR GLASGOWTr a n s f o rm i n g L i ve s www.stockporthomes.org

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November 2012 2

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SurgeriesFirst Friday of each Month:North Glasgow Regeneration Agency Conference Centre, 179 Ayr Street,Springburn, Glasgow, G21 4BX at 2.30 – 3.30pm

Milton Community Campus, 204 Liddesdale Road, Milton, G22 7AR at 4.15pm

Barmulloch Community Campus, 46Wallacewell Quadrant, G21 3PXat 5.00pm

Third Friday of each Month:Milnbank Housing Association Headquarters, 53 Ballindalloch Drive,Dennistoun, G31 3DQ at 3.30pm

Riddrie Library and Learning Centre, 1020 Cumbernauld Road, G33 2QSat 4.15pm

Molendinar Community Centre, 1210 Royston Road, G33 1HE at 5.00pm

Local Maryhill Councillors John Letford and Franny Scally, spent a wet morning planting trees at the Glenavon flats in Maryhill. They were joined by residents, staff from Maryhill Housing Association, volunteers from the Woodland Trust and a team undertaking their community service. With nearly 150 trees planted, including a memorial Royal Oak, the planting was deemed by all to be a great suc-

cess. Speaking after the event, Councillor Letford said: “This is a good news story for Maryhill and it’s down to the residents in the Glenavon high flats. They obvi-ously care deeply about their community, and were inspired to work with the Woodland Trust to bring a little joy and com-munity spirit into the area. In fact, some of the residents were so enthusiastic they wanted to

work on into the early evening, planting trees at other locations around Maryhill. With the help of magnificent volunteers from Maryhill Housing Association, the Woodland Trust and an energetic crew serving community service, a forgotten area of Glasgow saw a little joy and laughter break out, as over 150 trees were given a new home and a Royal Oak was planted in remembrance of those who have fallen in war. “

Glenavon Royal Oak Memorial Tree Planted

November 2012 3

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Margaret Curran MP and Frank McAveety MSP high-light the proposed changes to vital community lifelineMargaret Curran and Frank McAveety visited Baillieston post office at the weekend to congratulate Mark Adrian and his staff on the service run from and the success of Baillieston Post Office. They know how valued the local post office is to the people of Baillieston. This is great news in Baillieston but legislation recently passed in the House of Commons will mean the privatisation of Royal Mail. This leads to doubts over the future of the Post Office network which can no longer be guaranteed in the years to come. Margaret who spoke in the debate made clear that the legislation is a big mistake and is not supported by the public. Margaret and Frank took the opportunity to make passing shoppers aware of the change to legislation and asked for them to pledge the support by signing a petition. Barlanark Post Office is currently for sale and unless a buyer is found its fate remains uncertain. Margaret Curran says “

Urban Post Offices often face different challenges from those in rural communities, they too deal with isolation and represent a lifeline to their communities. We need to take action now to ensure that we do not end up in a situation on which a large retailer steps in and takes over the service. An elderly

person living in Barlanark may be unable to get to any of the large retailers in the community. A single mother with 3 children and without a car relies on local services that the Post Office provides. This legislation is a forerunner of many Post Office closures because we are not taking the necessary

steps to protect the service.”Frank McAveety says “ Privatisation of the Royal Mail has the long term threat to jobs and services at a local level. I will be working with Margaret to ensure the voices of the east end are heard and all the local post offices are protected”.

AMAZING WINS FOR GLASGOW DENTAL PRACTICE AT TOP UK INDUSTRY AWARDS

The team at Spring Grove Clinic in Barrachnie Road Garrowhill is celebrating the fantastic achievement of winning two of the top UK Private Dentistry Awards of 2010, namely Practice of the Year and Best Patient Care. It was also awarded runner up in Best Community Charity Project and Outstanding Individual of the Year along with being shortlisted for Most Attractive Practice and Best Team. Winning the Practice of the Year and Best Patient Care Awards is a great endorsement of the Spring Grove Clinic teams’ commitment to providing affordable, value for money, community based, professional family oral and dental health care, advice, support and treatment to an exceptionally high standard. The award winning practice prides itself on its patient focussed approach which is always courteous, efficient and friendly, set within surroundings that are luxurious, comfortable and welcoming. Heading up the clinical team is Dr David Cunningham who established his practice in Garrowhill over 14 years ago. Winning these two Awards recognises his firmly held belief that a community based dental practice, where patient relationships and trust are key, using the latest dental technology,

can provide the same level of treatment options, care and surroundings as a large city centre based dental practice. Commenting, David Cunningham said, “The team has worked incredibly hard to make Spring Grove Clinic a fantastic place for our patients. I am delighted that our efforts have been recognised by the top UK industry professionals.” “My focus has always been to provide excellent patient care with the very best dental advice and treatment. I believe in spending time with my patients, fully explaining preventative and treatment options to them and supporting them as they choose their treatment plans. I am very grateful to our patients for their fantastic comments in support of our Awards application.” At the Awards presentation, the Spring Grove Clinic team were commended for excellence across all of the categories, for the state of the art facility, and being a team who strive to provide excellent patient care. Its’ efforts in raising funds to support Yorkhill Children’s Hospital ECMO Unit won the runner-up award for Best Community Charity Project. Spring Grove Clinic is a leader in providing dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, invisible braces, tooth whitening and family dentistry.

McAveety Slams SNP Games Funding DecisionGlasgow Shettleston MSP Frank McAveety has hit out at a decision by Scottish Enterprise to slash Commonwealth Games legacy funding by almost half. Clyde Gateway, the body responsible for regenerating the East End of Glasgow, has been hit with a 46% cut in funding for urban regeneration in 2011/2012. The agency has been told it will share around £6.8 million with five other agencies, instead of the £7 million it was initially promised. Frank said: “The Enterprise Minister seems to be more interested in facilitating meetings for his friend the Education Minister, who he wants to succeed him as an MSP than he is in the well being of the people of the East End. At this very moment he should be pulling a meeting together with Scottish Enterprise to demand that they withdraw this ridiculous proposal and get around the table with all the partners to fulfil the promises made.”Frank added: “Unlike any other renewal programme in the country commitments were made to ensure that Glasgow could make the best of the opportunities for the Games and regeneration investment. There is no better case for having an impact on Scotland’s economic performance and I am demanding an urgent meeting with the Scottish Government to urge them to ensure Scottish Enterprise withdrawal the proposal to make a massive cut in their previous commitments to the area.”

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In the absence of banking facilities in Milton, the credit union offers affordable and reliable financial services to the community, regardless of people’s resources or their level of income. Low interest loans are available to members. Any surplus the credit union makes on its activities during the year, can be returned to the members in the form of a dividend. Members can save as often as they like and, up to a certain limit, as much as they like. The credit union operates from two additional collection points.

ng homes Chief Executive Robert Tamburrini wins Leader of the Year at Scottish Social Enterprise AwardsTHE winners of the annual Scottish Social Enterprise Awards 2012 were an-nounced earlier this month at a ceremony in Edinburgh with Robert Tamburrini CEO (ng homes and ng2) picking up the Scottish Social En-terprise Leader of the Year award. Fraser Kelly, Chief Ex-ecutive of Social Enterprise Scotland, said: “The winners demonstrate the diversity and innovation of our social enterprise community. With a 100% increase in applica-tions this year it just goes to show the imagination, strength and ambition of social enterprise in Scot-land.” Social Enterprise Scotland is an independent Scottish organisation, built and controlled by grassroots social enterprises across the country. Robert Tamburrini said: “Winning this award would not have been possible without the support of the respective Boards of ng homes and ng2 together

with our staff and business partners. Social Enterprise is clearly thriving in Scotland and it was fantastic for us to win this award.”Chairperson of ng homes John Fury said: “Winning this award shows we are on the right track to making North Glasgow a great place to work.”ng2 Chairperson Ronnie Rodden added “It’s great that we are employing local people to provide quality services to our customers.” Initially ng2 had one member of staff seconded from ng homes at start up in 2010. Now ng2 has just appointed its 43rd employee this year. They also held their first staff conference and have quickly expanded their services over the past two years. This year ng homes, the parent company have launched an innovative waste improvement plan, ran event management training for secondary school pupils, provided

free soccer coaching during school holidays, helped local people develop their skills via the Activate programme and continued to deliver services to its customers via its social enterprise ng2. Others who received Scot-tish Social Enterprise awards included Talking Mats from Stirling, Factory Skatepark from Dundee, the Interna-tional Network of Street Papers (INSP) in Glasgow and Udston Primary School in Hamilton.

There was a 100% increase in applications compared to last year and entries came from 18 local authority areas. The awards were officially presented to the winners at the annual Scottish Parliament recep-tion on 13 November 2012. The judging panel included Alf Young, freelance jour-nalist and Chair of Social Investment Scotland, Linda Hanna of Scottish Enterprise and Gordon Merrylees of RBS.

TWO men aged 17 and 21 years have been arrested and detained in police custody following a police operation in the Bishop-briggs area. Last Thursday (8th November), two men at-tended at an 88-year-old man’s house in the Bishop-briggs area and instructed the elderly men that his house required several thousand pounds worth of repairs. The men arranged that the elderly man should withdraw a large sum of money from the bank and had agreed that they would return the following day to collect this money. Follow-ing information provided by members of the public in connection with this incident, police in East Dunbartonshire launched an operation involving both uniform and CID officers and also officers from the road policing department, dog branch and air support unit. As a result, two men

were arrested and detained in connection with the inci-dent. Chief Inspector Rod-dy Irvine, Area Commander for East Dunbartonshire told the Re-Gen: “This type of crime is especially unpleas-ant and is carried out by individuals who target the most vulnerable in our society. “In this instance, due to information pro-vided by members of the public, the culprits were apprehended. “Strathclyde Police will not tolerate this despicable type of crime and would like to reassure the public that we will do everything we can to track down those who are intent on deceiving the elderly and most vulnerable in our communities. “I urge anyone who thinks that they have been a victim of a bogus type crime or has suspicions about anyone else who may have, to contact their local police office or CRIMESTOPPERS on 0800 555 111.

Two Arrested after Bogus Caller Incident in Bishopbriggs

4 November 2012

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Re-GENTHE

Country roast lamb

1 leg of lamb6 rashers of bacon cut into slices2 onions finely diced1 red/ 1 green pepper diced1 tsp of dried chilli1 tbsp dried thyme10 peppercorns1 Small cabbage shredded finely2 carrots diced2 pints of stock lamb or vegetable is fine

Brown the lamb and bacon in a large pan. Add the other ingredients except the cabbage . Bring to the boil and transfer to the oven and cook for 11/2-2hours at 170c. Remove the lamb and set aside. Add the cabbage and cook for a further 30 min. Just enough time to boil some potatoes to make mash. Check seasoning before serving.

Pot roast lamb

1 shoulder of lamb2 onions diced2 carrots diced6 potatoes quartered2 sprigs of fresh rosemary or 1 tbsp of dried1 pint of lamb stock

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Gingerbread

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Recipes

Taurus (21 April - 21 May)

Gemini (22 May - 21 June)

Cancer (22 June - 23 July)

Leo (24 July - 23 Aug)

Virgo (24 Aug - 23 Sept)

Scorpio (24 Oct - 22 Nov)

Sagittarius (23 Nov - 21 Dec)

Capricorn (22 Dec - 20 Jan)

Aquarius (21 Jan - 19 Feb)

Pisces (20 Feb - 20 Mar)

xxxx

xxxxxxxxx

xxxx

xxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xx

xxxxx

xxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxx

Taurus (21 April - 21 May)

Gemini (22 May - 21 June)

Cancer (22 June - 23 July)

Leo (24 July - 23 Aug)

Virgo (24 Aug - 23 Sept)

Scorpio (24 Oct - 22 Nov)

Sagittarius (23 Nov - 21 Dec)

Capricorn (22 Dec - 20 Jan)

Aquarius (21 Jan - 19 Feb)

Pisces (20 Feb - 20 Mar)

Time to go back to the past to re-gain knowledge of the current situation you have been here before but learn from previous mistakes and all will be well. Time of action that goal can be achieved, stay focused.

Team work, co-operation success from compromising, seeing the bigger picture and the future possibilities will serve you well this month, try to put as much effort into your romantic life as you give others and balance will come into all areas of your life.

This could be the start of a new enterprise, certainly cultivating those thought into reality can lead you onto a new project of great significance, try not to let you emotions rule your head at this time for once logic is the right action!

Your general well-being has felt low over the last few weeks but the good news is you are returning to full strength on the new moon Some of you may have to deal with official matters, keep to the facts and don’t digress and all will be well.

You may be dealing with people in authority and this fills you with an optimistic approach as you have all the facts and information before you and your meeting will go in your favor, however go in unprepared and you will regret it, trying to seek worldly gain without putting in effort is only feeding your ego.

There is a need for a balanced mind as you need reason and thought to override emotion at this time, try not to judge others before you have all the facts as there is always two sides to every story. A time of soul searching and quiet meditation may be in order

An over whelming feeling of injustice fills you as you try to run away from what need to be dealt with, all you are achieving is a delay in what you will have to face at another date, diplomacy is the best course of action, and you will wonder what all the fuss was about.

Your turn your attention from earthly matters to those of a more spiritual nature a time of study or development of all things metaphysical can bring in great insight to those earthy problems, trust your intuition as it is at an all-time high.

Too much focus on what you have not got rather on what you have, time to pull in those purse strings and stop being so frivolous with your cash. A new opportunity will allow you to re-think things through and you will see it is time to calm down the socialite within.

Work is only a means to live and not living for the means to work, all this focus on how much you can fit in before the holidays will cause you stress for sure. Try to re-adjust your thinking too, money is necessary but not a necessity as you cannot take it with you, time to chill out.

Sitting on the fence is not very comfortable? Is it, then why are you excepting this situation, speaking your truth and all will move forward, stay tight lipped and you will be in a stale mate situation for some time. Try to open up your emotions.

A situation is being revealed with startling clarity, if only you had listened to those who are older and wiser, you know have to deal with the consequences, the good news is that my the turn of the new moon thing will seem clearer and more optimistic, phew!

Aries (21 March - 20 April) Libra (24 Sept - 23 Oct)

5November 2012

Springburn (East)Ned Donaldson House, 50 Reidhouse StreetSpringburn, Glasgow, G21 4LSTel: 0141 560 6000 Fax:0141 560 6005

Possilpark (West)252 Saracen Street,

Possilpark, Glasgow, G22 5LF

Tel: 0141 336 1300 Fax:0141 560 6005

email: [email protected] • Website: www.nghomes.netng homes is a trading name of North Glasgow Housing Association

One Vision - New North Glasgow. A great place to live, learn,

work, visit and invest.

Residents from ng homes sheltered housing complexes in North Glasgow had a great day in recently when Scottish Opera turned up to perform a little bit of The Magic Flute. Scottish Opera’s a little Bit of… performances bring opera out of the theatre with full-scale shows cleverly re-written into lively 20-minute versions. Based on a form of Japanese storytelling, the stories unfold to a series of colourful illustrations, brought to life by a storyteller, singer and two instrumentalists. The ng homes residents were captivated by Mozart’s Magic Flute and couldn’t get enough of it. Helen McGarry from Carron Crescent, Springburn said: “The performance was magnificent. I’ve never been to an opera be-fore but this has made me want to hear more, it was lovely.”

Jessie Wallace from Haw-thorn Street, Possilpark said: “I thought the performance was truly wonderful. The singer had a beautiful voice, the music was so relaxing and the narrator had great patter.” After the show the performers stayed a while posing for photos and chatting with the residents. Chief Executive of ng homes Robert Tamburrini said: “From speaking to the residents it’s clear that they thoroughly enjoyed the performance. We want to see more of this in North Glasgow so I say bravo to Scottish Opera and all of our staff involved in bringing the Magic Flute to our community.” After the opera the residents tucked into Fish Suppers before a sing-song courtesy of New Rhythms for Glasgow who are based in Springburn and provide FREE music workshops and

special projects for people living and working in North Glasgow. The residents got into the swing of it singing such classics as I Belong to Glasgow and King of the Road.

Sheltered Housing manager Karen Johnson said: “Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day, thanks to Scottish Opera and New Rhythms for Glasgow it was music to everyone’s ears.”

Sheltered Housing Residents Enjoy a Wee Toot of the Magic Flute

THE Quality of care and sup-port provided by ng homes staff across its five sheltered housing complexes has been graded Very Good in a re-cent Care Service Inspection Report. The Care Inspectorate regulates care services

in Scotland and Inspector Jacqueline Young visited ng homes over two days at the end of September and com-mended ng homes for good staffing, management and leadership. She said in her report: “Service users speak very highly of the service

and believe the support helps individuals to remain independent. Staff were found to be very motivated and committed to mak-ing improvements for the benefit of tenants.” The type of inspection was “low intensity” which

is carried out when the Care Inspectorate is satisfied that the organisation is working hard to provide consistently high standards of care. ng homes is registered with the Care Inspectorate to provide sheltered housing to older people and they have five complexes supporting 170 tenants living in North Glasgow. The complexes provide sheltered or very sheltered housing at various locations in Springburn and Possilpark. Many tenants spoke about feeling safe because of the support they receive from the service and said the sup-port from staff helped them to remain independent. Other quotes from residents and their families included:• “Been here for 6 years...the staff are magic...”• “The staff have always

done a great job and have come to me when I had a problem and needed help. I can’t thank the staff enough for their support.”• “I am very happy in this complex and the staff are very good and supportive towards me. • “We take care of our mother, and we get great help from the warden who always takes time to help out and we find it very help-ful. My mum loves staying in her complex.” • “Staff visit me every day, anything you can’t manage they get if for you, say if you need messages. There was a fish supper night here, and they help withentertainment. Meetings take place if you want to go to them.”Karen Johnson, Sheltered Housing Manager said: “We

are pleased with the find-ings in the Care Inspector-ate’s Report. It’s good to hear all the positive com-ments from the residents surveyed and recognition of the excellent work being carried out by our staff team.” Ann Marie Devlin, Depute CEO added: “Thanks to all of our staff for achieving this terrific result. In the spirit of continuous improvement we recognise that there is still work to be done and we will be implementing an action plan to support us in achieving our aim of deliver-ing an excellent service for our sheltered housing residents.”John Fury Chairperson of ng homes said: “This is a great result and a very positive outcome for the organisa-tion.”

ng homes Sheltered Housing Service Praised for Quality of Care and Support

6 November 2012

1st Friday of the Month*Cranhill 11.00amCranhill Community Project, 109 Bellrock Street,G33 3HE

Wellhouse 12 noonWellhouse Hub, 49 Wellhouse Crescent,G33 4LA

Easterhouse 1.00pmThe Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road,G34 9DU

Budhill 2.00pmBudhill Family Learning Centre, Hallhill Road, Springboig, G32 0PR

2nd Monday of the Month*Barmulloch 5.15pmBarmulloch Community Centre, 46 Wallacewell Quadrant, G21

4th Monday of the Month*Garthamlock 4.00pmGESH, 1 Redcastle Square, G33 5EG

Craigend 5.00pmSt Rose of Lima Primary School, 295 Mossvale Road, G33 5QS

Carntyne 6.00pmHigh Carntyne Church (Carntyne Square), 358 Carntynehall Road,G32 6LW

* No Surgeries on Public HolidaysEmail: [email protected]

Website: www.paulmartinemsp.org.uk

Paul Martin MSPYour constituency Member of the Scottish Parliament

Surgery DetailsConstituency Office:

604 Alexandra ParadeGlasgow G31 3BS

0141 564 1364

Open Monday-Friday9.00am - 5.00pmClosed for Lunch

12.30pm - 1.30pm

The Commonwealth Youth Fund goes live at noon today, providing employers with a 50% wage subsidy and tar-geted training to help 16 and 17 year olds get ready for work. "My administration will not lose sight of what needs to be done to give our city's young people the opportunities they deserve. We are making a difference.”

Cllr Matheson said Glasgow was bucking the trend with the most recent figures for Job-seekers' Allowance claimants in Glasgow showing a decrease, and between August 2010 and August 2012, Glasgow was the only major UK city where youth unemployment actually fell.

He also used the SOCE speech to also reiterate the council's support for the city's construction industry which he said over the last decade had been at the heart of the regeneration and transforma-tion of Glasgow. He added: "Glasgow City Council's capital programme is running at a record level of £392million. Budgets are tight, but by delivering the pledges in our manifesto, we will almost double this capital programme. "We were elected on a mani-festo pledge to build 3500 new homes in the city over the next five years. We also pledged

to rebuild or refurbish every primary school in the city. Not only will this benefit children across Glasgow, this major capital investment will provide significant benefits to the local economy. "Our investment in the infrastructure for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games has already trans-formed the East End. And we are using the bid for the 2018 Youth Olympics to transform Sighthill in the north of the city. Best of all, the £250mil-lion investment in Sighthill will go ahead, regardless of whether the bid is successful or not. That kind of legacy is unparalleled.” The 15th annual conference was hosted by the Glasgow Economic Partnership. As well as Cllr Matheson, the conference included speeches and contributions from a field of experts including Alistair Darling MP; Greg Clark, Global Advisor on the Development and Investment of Cities and Regions; Professor Sir Jim Mc-Donald, Principal, University of Strathclyde; Varry McMenemy, President, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce; Brendan Dick, Director, BT Scotland; David Grevemberg, Chief Executive, Glasgow 2014 Ltd; and Sam Reymbaut, Corporate Acquisi-tion Manager, O2.

COUNCIL LEADER SETS OUT NEW ECONOMIC VISION FOR GLASGOW Continued from front page

AN AWARDS ceremony to celebrate the achievements of Africans in Scotland urged participants to maintain their sense of vision.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland is a sponsor of the annual African Achievement Awards Scotland, which was held in Glasgow last Friday, (November 16), with First Minister Alex Salmond in attendance.

The awards, organised by the African Forum Scotland, place emphasis on inspirational achievements and African role-models in business, sport, community, education, arts and other areas.

RNIB Scotland took the opportunity provided to stress to people attending the importance of all communities getting their eyesight checked regularly.

Gozie Joe Adigwe of the charity said: “It is especially important for people from some ethnic groups who can be more vulnerable to certain sight-threatening conditions. Glaucoma, for instance, can be more than three times more

prevalent among people of Afro-Caribbean descent and often more severe.”

The charity has project workers targeting various eth-nic communities to emphasise, in a number of languages, that eye examinations are free in Scotland and a vital step in

detecting sight problems early on when they can often be ar-rested or even reversed.

“We wanted to get the eye-health message out to everyone in Scotland that your sight is precious and worth investing just a little time to maintaining,” said Gozie.

Earlier this month the ARC Lei-sure Centre in Milton hosted a kids boxing display in the hall.

The display was put on by the children who attend the North Glasgow Amateur Boxing Club run by Head coach John Reid and the volunteers who give up their time.

The club has been very successful over the past year and thanks to some “Cash-Back” monies sourced by Craig McEvoy it means the kids are being well taught and getting motivated to get out there

and have a healthier lifestyle plus keeping fit at the same time. The kids were putting into practice what they had learned thanks to a programme introduced by John and with the backing of the A.B.S. The programme is a non-contact 20 week long training programme with the choice of taking up boxing at the end of it. Around 36 kids took part on the night watched by a crowd of around 70 - 80 of their friends and families plus a few senior members of the A.B.S.

Each child performed well and also had fun whilst doing the exercises supervised by John Reid and his team.

At the end of the display, each kid received a hooded top,a water bottle and a cer-tificate.

The North Glasgow Amateur Boxing Club would like to thank everyone for attending as without the parents it wouldn’t have been possible also the A.R.C. for supplying the facilities. They also would like to thank Craig McEvoy from

the A.B.S as he played a major part in this cash back scheme by putting the money back into clubs like ours.

For anyone interested in going along to the club it takes place at the ARC on Tuesday and Thursday 5-6 pm. They also have adult classes Tues,Wed, Thurs 6-7 pm and Friday 5-6 pm and as John says, “Remember it isn’t all about boxing, it’s about getting the motivation to get out there and have a healthier lifestyle and keeping fit”.

Another Big Hit at the ARC

“Keep success in sight, Africans in Scotland urged”

THE North Area Transport As-sociation (NATA) was estab-lished in 2004 with a view to serving the North of Glasgow and the wider community with accessible minibus ser-vices and private hire. The fleet consists of sixteen seater minibuses that cater for everybody, whether you are a community group, a group that needs to get to the airport, or a sports team travelling to a game, if required we can even provide

a trailer for your luggage or sports equipment. Our driv-ers are friendly, helpful, and MiDAS trained to ensure the highest standards of safety are continually met. We are competitively priced and offer both one off excursions and regular services. Whatever your needs NATA strives to ensure they are met. For further information or a quo-tation please call us on 0141 548 1565. www.natatrans-port.co.uk


16 Seat Community and

Private Minibus Hire,

Wheelchair Accessible.

Tel: 0141 548 1565Fax: 0141 258 9290

www.natatransport.co.uk



7November 2012

MORE than 600 Glasgow dog owners have been fined for fail-ing to pick up after their pets. A Clean Glasgow campaign de-signed to force irresponsible dog owners to clean up their act has seen 637 fixed penalty notices issued in 12 months. The anti dog fouling campaign has sparked huge public support and 85 Glasgow social landlords with tens of thousands of ten-ants have also given it their backing. Enforcement officers from Glasgow Community & Safety Services continue to blitz local neighbourhoods to spot anyone creating a potential health

hazard by failing to clean up after their dogs. Latest figures show the initiative has prompted a 68% increase in calls to the Clean Glasgow hotline by people reporting culprits or identifying sites where there is a particular problem. The city’s network of public CCTV cameras is also being used to identify people failing to clean up their dogs’ faeces. A total of 11,590 warning letters have also been sent to streets or closes where suspects live. The blitz is now stepping

up a gear with enforcement officers visiting neighbour-hoods unan-nounced. Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “The initial part of the campaign was as much about educa-tion as enforcement. By telling people we were coming to their neighbourhood we aimed to change habits by making it clear that irrespon-sible behaviour was unacceptable and would not be toler-ated.

“We are extremely pleased with the initial results and thrilled by the huge level of support from the general public who have been phoning in to report those flouting the law. There is also an-ecdotal evidence that those who have been fined have changed their ways and now pick up after their pets. “However, anyone who thought they could revert to their filthy ways when we left their area can now think again. The crackdown continues and no one can afford to risk receiving a fine.” The fines are £40 rising to £60 if unpaid within 28 days. Please call Clean Glasgow on 0800 027 7027 to report dirty dog owners in your community.

www.cleanglasgow.com

WANTED!WANTED!Information to

help us identify

the dog owner

Who allows their dog to foul this area and does not clean it up!

If you have information please phone 0800 027 7027

REWARD? A Cleaner Safer Glasgow

Hundreds of Dirty Dog Owners Fined

PatriciaFerguson MSP

Surgery Details

Member of the Scottish Parliament forGlasgow Maryhill & Springburn

For advice or assistance please contact:Constituency Office,

43 Atlas Road,Glasgow G21 4TA

Tel: 0141 558 9483.

Email: [email protected]: www.patriciaferguson.labour.co.uk

1st Saturday of the month10am: Kelvindale Primary School,11 Dorchester Place, G12 0BP

11.30am: Maryhill Hub186 Wyndford Road, G20 8HF

1st Monday of the month4pm: Springburn Alive & KickingProject, 94 Red Road, G21 4PH

5.30pm: St Monica's (Milton)Primary School, 200 LiddesdaleRoad, G22 7QH

2nd Monday of the month4pm: Lambhill Stables,11 Canal Bank North(off Balmore Road), G22 6RD

5.30pm: Ledgowan Tenants' Hall1 Ledgowan Place, G20 0JZ

3rd Monday of the month4pm: K.A.T.S, 1 FountainwellSquare, Sighthill, G21 1RB

5.30pm: Possilpoint CommunityCentre, 130 Denmark Street,G22 5LQ

4th Monday of the month4pm: Roystonhill RecreationCentre, 15 Forrestfield Street,G21 2HG

5.30pm: Elmvale Primary School712 Hawthorn Street,G22 6ED

The Scottish Parliament has legislative responsibility for:Health, Education, Transport, Housing, Economic Development, Enterprise,Culture, Environment, Rural Development and Justice

•There will be no surgeries onpublic holidays and no surgeries inschools during school holiday periods.

•Those unable to attend a surgery can bevisited at home by arrangement.

•For further information, or to make asurgery appointment, please contact theconstituency office on 0141 558 9483.

Working hard for the communities of Acre, Ashfield, Balgrayhill, Balornock, Cadder, Carron, Colston, Cowlairs,Gairbraid, Germiston, Hamiltonhill, Kelvindale, Keppochhill, Kirklee, Lambhill, Maryhill, Maryhill Park, Milton,

Parkhouse, Petershill, Port Dundas, Possilpark, Royston, Ruchill, Sighthill, Springburn, Summerston and Wyndford.

RENT MATTERSFOR YOURLOCAL AREAYour rent pays for the roof over your head and for the essential services in your neighbourhood, like repairs to your home, tackling anti-social behaviour, cleaning your close and being here 24/7.

It’s important that you keep up with your rent payments. If you’re concerned about falling behind or about being in debt – speak to us before it’s too late. Remember, your home is at risk if you do not keep up your rent payments.

Registered Scottish Charity (SC034054)

Call us on Freephone 0800 479 7979

Glasgow Housing Associationwww.gha.org.uk

Worried about changes to your housing benefit and financial circumstances?

Need some help or advice ?

Contact your rents and benefits team at ng homes

on 0141 560 6000 or 0141 336 1300 ppress option 2

We are happy to help!

98 November 2012 November 2012

The Re-Gen launched its Welfare Reform Campaign in the last issue of the paper and the impact it has had has been tremendous. This week we focus on issues dealing with housing and we have enlisted people who know about and care about just what can happen as the reforms start to kick in. Whatever the rights or wrongs of this debate we want to ensure that Re-Gen readers have all the facts at their disposal. We want to ensure that people whose income depends on benefi ts know the possible impacts the cuts in the benefi t system will have on them and encourage people to get advice if they think they’re going to be affected. If you have any questions or worries about how the Welfare Reforms changes could affect you, contact your local housing association where many of them have dedicated workers fully conversant with the changes or contact the local Citizens Advice Bureau. Look out for further updates in forthcoming issues.

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN WELFARE REFORMRe-GENTHE

If you claim Housing Benefi t to help pay your rent you may be affected by changes from April 2013. The changes mean that some people will get less Housing Benefi t than they did before.

This information will help you fi nd out what’s happening and how you can prepare as many tenants will be concerned about the changes to Housing Benefi t. How many bedrooms do you have?From April 2013 if you rent a Housing Association property and have one or more spare bedrooms your Housing Benefi t may get reduced. You could be affected if…• You are 16 to 61 years old• If you are working and only get a small amount of Housing Benefi t• Even if you are sick or disabled What is classed as a “spare” bedroom?If you have more bedrooms than the Government says you need, under the new rules you will lose part of your Housing Ben-efi t.

The new rules state you will be allocated one bedroom for: • Each adult couple• Any other person age 16 or over• Two children of the same sex under 16• Two children under the age of 10 regardless of sex• Any other child• A carer (who does not normal-ly live with you) if you or your partner need overnight care.

It doesn’t matter who uses the spare room, the new rules will even apply if:• You and your partner need to sleep apart because of a medical

condition• The main home of your chil-dren is another address, but you have a spare room for when they stay over with you eg. Ac-cess to children

What happens if you have a spare bedroom?If you have one spare bedroom your Housing Benefi t will be cut by 14% of the rent you pay weekly. If you have two or more spare bedrooms you will lose 25% of the rent you pay weekly.You will have to pay to your landlord the difference between your Housing Benefi t and your rent if your benefi t is cut.Limit on BenefitsFrom April 2013, there will be a cap on the overall amount of benefi t you can receive.

The Government will add up how much money you get from a range of benefi ts including: housing benefi t, jobseekers al-lowance, employment support allowance, child benefi t, child tax credit and carer’s allow-ance.

If the amount of your benefi ts add up to more than the maxi-mum allowed your housing benefi t will be reduced.

From April 2013 the maximum amount of benefit you will be entitled to is:• £500 per wk for single par-ents• £500 per wk for couples with or without children• £350 per week for single peo-ple without children This will not apply if….• You get pension credit or working tax credit• A member of your household is claiming disability living al-lowance, attendance allowance or the support element of em-ployment support allowance.

Changes to Housing Benefi t

Welfare ReformHere are some frequently asked questions in relation to Wel-fare Reform and the introduction of the new Universal Credit.

What is Universal Credit? It’s a benefi t that will replace working tax credit, child tax credit, housing benefi t, income support, job seekers allowance and employment and support allowance. All of these benefi ts will be paid as one “Univer-sal Credit”.

Who will receive Universal Credit? Single people or a couple jointly of working age can get Universal Credit. However, it won’t be payable if you have savings of £16,000 or more and to qualify you have to accept a “Claimant Commitment”.

What is a Claimant Commitment? All claimants must agree to meet requirements related to fi nding work. There will be sanctions for failing to meet any of the requirements under the Claimant Commitment.

What is Working Age? Anyone over 16 and under the age of 61 at the time Universal Credit is introduced in October 2013.

How do you apply for Universal Credit? Applications must be made to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The expectation is that you will apply on-line using a computer rather than fi lling in a form or going to an offi ce to make a claim.

How will Universal Credit be paid? It will be paid monthly in arrears and anyone receiving Universal Credit must have a bank account. If you don’t have a bank account, you REALLY need to get one before Universal Credit comes into force.

When does Welfare Reform begin? The reforms will begin next October and anyone in receipt of the benefi ts covered by Universal Credit will be placed on the new system by the end of 2017. However, if you’re circumstances change, you will move to the new system right away.

Will Benefi ts be capped? Yes, from April 2013 no couple or single parent can receive more than £26,000 per annum and single claimants can’t receive more than £18,000 per annum.

What about my housing benefi t? Under the new system, any help you receive with your rent will be part of Universal Credit. You will have to pay rent yourself as there will no lon-ger be direct payments to your landlord as happens under the current system. Failure to pay your rent will result in arrears and housing providers may have no option but to take court action and seek eviction.

Is there anything I should do now? Yes. If you receive ben-efi ts and think you’ll be affected by these reforms, you should seek advice right away. Contact a Welfare Advice centre im-mediately or speak to your landlord. The worst thing you can do is ignore the fact that changes are going to be introduced.

Milnbank Housing Association53 Ballindalloch Drive, Dennistoun,

Glasgow G31 3DQ

Tel: 0141 - 551 8131www.milnbank.org.uk

For General Enquiries please call:

0844 892 0321www.westscot.co.uk

West of Scotland Housing Association (WSHA) is currently exploring the benefits of a partnership with Gentoo Group. The two organisations are currently in discussions to find out what a partnership could mean and the benefits it could bring to tenants.

Duncan McNaught, Chief Executive of West of Scotland Housing Association said: “We are exploring a potential partnership because we are looking to the future and the financial challenges that all housing associations will face in the next few years. These challenges include welfare reform which is likely to reduce the income available to all associations, and the need to invest more money in our houses to achieve higher energy efficiency targets which could help protect our tenants from rising energy costs.

“We need to adapt, and believe it is not an option to do nothing in the face of the challenges ahead.” WSHA believes that making this positive change will make the Association fitter for these challenges. It will help ensure the Association continues to be able to provide the best homes and services possible for its tenants and communities in the long term.

Gentoo Group is a well established housing provider and regulated in England by the Homes and Communities Agency. With a strong track record, throughout the years it has demonstrated commitment to high standards, good quality homes, and strong communities. More than just a housing association, Gentoo is about improving lives by investing in people, the planet and property based activities.

The two organisations therefore share similar values and a strong cultural fit with similar aspirations around creating sustainable communities and homes that are fit for the future.

Duncan continues, “We have been impressed by what we have seen in our discussions with and visits to Gentoo. We are now looking in detail at what real benefits a partnership with Gentoo could provide.”

If West of Scotland Housing Association joined Gentoo Group it would stay as a housing association registered with the Scottish Housing Regulator as well as keep its name and ownership of its housing. WSHA will still employ its own staff, work from its present offices and remain being governed by its own Management Committee. Most importantly, tenants will keep their existing rights and their landlord will remain as West of Scotland Housing Association. Gentoo Group would be WSHA’s parent body and set the overall Group strategy.

Duncan concludes, “These are exciting times for the Association, this partnership has the potential to provide new solutions to the challenges we face.”

Association to explore benefits of a partnership

“Providing the best homes, services and communities for our tenants”

If you would like any more information on the proposed partnership with Gentoo please call us on:

0141 550 5600 or send an email to [email protected]

For General Enquiries please call: 0844 892 0321

www.westscot.co.uk

GHA Shop,173 Trongate ,Glasgow ,G1 5HF

Tel: 0141 274 6460 www.gha.org.uk

Maryhill & Possilpark Citizens Advice Bureau: 25 Ave-

nuepark Street, Glasgow G20 8TS. 0141 946 6373

Glasgow Central Citizens Ad-vice Bureau: 1st Floor, 88 Bell

Street , Glasgow G1 1LQ0141 552 5556

Log onto www.cas.org.uk to fi nd

your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau

GEMAP Scotland ltd Phone:0141 773 5850


Gemap Scotland News

If you would like assistance on more information on anything above please contact GEMAP Scotland Ltd on 0141 773 5850

Westwood Business CentreUnit 2/31, 69 Aberdalgie Road, Easterhouse, Glasgow G34 9HJ Phone: 0141 773 5850Fax: 0141 781 1777Email: [email protected]

Money Advice-are you having problems with money & managing your debts, are companies writing/phoning you. Are you unable to pay them, we can help-Gemap Scotland offers a free, independent & confidential service

Benefits-are you sure you’re on the right benefits, do you know your ESA from your JSA-if not, we can offer a free, impartial & independent benefit check for you and help you to apply for them-remember this is money you could be due.

Financial Capability- we offer a range of tailor made financial capability workshops, available in your community. We offer advice on budgeting, banking, debt and the cost of credit. We can help with bank accounts, savings strategies and goals.

Legal Advice-Are you in danger of losing your home or face becoming evicted. Do you need legal assistance, advice or court representation-we can help. We offer a free, independent & impartial legal service.

Fuel Poverty we’ve all seen the massive price increase from the power companies recently, are you struggling trying to pay your fuel bills- are you on the right tariff and the best supplier, we can help, we can arrange a home visit for you for advice

Are you worried about debts or your fuel bills, maxed the plastic. Bills, Bills and more Bills, as we shudder from our festive financial hangovers and bills not yet paid. Maybe it’s time to get some help.

Staff at GHA are talking individually to tenants who may affected by one of the changes to benefi ts which is coming soon. From April next year, the help tenants get with their rent will be reduced if they are working age and they under-occupy their home. That means if their home is considered to have more rooms than they need, the amount of Housing Benefi t they get will be reduced. GHA’s local housing offi cers are arranging to talk to tenants who could be deemed to be ‘under-occupying’. They will discuss the best options for dealing with the change. Any GHA tenant who thinks they may be affected by this, should call GHA on 0800 4797979 or speak to their housing offi cer. GHA tenants can also arrange an appointment with a Welfare Benefi ts Advisor for help with their benefi ts or a Money Advisor for help with managing money and debts. Call 0800 4797979.

Without work, welfare reform won’t work, says Labour MP Margaret CurranThe plans of the Tory-led Government to reform Housing Benefi t will have a profound ef-fect on many people in the East End of Glasgow. As many of my constituents will be aware, too many people are struggling to get by, to put food on the table for their families or even fi nd decent employment in a tremendously uncertain job market. The current economic climate is affecting everyone and the East End is being hit particularly hard. The priority for the Tory-led Government must be to provide the means by which people can improve their lives. This can be done through the creation of training programmes or facilitat-ing the economic circumstances in which jobs are created. However, at the moment it is abundantly clear that this is

not the Tory-led Government’s priority. Having spoken to people from across the constituency, it is clear the plan of the Tory-led Government to introduce the Universal Credit is causing great concern. There is a very real anxiety amongst my constitu-

ents as to how the reforms will affect them and the severe fi nancial hit they will take when the reforms start to bite. Do not get me wrong, I be-lieve that the welfare system as it stands is no longer sustain-able and proper, careful reform to the system is needed. We are not against reform, quite the opposite; I believe we need to fi nd a way to encourage people that can work to fi nd work and get off benefi ts. However, to do this we must understand the reality facing individuals and families in the current economic climate and it is clear the Tory-led Government is turning a blind eye to the plight of those most in need. At their recent party confer-ence, the Tories pledged to reduce the welfare bill by a further £10 billion. But who is going to pay for this and where

are the savings going to come from? The burden of Welfare Reform should not rest on the shoulders of the poorest and most vulnerable people in our communities. The new rules concerning housing benefi t and under occupancy provision will af-fect 70,000 housing benefi t claimants in Scotland with an average loss in income of £11 per week. The changes also mean that housing benefi t will be paid directly to recipients (rather than landlords) putting vulner-able individuals under increased strain. We know that Housing Associations are concerned about how this is going to affect payments but we have heard nothing from the Tory-led government as to how this will work in practice or how they will ensure people do not fall

into a cycle of rent arrears. And of course, all of this is happening at the same time as tenants face a drop in benefi ts of close to £600 a year. In addition to the changes being made to payments under the new system, the so called ‘Bedroom Tax’ will see housing benefi t slashed by 14 per cent for one extra empty bedroom.

This will rise to 25 per cent for two or more extra bedrooms. This raises the grim spectrum of pensioners, their families having moved away, paying an extra £80 a month in rates, be-fore gas, electricity, TV licence and phone bills are taken into account. Changes such as these have the potential to infl ict serious

consequences on some of the most vulnerable people in our city. The reality is clear. The Tories are cutting too far and too fast. As the economy continues to suffer and welfare reforms start to bite, the poorest will be the hardest hit in these reforms. The Tory-led Government must stop and think again.

Worried about changes to your hous-

ing benefi t? Springburn (East)

Ned Donaldson House, 50 Reidhouse Street

Springburn, Glasgow, G21 4LSTel: 0141 560 6000



Tel: 0141 336 1300

Worried about changes to your housing benefit and financial circumstances?

Need some help or advice ?

Contact your rents and benefits team at ng homes

on 0141 560 6000 or 0141 336 1300 ppress option 2

We are happy to help!

98 November 2012 November 2012

The Re-Gen launched its Welfare Reform Campaign in the last issue of the paper and the impact it has had has been tremendous. This week we focus on issues dealing with housing and we have enlisted people who know about and care about just what can happen as the reforms start to kick in. Whatever the rights or wrongs of this debate we want to ensure that Re-Gen readers have all the facts at their disposal. We want to ensure that people whose income depends on benefi ts know the possible impacts the cuts in the benefi t system will have on them and encourage people to get advice if they think they’re going to be affected. If you have any questions or worries about how the Welfare Reforms changes could affect you, contact your local housing association where many of them have dedicated workers fully conversant with the changes or contact the local Citizens Advice Bureau. Look out for further updates in forthcoming issues.

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN WELFARE REFORMRe-GENTHE

If you claim Housing Benefi t to help pay your rent you may be affected by changes from April 2013. The changes mean that some people will get less Housing Benefi t than they did before.

This information will help you fi nd out what’s happening and how you can prepare as many tenants will be concerned about the changes to Housing Benefi t. How many bedrooms do you have?From April 2013 if you rent a Housing Association property and have one or more spare bedrooms your Housing Benefi t may get reduced. You could be affected if…• You are 16 to 61 years old• If you are working and only get a small amount of Housing Benefi t• Even if you are sick or disabled What is classed as a “spare” bedroom?If you have more bedrooms than the Government says you need, under the new rules you will lose part of your Housing Ben-efi t.

The new rules state you will be allocated one bedroom for: • Each adult couple• Any other person age 16 or over• Two children of the same sex under 16• Two children under the age of 10 regardless of sex• Any other child• A carer (who does not normal-ly live with you) if you or your partner need overnight care.

It doesn’t matter who uses the spare room, the new rules will even apply if:• You and your partner need to sleep apart because of a medical

condition• The main home of your chil-dren is another address, but you have a spare room for when they stay over with you eg. Ac-cess to children

What happens if you have a spare bedroom?If you have one spare bedroom your Housing Benefi t will be cut by 14% of the rent you pay weekly. If you have two or more spare bedrooms you will lose 25% of the rent you pay weekly.You will have to pay to your landlord the difference between your Housing Benefi t and your rent if your benefi t is cut.Limit on BenefitsFrom April 2013, there will be a cap on the overall amount of benefi t you can receive.

The Government will add up how much money you get from a range of benefi ts including: housing benefi t, jobseekers al-lowance, employment support allowance, child benefi t, child tax credit and carer’s allow-ance.

If the amount of your benefi ts add up to more than the maxi-mum allowed your housing benefi t will be reduced.

From April 2013 the maximum amount of benefit you will be entitled to is:• £500 per wk for single par-ents• £500 per wk for couples with or without children• £350 per week for single peo-ple without children This will not apply if….• You get pension credit or working tax credit• A member of your household is claiming disability living al-lowance, attendance allowance or the support element of em-ployment support allowance.

Changes to Housing Benefi t

Welfare ReformHere are some frequently asked questions in relation to Wel-fare Reform and the introduction of the new Universal Credit.

What is Universal Credit? It’s a benefi t that will replace working tax credit, child tax credit, housing benefi t, income support, job seekers allowance and employment and support allowance. All of these benefi ts will be paid as one “Univer-sal Credit”.

Who will receive Universal Credit? Single people or a couple jointly of working age can get Universal Credit. However, it won’t be payable if you have savings of £16,000 or more and to qualify you have to accept a “Claimant Commitment”.

What is a Claimant Commitment? All claimants must agree to meet requirements related to fi nding work. There will be sanctions for failing to meet any of the requirements under the Claimant Commitment.

What is Working Age? Anyone over 16 and under the age of 61 at the time Universal Credit is introduced in October 2013.

How do you apply for Universal Credit? Applications must be made to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The expectation is that you will apply on-line using a computer rather than fi lling in a form or going to an offi ce to make a claim.

How will Universal Credit be paid? It will be paid monthly in arrears and anyone receiving Universal Credit must have a bank account. If you don’t have a bank account, you REALLY need to get one before Universal Credit comes into force.

When does Welfare Reform begin? The reforms will begin next October and anyone in receipt of the benefi ts covered by Universal Credit will be placed on the new system by the end of 2017. However, if you’re circumstances change, you will move to the new system right away.

Will Benefi ts be capped? Yes, from April 2013 no couple or single parent can receive more than £26,000 per annum and single claimants can’t receive more than £18,000 per annum.

What about my housing benefi t? Under the new system, any help you receive with your rent will be part of Universal Credit. You will have to pay rent yourself as there will no lon-ger be direct payments to your landlord as happens under the current system. Failure to pay your rent will result in arrears and housing providers may have no option but to take court action and seek eviction.

Is there anything I should do now? Yes. If you receive ben-efi ts and think you’ll be affected by these reforms, you should seek advice right away. Contact a Welfare Advice centre im-mediately or speak to your landlord. The worst thing you can do is ignore the fact that changes are going to be introduced.

Milnbank Housing Association53 Ballindalloch Drive, Dennistoun,

Glasgow G31 3DQ

Tel: 0141 - 551 8131www.milnbank.org.uk

For General Enquiries please call:

0844 892 0321www.westscot.co.uk

West of Scotland Housing Association (WSHA) is currently exploring the benefits of a partnership with Gentoo Group. The two organisations are currently in discussions to find out what a partnership could mean and the benefits it could bring to tenants.

Duncan McNaught, Chief Executive of West of Scotland Housing Association said: “We are exploring a potential partnership because we are looking to the future and the financial challenges that all housing associations will face in the next few years. These challenges include welfare reform which is likely to reduce the income available to all associations, and the need to invest more money in our houses to achieve higher energy efficiency targets which could help protect our tenants from rising energy costs.

“We need to adapt, and believe it is not an option to do nothing in the face of the challenges ahead.” WSHA believes that making this positive change will make the Association fitter for these challenges. It will help ensure the Association continues to be able to provide the best homes and services possible for its tenants and communities in the long term.

Gentoo Group is a well established housing provider and regulated in England by the Homes and Communities Agency. With a strong track record, throughout the years it has demonstrated commitment to high standards, good quality homes, and strong communities. More than just a housing association, Gentoo is about improving lives by investing in people, the planet and property based activities.

The two organisations therefore share similar values and a strong cultural fit with similar aspirations around creating sustainable communities and homes that are fit for the future.

Duncan continues, “We have been impressed by what we have seen in our discussions with and visits to Gentoo. We are now looking in detail at what real benefits a partnership with Gentoo could provide.”

If West of Scotland Housing Association joined Gentoo Group it would stay as a housing association registered with the Scottish Housing Regulator as well as keep its name and ownership of its housing. WSHA will still employ its own staff, work from its present offices and remain being governed by its own Management Committee. Most importantly, tenants will keep their existing rights and their landlord will remain as West of Scotland Housing Association. Gentoo Group would be WSHA’s parent body and set the overall Group strategy.

Duncan concludes, “These are exciting times for the Association, this partnership has the potential to provide new solutions to the challenges we face.”

Association to explore benefits of a partnership

“Providing the best homes, services and communities for our tenants”

If you would like any more information on the proposed partnership with Gentoo please call us on:

0141 550 5600 or send an email to [email protected]

For General Enquiries please call: 0844 892 0321

www.westscot.co.uk

GHA Shop,173 Trongate ,Glasgow ,G1 5HF

Tel: 0141 274 6460 www.gha.org.uk

Maryhill & Possilpark Citizens Advice Bureau: 25 Ave-

nuepark Street, Glasgow G20 8TS. 0141 946 6373

Glasgow Central Citizens Ad-vice Bureau: 1st Floor, 88 Bell

Street , Glasgow G1 1LQ0141 552 5556

Log onto www.cas.org.uk to fi nd

your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau

GEMAP Scotland ltd Phone:0141 773 5850


Gemap Scotland News

If you would like assistance on more information on anything above please contact GEMAP Scotland Ltd on 0141 773 5850

Westwood Business CentreUnit 2/31, 69 Aberdalgie Road, Easterhouse, Glasgow G34 9HJ Phone: 0141 773 5850Fax: 0141 781 1777Email: [email protected]

Money Advice-are you having problems with money & managing your debts, are companies writing/phoning you. Are you unable to pay them, we can help-Gemap Scotland offers a free, independent & confidential service

Benefits-are you sure you’re on the right benefits, do you know your ESA from your JSA-if not, we can offer a free, impartial & independent benefit check for you and help you to apply for them-remember this is money you could be due.

Financial Capability- we offer a range of tailor made financial capability workshops, available in your community. We offer advice on budgeting, banking, debt and the cost of credit. We can help with bank accounts, savings strategies and goals.

Legal Advice-Are you in danger of losing your home or face becoming evicted. Do you need legal assistance, advice or court representation-we can help. We offer a free, independent & impartial legal service.

Fuel Poverty we’ve all seen the massive price increase from the power companies recently, are you struggling trying to pay your fuel bills- are you on the right tariff and the best supplier, we can help, we can arrange a home visit for you for advice

Are you worried about debts or your fuel bills, maxed the plastic. Bills, Bills and more Bills, as we shudder from our festive financial hangovers and bills not yet paid. Maybe it’s time to get some help.

Staff at GHA are talking individually to tenants who may affected by one of the changes to benefi ts which is coming soon. From April next year, the help tenants get with their rent will be reduced if they are working age and they under-occupy their home. That means if their home is considered to have more rooms than they need, the amount of Housing Benefi t they get will be reduced. GHA’s local housing offi cers are arranging to talk to tenants who could be deemed to be ‘under-occupying’. They will discuss the best options for dealing with the change. Any GHA tenant who thinks they may be affected by this, should call GHA on 0800 4797979 or speak to their housing offi cer. GHA tenants can also arrange an appointment with a Welfare Benefi ts Advisor for help with their benefi ts or a Money Advisor for help with managing money and debts. Call 0800 4797979.

Without work, welfare reform won’t work, says Labour MP Margaret CurranThe plans of the Tory-led Government to reform Housing Benefi t will have a profound ef-fect on many people in the East End of Glasgow. As many of my constituents will be aware, too many people are struggling to get by, to put food on the table for their families or even fi nd decent employment in a tremendously uncertain job market. The current economic climate is affecting everyone and the East End is being hit particularly hard. The priority for the Tory-led Government must be to provide the means by which people can improve their lives. This can be done through the creation of training programmes or facilitat-ing the economic circumstances in which jobs are created. However, at the moment it is abundantly clear that this is

not the Tory-led Government’s priority. Having spoken to people from across the constituency, it is clear the plan of the Tory-led Government to introduce the Universal Credit is causing great concern. There is a very real anxiety amongst my constitu-

ents as to how the reforms will affect them and the severe fi nancial hit they will take when the reforms start to bite. Do not get me wrong, I be-lieve that the welfare system as it stands is no longer sustain-able and proper, careful reform to the system is needed. We are not against reform, quite the opposite; I believe we need to fi nd a way to encourage people that can work to fi nd work and get off benefi ts. However, to do this we must understand the reality facing individuals and families in the current economic climate and it is clear the Tory-led Government is turning a blind eye to the plight of those most in need. At their recent party confer-ence, the Tories pledged to reduce the welfare bill by a further £10 billion. But who is going to pay for this and where

are the savings going to come from? The burden of Welfare Reform should not rest on the shoulders of the poorest and most vulnerable people in our communities. The new rules concerning housing benefi t and under occupancy provision will af-fect 70,000 housing benefi t claimants in Scotland with an average loss in income of £11 per week. The changes also mean that housing benefi t will be paid directly to recipients (rather than landlords) putting vulner-able individuals under increased strain. We know that Housing Associations are concerned about how this is going to affect payments but we have heard nothing from the Tory-led government as to how this will work in practice or how they will ensure people do not fall

into a cycle of rent arrears. And of course, all of this is happening at the same time as tenants face a drop in benefi ts of close to £600 a year. In addition to the changes being made to payments under the new system, the so called ‘Bedroom Tax’ will see housing benefi t slashed by 14 per cent for one extra empty bedroom.

This will rise to 25 per cent for two or more extra bedrooms. This raises the grim spectrum of pensioners, their families having moved away, paying an extra £80 a month in rates, be-fore gas, electricity, TV licence and phone bills are taken into account. Changes such as these have the potential to infl ict serious

consequences on some of the most vulnerable people in our city. The reality is clear. The Tories are cutting too far and too fast. As the economy continues to suffer and welfare reforms start to bite, the poorest will be the hardest hit in these reforms. The Tory-led Government must stop and think again.

Worried about changes to your hous-

ing benefi t? Springburn (East)

Ned Donaldson House, 50 Reidhouse Street

Springburn, Glasgow, G21 4LSTel: 0141 560 6000



Tel: 0141 336 1300

10 November 2012

90/130 Glenpark Street, Dennistoun, Glasgow G31 1NZTelephone 0141 556 7082

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THE Crowne Plaza hotel next to the SECC was cer-tainly the place to be at the start of the month as the annual Re-Gen “Stars in the Community” awards dinner dance was held there. Many well-known faces were in attendance in-cluding, Parliamentarians, Joanne Lamont, Humza Yousaf, Margaret Curran,

Anas Sarwar, Paul Martin and Patricia Ferguson, as well as the Lord Provost Cllr Sadie Docherty and Depute Lord Provost Gerry Leonard. Following an excellent dinner the nominations, of which there were loads, were whittled down and the winners were an-nounced. Lord Provost Docherty did

us the honour of handing over the trophies and each winner was selected on merit such as the concierge Tommy Hamilton who saved a woman’s life then calmly went back to work. The whole evening was a great success yet again and the group “21 Red” rounded off a tremendous night with a very entertaining set.

RE-GEN Stars In The Community AWARDS

11November 2012

90/130 Glenpark Street, Dennistoun, Glasgow G31 1NZTelephone 0141 556 7082

A. S. SCAFFOLDING LTD

RE-GEN Stars In The Community AWARDS

Weddings • Civil Partnerships • Commercial Events • Portraits • Graduation • Passport • Legal

Ronnie Syme photography7 Beaconsfield Road, Kelvinside,

Glasgow G12 0PJTelephone: 0141 576 4643

Email: [email protected] Site: www.ronniesyme.com

Building a sustainable futureCity Building is one of Scotland’s largest construction companies. We deliver construction, repairs and maintenance solutions to commercial and public sector organisations across the country.

Our success is due to our forward-thinking approach and looking for ways to deliver services in a different way. Working with the public, private and third sectors through joint ventures and partnerships, we look to do more for less - a new approach from a traditional business.

City Building delivers new build housing, schools and other large construction projects, whilst continuing to deliver our core business in repairs and maintenance services across Central Scotland.

We also operate Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries (RSBi), one of Europe’s largest supported facilities, employing more than 240 people, over 50% of whom have a disability. For more details on our range of products and services, please contact:

08456 001 323 email: [email protected] or visit www.citybuildingglasgow.co.uk

SERVICE WITH A SMILE: JOHN FLANNIGAN AKA TOBY (THE URBAN FOX PROGRAMME & ASDA), DAVID SOMERVILLE (GHA)

IMPROVING LIVES IN THE COMMU-NITY: TOM CRUICKSHANK, MAIREAD TAGG (GLASGOW EAST WOMENS AID)

BUILDING STRONGER COMMUNITIES: MORRISON (SCOTLAND), NG SUS-TAINABILITY (NG HOMES)

COMMUNITY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: GERRY BALDWIN (FUSE YOUTH CAFE)

ENGAGING IN THE COMMUNITY: PARKHEAD HOUSING ASSOC, JOHN DEVINE (NG2)

ACTION IN THE COMMUNITY: SHETTLESTON COMMUNITY GROW-ING PROJECT, CITY BUILDING (AP-PRENTICES)

THE RE-GEN “STAR” AWARD: TRISHA STEWART (THE DALMAR-NOCK CENTRE), THOMAS HAMILTON aka “TOSH” (NG HOMES)

SHINING STAR: CATHIE MCGUIRE (MILNBANK HA), FRANK MILLER (NG HOMES)

RE-GEN Stars In The Community AWARD WINNERS

WITH THANKS TO:

To view and order the Photographs of

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12 November 2012

Bob Doris MSP MSP for Glasgow Region (SNP) Parliamentary Surgeries

All Welcome 1st Monday of the month Springburn Library, Kay Street - 5.30pm Roystonhill Recreation Centre, 15 Forrest�eld Street - 7pm 2nd Monday of the month Kelvindale Primary School, 11 Dorchester Place - 5.30pm Maryhill Burgh Halls, 10 - 24 Gairbraid Avenue - 7pm 3rd Monday of the month King Street Council O�ces, Rutherglen - 6pm 4th Monday of the month Lambhill Stables, 11 Canal Bank North - 5pm Bellcraig Community Centre, 10 Gorstan Street 6.30pm ‘Drop in ’ surgeries are also held at the Glasgow city centre o�ce. Please call for details. It ’s always best to call ahead as constituents with appointments will be given priority. No surgeries will be held during public or school holidays and they are subject to change during parliamentary recess.

3rd Floor, Empire House, 131 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2RX [email protected] bobdoris2011.org 0141 353 0784

£41,928 - £44,280 (EVH Grade SM5 – SM7)35 Hours per weekContract: Permanent ng homes is a leading community based Social Landlord that provides housing and support services to almost 7,000 tenants and owners in North Glasgow. Our customers are at the heart of our business and we aim to deliver customer service excellence in all that we do. We are now looking to recruit an enthusiastic, qualified profes-sional to deliver and develop our Social Enterprise and a range of Employability programmes and initiatives. A key task will be aligning with national and local employment strategies to create training and development opportunities for the people of North Glasgow and beyond. The post holder will also be responsible for developing and maintaining successful partner-ships with a range of local and national agencies to identify, develop and deliver training and employment opportunities in North Glasgow. The successful candidate will possess a recognised managerial qualification together with effective leadership skills and hands on HR management experience gained from managing a team preferably within a social enterprise and/or the housing sector. An excellent commu-nicator, you will combine strong organisational skills with the ability to manage and prioritise a demanding workload. Adaptable with a flexible approach to work, you will be committed to achieving continuous improvement in service delivery and will have a proven track record of delivering results in a similar dynamic business environment. If you wish to apply for this post please download an application pack from our website alternatively contact Marion Gallacher on 0141 560 6000 (Ext 1226) for a pack. Completed application forms can be returned by email to [email protected] with the subject heading: Enterprise and Employability Manager. If you are returning your application by post please send to: Marion Gallacher, Organisational Development, ng homes, Ned Donaldson House, 50 Reidhouse Street, Springburn, Glasgow G21 4LS. The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 12 Noon on Friday 16th November 2012. Applications received after this date will not be considered.Please note that we do not accept CVs.

Enterprise and Employability Manager

Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow, has called on the United Nations to act on evidence of illegal organ harvesting in Chinese prisons.Mr Doris signed a petition, which will be presented to the UN, urg-ing action against the practice.An estimated 65,000 members of the Falun Gong, a banned spiritualist group that opposes Chinese rule of Tibet, are alleged to have been killed for their or-gans. This does not include other targeted groups, such as political dissidents and minorities, includ-ing the Uyghur and Tibetans. Organs are harvested from both executed and live prisoners for sale on the black market.David Matas, a Canadian human rights lawyer, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 for his work related to the investigation of organ harvest-ing crimes against Falun Gong practitioners in China. He is the co-author of Bloody Harvest - The Killing of Falun Gong for their Organs, in which he details his investigation with David Kilgour, a former Canadian secretary of state for Asia-Pacific, revealing that in addition to using organs from executed prisoners, organs were even harvested from living “prisoners of conscience”.Various human rights activists, including Mr Matas, have worked to bring these atrocities to the attention of world organisations such as the UN. Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting have

drafted a petition, which has received over 100,000 signatures worldwide, and 14,000 from the UK, which will be presented to the UN in a bid to urge action. In September, both the United Na-tions Human Rights Council and the United States Congress held discussions on organ harvesting in China.Mr Doris told the Re-Gen, “I am appalled by these most serious allegations regarding organ har-vesting in Chinese prisons. While this matter may seem remote to many in Scotland, I have been approached by local constituents in Maryhill to ask me to add my call for the United Nations to act. There is a 10,000 strong Chinese

community in Glasgow, and over 14,000 Scotland-wide. My constituents are rightly asking me to represent their concerns. I was pleased to sign the petition and I would encourage others to do likewise. I have also lodged a motion to highlight the practice at the Scottish Parliament, which has received cross-party support. He continued, “Respected inter-national figures have collated evidence which substantiates the allegations, and the United Na-tions must take their representa-tions seriously. This is a violation of the most basic human rights standards established by the UN, and I urge them to take action to stop such atrocities.”

MSP callls for UN action on Chinese organ harvesting

Bob Doris and Yu Yu Williamson, a constituent and Falun Gong practitioner, with the Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting petition

The Oran Mor in Glasgow’s west end hosted the first staff training event in the UK for epilepsy care earlier this month. The session marks the kick-off of a ground-breaking initiative involving staff at outlets owned by Colin Beattie, owner of the Oran Mor. Staff were familiarised with the symptoms of epilepsy, and trained to administer first aid to customers who are having seizures, with training provided by Epilepsy Scotland, Scotland’s leading epilepsy charity.Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow and a member of the Cross-Party Group on Epilepsy, approached Oran Mor after Epilepsy Scotland expressed interest in offering awareness training to the licens-ing trade. Mr Beattie is the first to take up this opportunity to de-velop customer care skills among staff, and it is hoped other busi-nesses will follow his lead.Epilepsy Scotland Chief Execu-tive, Lesslie Young remarked: “Publicans like Colin Beattie and his staff are now being equipped to recognise the most common signs of seizure behaviour. They can be confident of how to respond effectively thanks to our awareness training. “Equally, it is reassuring for people with epilepsy who may have a seizure during a night out that pub staff in Glasgow will handle this sensitively. We com-mend the city’s licencing trade for being pro-active and we hope other parts of the country

will adopt their epilepsy-friendly practice.” Mr Doris told the Re-Gen: “I hope other licenced businesses in Glasgow and throughout Scotland will follow in Oran Mor’s footsteps. This is a small but important step in changing the culture we live in. “The experience of a friend with epilepsy made me aware of the misconceptions surrounding

the condition. Epileptic seizures don’t have to be violent and dra-matic, as is commonly believed. There are far subtler manifesta-tions which can be easily missed or mistaken for something else by the untrained eye. In particular, the symptoms can resemble drunkenness, which is why training in licenced premises is especially important.

UK’s first staff training event for epilepsy awareness held at Glasgow bar

13November 2012

Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111 information can be given anonymously.

LICENSING BOARD CALL TIME ON MILNGAVIE RESTAURANT

A Milngavie restaurant has had its alcohol licence suspended for a month at a meeting of the East Dunbartonshire Council’s Licensing Board on 1 November 2012. A joint operation by Strathclyde Police and the UK Borders Agency visited the Classic India in Douglas Street, Milngavie, in March 2012. Two employees were found to be illegal immigrants and were arrested - one was later deported.

The Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police asked the Licensing Board to review the restaurant’s alcohol licence on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder - a key objective under licensing law. After the hearing the review was heard, the Board suspended the restaurant’s licence for one month from 15 November 2012. Local area Commander Roddy Irvine of Strathclyde Police said: “This decision sends an important message to the management of all licensed premises in East Dunbartonshire. If the police or UK Borders Agency find any staff being employed in an alleged breach of immigration laws on licensed premises the Licensing Board may suspend or even revoke the premises licence. I welcome the Board’s decision in this case.”

BOGUS CRIME UPDATE

A gentleman aged 88 from Stirling Drive, Bishopbriggs has become the latest victim of bogus workmen. Two male suspects had informed the elderly gentleman that urgent work was required to be carried out on his roof and thereafter charged him over £16,000. Extensive police enquiry was carried out in relation to this incident by both uniformed and CID officers which resulted in two males aged 17 and 21 being arrested in connection with the incident. They appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday 12th November 2012. Bogus callers/workmen continue to be an ongoing threat to residents in the North of the City and East Dunbartonshire and officers throughout ‘B’ division who cover this area urge the public to remain on guard. PC Joanne Matulevicze from Divisional Headquarters at London Road police office said, “I would like to remind the public that there are bogus callers and workmen operating throughout our policing area. We strive on a daily basis to track these criminals down, who prey on our most vulnerable members of the community, and put them before the courts. These individuals have no morals and will stop at nothing to get their hands on cash.

If someone knocks at your door and you are in any doubt as to whether they are legitimate or not, keep them out and contact the police. I would also ask that, as a community, we pay extra attention to our more vulnerable members. If you are at all suspicious about work being carried out on a neighbouring property note down any registration numbers and/or company names and contact the police, it is better to allow the police to ensure everything is in order than for someone

to be conned out of potentially thousands of pounds. Over the last three months we have arrested 11 across the division for bogus crimes which is testament to the work we are doing to catch perpetrators of this despicable crime and keep our communities safe. If you have any information regarding bogus callers/workers please call London Road on 0141 532 4200 or crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.” CLUB GOERS SERIOUSLY ILL AFTER TAKING DRUGS

Strathclyde Police is issuing a drugs warning to the public, after a number of people were admitted to hospital on Saturday, 10 November 2012. It’s believed they may have become seriously ill after taking drugs in Glasgow City Centre.

Between 1.00am and 4.00am on 10 November, eight people were admitted to Glasgow Royal Infirmary and one person to the Western Infirmary with symptoms reported as high fever, agitation and seizures. It seems they had taken a combination of tablets and powder. Seven men and two women have been affected; they are aged between 17 and 22 years of age. It is unusual to have so many people admitted to hospital over such a short period of time with similar symptoms and this is clearly very concerning.

Strathclyde Police is working with its partner agencies including health officials and medical staff and pub and club licence holders in connection with this risk. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde public health consultant Anne Scoular said:

“Ingesting club drugs is always risky as you can never quite be sure what you are taking. The result can be very unpredictable, especially when combined with alcohol. Symptoms include hallucinations, severe agitation and aggression, high heart rate and seizures. The situation last night saw some quite heightened symptoms among a number of people which we would not normally see. While we urge people not to take these high risk club drugs, if you do and you or your friends show any signs of the symptoms above, I would urge you to seek medical advice immediately.”

DRUGS SEIZED IN MARYHILLDrugs worth an estimated

street value of £500,000 were recovered following an intelligence led operation on Saturday 3rd November. Officers attended a property in the Gairbraid area of Maryhill in possession of a drug search warrant. During the search officers recovered a sizable amount of what is believed to be heroin. Four people were arrested and charged awaiting trial.

POLICE HIT HARD AGAINST DRUNK DRIVERS

Police across the Division have been targeting drink and drug drivers in an attempt to keep our roads and communities a safer place to be around. With the festive period fast approaching many people are risking consuming alcohol at Christmas functions then getting behind the wheel. Our aim

is to reduce the risk to drivers using our road networks. Over the years there have been many campaigns and advertisements to educate and show the effects of what could happen if you get behind the wheel of a vehicle whilst under the influence. Over the last six months approximately 155 people have been charged with drink or drug driving across the division. Whilst this is an exceptionally good record for detections this number is too high where members of the public have taken a total disregard for the safety of themselves and others. Many of these detections have stemmed from vehicle stops between 7.00am – 10.00am where people have fallen foul of assuming they would be fit to drive the morning after a night of drinking.

Inspector Gary Price, the officer in command of the division’s road policing group said “we have collated figures of individuals over the last 6 months who have been arrested for drink and drug driving. This figure is exceptionally high considering the amount of education and campaigns that have been on-going for the last 25 years.” He added, “In the last week alone we have charged 8 people with drink driving. The message is getting through slowly but with the Festive period looming we will be increasing our efforts to educate people and keep our road networks safe. Many of those caught drink driving are those on a commute to work. Be warned that a night’s sleep and a strong coffee may not be enough to combat the effects of alcohol from the night before and you are just as guilty of drink driving facing the same driving ban, fine and possible imprisonment. If any one knows of anyone who drives under the influence or of a particular licensed premises where it is common to see people drive away under the influence; we want to hear from you either on 0141 532 4600 or by phoning crimestoppers 0800 555 111; where you do not have to give your name.”

MONTH LONG CRIME BLITZ HITS CRIMINALS HARD

Throughout the month of October into early November, police in the east end of Glasgow have been involved in the hard hitting Operation Myriad which saw uniformed and plain clothes officers working with partners from Glasgow City Council, VOSA, Customs among others to deal with the issues that communities tell them cause the greatest concern. The operations carried out during this time have ranged from drug raids, road blocks and licensed premises being inspected, to dangerous individuals being arrested and recalled to prison. Chief Superintendent Wayne Mawson, Divisional Commander of Glasgow North, East & East Dunbartonshire division said “In just over five weeks, we have seen tremendous results from the operations we have run. It is testament to the commitment of my officers and the will of residents in the East End who want safer communities to live and work within that have told us who causes the greatest harm, and have

allowed us to address the concerns they have set out for us.” Across the east end and north of the city, police have

Arrested 1,198 individuals for a range of crimes that include drug dealing, sexual crimes, violence, disorder, antisocial behaviour and theft.

£310,897 of cash and assets identified for restraint under the proceeds of crime act

Those arrested or charged with antisocial behaviour offences at the lower end of the scale have been fined £33, 720 for offences such as minor vandalism, street drinking and urinating in public.

Those who have disregard for the safety of us all on the road network have been fined over £42, 000, attracting a total of 1440 penalty points – or put simply: 120 people losing their driving licence!

Recovered drugs including Cocaine, Heroin & Cannabis with an estimated street value of £2,100,000 – Drugs destined to bring misery to our communities.

Licensed premises such as pubs and off licences have been inspected a total of 3263 times in that period – to ensure that alcohol is being sold responsibly; and not to those who are: Unlicensed, not complying with their licence, to drunk people and under-agers.

37 drug dealers have been arrested.

217 people have been charged with possessing drugs.

We have taken 39 vehicles off the road that have been uninsured.

19, 000 people have been stopped and searched – with over 1700 of them being found in possession of drugs or weapons.

We have made 605 visits to people’s homes who are on curfews ordered by the court – to ensure they are indoors - where they should be!

Police officers have attended at 781 homes of offenders we have identified as those who cause the greatest harm within our communities. Officers have engaged with them, directed them to support services and warned them that we are more than aware of who they are and what they do. Chief Superintendent Mawson added “We think it’s important that the communities of the east end know that we listen to what you tell us. What these statistics tell you – is that we have listened, we have acted – we have arrested more people doing the things that pose the greatest risk to you, and cause you the greatest concern”.

HOW UNCHARITABLE

Over the last few months there has been a gradual increase in thefts from charity clothing bins around East Dunbartonshire and in the North of Glasgow. Charity clothing bins, which are often placed within car parks of national supermarkets, are the latest target for thieves looking to make a quick buck. Padlocks are burst open and items removed which have been selflessly donated by members of our community to help worthy charitable causes. The increase in crimes of this nature coincides with the opening of a plethora of shops now offering cash for kilograms of clothing. This provides the criminal an easy method of turning stolen items into cash.

Officers from B division, who cover the North and East of Glasgow and East Dunbartonshire, urge the public to report anyone acting suspiciously around these bins to security guards within shop premises or contact the police on 0141 532 4600.

Maryhill & Springburn MSP Pa-tricia Ferguson has signed up to be a volunteer at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Patricia revealed her inten-tions in a recent debate at Holyrood where she praised preparations for the Games and suggested that a cross party group of MSPs might volunteer.

The official ‘’friendly face’’ of the 2014 Games will be Clyde, the Games’ mascot unveiled recently. Patricia met up with Clyde at a recent event in Parliament.

15, 000 volunteers will be needed to work as volunteers

to help make the Games go smoothly and to ensure a warm welcome for the thousands of athletes and visitors who will come to Glasgow.

Those wishing to volunteers can register their interest now online at www.glasgow.2014.com/volunteering or visit the volunteer centre in Albion Street.

Patricia Ferguson told the ReGen ‘’This is a great op-portunity to become involved in the Games. There is a range of roles that need to be filled and I would encourage any one who is interested to register soon.

PATRICIA JOINS CLYDE

Patricia and Glasgow 2014 mascot Clyde

Bikeability

10 local youngsters achieved Level 1 Bikeabil-ity award after 3 sessions delivered by Bikestation Glasgow in association with ng homes recently. Over the course of ses-sions, youngsters learnt

basic bike safety and proficiency developing con-fidence in bike use and con-trol. Next stage for some will be Level 2 where they are assessed on their ability to ride safely & confidently on the road.

14 November 2012

Parliamentary Patter

Patricia Ferguson MSP

Bob Doris MSP

Willie Bain MP

William Bain MPShadow Environment, Food, and

Rural Affairs MinisterLabour MP for Glasgow North East

Westminster Office: 0207-219-7527; Constituency Office: 0141-557-2513

www.williebain.comE-mail: [email protected]

Twitter: twitter.com/William_BainFacebook: facebook.com/william.bain

Patricia Ferguson MSP43 Atlas Road

Glasgow G21 4TAt: 0141 558 9483

[email protected]

3rd Floor, Empire House131 West Nile Street,

Glasgow G1 2RX Tel: 0141 204 0199

email: [email protected]

Paul Martin MSPAs winter approaches many of our older people face a real dilemma about whether or not they can afford to put the heat-ing on. It is outrageous to see big energy companies keep putting up prices yet continuing to make massive profits every year.Bills have doubled in 10 years with an average bill now £1,250 and 5.5 million houses expected to be in fuel poverty this year.

Actions to tackle this scandal have been useless as the regula-tor, Ofgem, seem unable to take action unless the Tory Govern-ment decides to change the law. The ‘big 6’ energy companies are running a cartel where it is in their interests to keep prices high and no attention is being given to the vulnerable con-sumer like our pensioners.And it is not just the UK Govern-

ment that seem unsympathetic to this issue. The SNP Govern-ment in Edinburgh has done

nothing to help pensioners with their fuel bills this winter. Just last week Nicola Sturgeon said that it is all the UK Government’s fault. While I agree that Ofgem, the energy price regulator, should be given more powers to tackle this issue, it seems like the SNP are content to blame someone else and not do any-thing themselves.

A perfect example of someone taking action can be found in Glasgow by launching ‘The Af-fordable Warmth Dividend.’ The Labour Leader of Glasgow City Council, Cllr Gordon Mathe-son, has pledged that every person over 80 will get an extra £100 for their heating bills for this, and the next 5 years. It is important to let as many of your friends, family and neighbours know about this scheme so that as many people as possible

benefit.The Labour Party in Glasgow has decided not to blame someone else but take action so that this winter, our pensioners have that little bit of extra help with their heating bills.If you would like to know more about “The Affordable Warmth Dividend” or to get in touch about any issue, then contact my office on 0141 564 1364 or via [email protected].

On the 15th October an agree-ment was signed between the UK and Scottish Governments that means a referendum will take place before the end of 2014 on the issue of Scotland separating from the rest of the United Kingdom. It requires that a single question is asked and al-lows for those aged 16 and 17 to vote. It also stipulates that the impartial Electoral Commission be involved in overseeing the process. This is the most important de-cision facing Scotland for a gen-

eration and it is essential that the process is fair and that the people of Scotland have all the information they need to reach an informed decision. Unfortunately there are al-ready concerns at the way the Scottish Government is behav-ing on this issue. Despite conducting a public consultation on the issue of the referendum, the third such ex-ercise since they took over in 2007, they did a deal with the UK Government before knowing the outcome of their consulta-

tion. Despite agreeing that the Electoral Commission over-see the process,

the Deputy First Minister sug-gested she might not abide by spending limits set by it. When asked by me in Parliament on the 23rd October to confirm that the Commission would be en-trusted with setting spending limits she declined to do so. And, despite the First Minis-ter indicating earlier this year that the Scottish Government had obtained legal advice that should it become independent Scotland would remain in the EU without having to join the Euro,

and having spent thousands of taxpayer pounds keeping the advice private, the Deputy First Minister has revealed in Parlia-ment that no such advice exists and that when it is obtained it will not be made public. Speaking in Parliament on the 30th October I said that the people of Scotland demand clar-ity and transparency. I believe voters deserve nothing less than honest answers backed up by evidence. The future of Scotland must be decided on the basis of facts, not mere assertion. Just because a politician says some-thing will be, doesn’t make it so. Even if that politician is the First Minister.

Questions about public sector pensions and benefits, the divi-sion of the UK’s liabilities and assets, whether a separate Scot-land could keep the pound or would have to join the Euro, all require answers based on facts. I don’t want Scotland to sepa-rate from the rest of the United Kingdom, but I do want people to have honest information to allow them to make their deci-sion. This must be a decision based on the reality of what a separate Scotland would mean for you, your family, your com-munity and your future. I will do as much as I can to ensure an honest debate takes place.

I thought I’d use my Regen article to update readers on the drift to the right by the Labour Party. In the last column, I noted that Labour were considering ending a range of free services, and that their “Cuts Commis-sion” had ruled nothing out. Since then, they have confirmed that, if they return to power, they will reintroduce prescription charges. They have also announced that they wish

to increase the Council Tax. Last time Labour charged the ill for medicine, families earning as little as £16,000 a year had to pay: 78,000 people in Glasgow were charged. They have also confirmed they are still considering introducing restrictions on the free bus pass, a benefit enjoyed by 1.2 million people across Scotland, and ending free personal and nursing care. This could impact on nearly

9,000 Glasgow families. This is hardly a demonstra-tion of a positive “Better Together” agenda, as Labour and the Tories seek to block Scotland becoming an independent country in the 2014 referendum. On a happier note, Scot-land’s Government con-tinues to make progress despite difficult times. On health, hospital-acquired infections are tumbling and waiting time targets are being improved; on law and order, homicide

rates are falling, and crime is generally at a 35-year low. However, we must continue to go further and do all we can. Locally, I continue to fight for our Remploy workers against UK Government plans either to close the factory or to sell it off to a new owner who will downsize staff and cut pay and conditions. I am also assisting a number of con-stituents in Sighthill to gain new housing when their homes are demolished to

make way for an athletes’ village for Glasgow’s 2018 Youth Olympics bid. I am pleased the Scottish Government is putting in 70% of the Games costs and funding hundreds of new-build rented homes for locals. I continue to work with many local community organisations and to hold surgeries across north Glasgow, and I would encourage any reader that needs assistance to get in touch.

President Barack Obama’s re-election this month is great news for progres-sives everywhere, for continued jobs growth in the US, and bodes well for the prospects of a peaceful resolution to looming foreign policy challenges over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and tensions in the South China Sea between China and Japan. Despite the spin from Number 10, President Obama’s victory is grue-some news for Conservatives the world over who believe modern electorates will buy greater inequality and tax cuts for the super rich as the medicine for a return to sustained economic growth in the wake of the Great Recession. And while the US has more than made up the lost out-put from the crash, in Britain, we have recovered only half, and stand nearly 4% below our pre-crash output. Top of US voters’ concerns, as here in Britain, are living standards. People won’t be persuaded there is a real economic recovery until they can feel it in their pay packets, and see it in the improved

quality of life of their work colleagues, neighbours and friends around them. In the first year of the Coalition Govern-ment, real wages for full-time workers in Scotland fell by 4%, just below the rate of decline across the UK of 4.5%, meaning that full-time workers in Scotland earn less than they did nine years ago in real terms. Similarly, disposable income has taken a major hit too. Electricity and gas bills have gone up by half over the last five years to an average of £1,310 a year, childcare costs have risen by half for many families in the last eighteen months. Tax credits helped keep house-holds afloat between 2003 and 2008, but with credit hard to come by, and Tory cuts to tax credits biting, the squeeze on lower and middle income households has been acute. Britain stands at a cross-roads - without a change in policy, peo-ple will be no better off in 2020 than in 2001, but with the right kind of reforms on pay, industrial policy and childcare, together with an uplift in our country’s

growth rate to 1.9% per year, people could be £1,600 better off per year by 2020, and the gap between rich and poor falling once again. In Parliament this week we held a debate on living standards, and Labour MPs voted to provide people with some short-term relief by postponing rises in fuel duty to April at the very earliest. There is no doubt that a short-term stim-ulus to consumer spending now through cuts in VAT would help restore growth to an economy which has been starved of it for a year, and is smaller now than at George Osborne’s comprehensive spending review of October 2010. But there are longer-term social trends that need decisive action too. As the growth rate has fallen, so ordi-nary workers receive a reduced share of a smaller pie. The Resolution Founda-tion’s Commission on Living Standards established in their recent report that just 12p in every £1 of growth gener-ated in Britain finds its way into the pay packets of workers in the lower half of the income scale, down by a quarter in just three decades. Low pay afflicts mil-lions in society, and costs the taxpayer £4bn in additional tax credit payments.

The median full-time worker’s wage in my constituency is only £325 a week. I recently raised with the Chief Secretary Danny Alexander in Treasury Questions that in Glasgow North East, three in ten workers, including half of the 10,000 part-time workers in the area, were on less than the new rate for the living wage of £7.45 an hour. Tackling low pay at source is much fairer than expecting the taxpayer to pick up the tab – the IFS have concluded that 70% of the benefit from the uplift in the personal tax al-lowance goes to people in the top, not the bottom half, of the income scale, and raising the annual personal income tax allowance to £12,500 would have cost £24bn in foregone revenue a year. Labour believes that government at all levels should be implementing a living wage in the public sector and through procurement contracts where it can, and the Low Pay Commission should have an expanded remit to advise on pay in those areas of the private sector where a living wage would work. Rising female employment rates were the biggest factor in increased house-hold living standards over the past four decades, but childcare costs remain a

massive barrier to as many as one mil-lion women, for whom work doesn’t pay because childcare is too costly or unavailable. Similarly, the Government should think again about its current design of Universal Credit to be rolled out next April, already over budget and off target, which could create disincentives to work for hundreds of thousands of women who are either lone parents or as part of a two-earner couple with children, who are effectively penalised if they work more than 15 hours a week. Raising skills levels and creating better quality jobs, particularly in manufactur-ing, could do huge amounts to raise liv-ing standards for low and middle earners too. The lesson from the US elections for the UK is that living standards are now front and centre of the political debate around kitchen tables in both countries. Voters won’t simply reward parties who will worsen inequality in a dash for growth - they recognise that sustained growth will only come from more fairly sharing its proceeds among those ordi-nary blue, green, and white collar work-ers who create it.

15November 2012

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ProgrammeThe Urban Fox

PUPILS PAINT THE PICTURE FOR ELDERLY

From Left Back Row – City Building Contract Manager William Dalziel, City Building Chair Cllr. Paul Carey, City Building Head of Construction and Design Jim Cooke, Cllr. Kelly, and Henry Gallagher, Construction Manager at City Building. From Left Front Row – Lucy Casey from St. Cuthbert’s Primary School, Julia Kania and Nathan Smith from St. Teresa’s, Priscilla Adupong from Saracen, and Jun Chen from Highpark.

PUPILS from St. Cuthbert’s, Sara-cen, St. Teresa’s and Highpark Pri-mary Schools in north Glasgow have completed a painting project to encourage them to think about caring for the elderly in their local community.

The winning entries Lucy Casey from St. Cuthbert’s Primary School, Priscilla Adupong from Saracen, Julia Kania and Nathan Smith from St. Te-resa’s and Jun Chen from Highpark.

It is hoped that the pictures will be displayed in new day care cen-tres and supported accommodation for the elderly being built by Glas-gow City Council in the Possilpark area of the city.

Pupils visited the construction site of the first day care centre at Bardowie Street in Possilpark, which

is situated near to their schools. The pupils were also asked to consider health and safety when doing their drawings.

City Building – Glasgow City Council’s arms-length construction company – has apprentices working on the Bardowie Street site.

Cllr Paul Carey, chair of City Build-ing, said: “Well done to all the chil-dren who took part: the standard of entries was very high. At City Building we want to engage with local communities of all different age groups. We want the children to have a good awareness of what’s going on near their schools and to think about health and safety as well as the elderly.”

Cllr Chris Kelly, from the Canal Ward, said: “The winners showed

real talent with the paintbrush as well as a thorough understanding of the issues raised by this initiative. The work at Bardowie Street is one of the biggest projects this part of Glasgow has seen so we are de-lighted to promote awareness in this way.”

City Building employs around 500 young people through its appren-ticeship programme, with many of them delivering services in kind to local primary schools, community facilities and other groups through its Apprentice Community Projects scheme.

The initiative enables apprentices to use their skills in painting, joinery and roofing to play a proactive part in improving the lives of their local communities.

“The Scottish weather is notoriously unpredictable and drivers can encounter a wide variety of different driv-ing conditions during a single journey. As was highlighted during the extreme weather encountered in recent years, effective planning plays a huge part in everyone getting safely to their destination.

“This campaign is not solely directed at motor-ists, but everyone using our roads. Unfortunately, I know from experience that pedes-trians, cyclists and joggers are involved in serious road accidents during the winter months.

“Police forces throughout the country will be working with various road safety groups and organisations to offer free ad-vice to road users. Local media should be checked for informa-tion.

“As the days become shorter and temperatures begin to drop, motorists should ensure that their vehicles are given a winter check and are properly main-tained. For cyclists, visibility is a key issue and they should ensure that they can be seen. Joggers and pedestrians are en-couraged to wear high visibility garments and think carefully about the routes chosen.

“I would encourage everyone to follow these simple safety guidelines which could prevent accidents and injury”.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill said: “Whether it’s at home, on the move, in the workplace or in communities, we all need to consider how we will cope in severe weather. I would encourage everyone to plan ahead, be prepared, always leave enough time for your journey and check the forecast before you leave.

“There is plenty of infor-mation and support available, online, including our new free mobile phone app, in the me-dia, and in our ACPOS endorsed Driving in Bad Weather leaflet. By thinking ahead and helping each other, we can all stay safe this winter.”

Road Safety Advice – Winter Conditions

During the winter months, road conditions can be extreme-ly difficult and dangerous. Mo-torists need to pay extra atten-tion and be prepared to adapt to changing conditions. Even the most experienced motorists can find themselves getting into dif-ficulties when the roads are icy. While it is usual to think about snow and ice during the winter months, there are a number of other factors which road users should take into account before considering or commencing a journey.

For example, high winds, heavy rain and fog all affect journey times and should be considered prior to setting out. The grip of a vehicle may be re-duced if mud, leaves and other debris are on the road surface. The sun sitting lower in the sky can be particularly difficult, es-pecially if combined with a dirty windscreen.

Our advice is to consider if your journey is absolutely nec-essary taking into account the prevailing weather and road

conditions and if you must drive then ensure that you and your car are adequately prepared for the journey ahead.

Before you set off on your journey:

It is vitally important to make sure your vehicle is adequately maintained and that brakes, tyres, lights, batteries, wind-screens and wiper blades are in good condition.

Tyres are the only point of contact with the road and if they are worn or incorrectly inflated then they have less grip and can significantly increase stopping distances in the event of an emergency.

Tyres should also be checked for bulges, cuts or tears which will weaken the tyre and po-tentially lead to a collision. The minimum legal tread depth is 1.6mm but this is the legal mini-mum and it must be remem-bered that tyres perform more efficiently with a greater depth of tread.

Windows including the wind-screen should be demisted and fully cleared of any frost, snow or ice.

Check that wiper blades are not worn and are capable of clearing the screen correctly.

Check brakes, lights, oil and washer fluid levels (add winter screen wash to your washer bottle to stop the water from freezing.)

Carry water and de-icer in the car with you.

Carry a few essentials in the car at all times, a warm winter jacket preferably a High Vis-ibility one could be a life saver, other items to consider are a torch, first aid box, a blanket, sturdy boots or Wellingtons and even some warm clothes.

If you must travel in wintry weather remember to:

Slow down and leave plenty of room to stop. You should al-low at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front.

Brake gently to avoid skid-ding. If your wheels lock, ease off the brakes.

Turn on your lights to in-crease your visibility to other motorists and always clear all ice and snow off the car win-dows before setting out.

Drive slowly on snow in the highest gear possible.

Do not assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

Visibility is often reduced because of fog, rain, spray, hail or snow. Remember to ensure that you use dipped headlights in periods of reduced visibil-ity. Fog lights can only be used

when visibility is seriously re-duced to less than 100 metres but must be switched off if vis-ibility improves.

If you get stuck in snow:Do not spin your wheels.

This will only dig you in deeper. Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.

Use a light touch on the ac-celerator to ease your car out.

Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.

Pour sand, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels – or even use your floor mats – to help get traction.

If you must leave your car, arrange to have it recovered as soon as possible. If you think it is in a place that may pose a danger to other road users, call the police to let them know.

Pedestrians, Joggers, CyclistsCyclists should ensure that

they have suitable lights on their bicycles, they wear reflec-tive fluorescent clothing and a cycle helmet.

Pedestrians and Joggers should where possible wear High Visibility clothing or bright-ly coloured clothing; this will al-low other road users to see you earlier.

Everyone using our roads should avoid any distraction devices and that includes using mobile phones and listening to excessively loud music through ear phones.

Further advice for joggers can be found on the Jog Scot-land website.

Children should also wear brightly coloured or reflective clothing as they will gener-ally be walking to school during darkness or reduced visibility.

Transport ScotlandTransport Scotland provides

comprehensive updates on road closures and weather condi-tions. The Transport Scotland website also includes links to webcams placed alongside ma-jor routes throughout Scotland, including the A720 (Edinburgh city bypass), the M8, M9 and the A68

InternetAs many people have access

to the internet, they are encour-aged to check on-line for advice relevant to them. Motoring or-ganisations, government web-sites, Jog Scotland and various sites dedicated to cycling, horse riding etc are available and pro-vide a wide range of advice and assistance.

Some useful web links are:-www.acpos.police.uk/road-

safetywww.trafficscotland.orgwww.readyscotland.org

ARE YOU READY FOR WINTER?

The police across Scotland are working closely with the Scottish Government, road operating compa-nies and other transport providers to ensure that

Scotland keeps moving throughout the winter.

Greg Cann, ng homes sports legacy co-ordinator has been busy working with partners to provide sports activities across North Glasgow, here’s what’s on:

Football Sessions with Partick Thistle & Glasgow City Womens FC:• 5-8/8-12years, Tuesdays 1600-1730 @ Possil Point Community Centre (130 Denmark St, G22 5LQ)• GIRLS_6-11years, Wednesdays 1600-1700 @ Petershill Park (28-30 Adamswell St, G21 4DD)• 5-8/8-12years, Fridays 1530-1730 @ Possil Point Community Centre (130 Denmark St, G22 5LQ)• MINI_3-6 years, Saturdays 1000-1100 @ Balgrayhill Hall (Balgrayhill Road, G21)

Multi SportsMultisport session for 7-12 year olds on Saturday mornings from 10am-12noon at the Springburn Football Centre in Springburn Park on Broomfield Road. Although football will be main session, there will be a chance to take part in some different activities throughout the next 4-5 weeks.

Gymnasticsng homes is working with Scottish Gymnastics and local club Storm Gymnastics, to deliver some gymnastics sessions starting Tuesday 20th November, the following sessions will run:• 3-6 years (Preschool), 1100-1200 @ Tron St Marys Church (128 Red Rd, G21 4PJ) • 3-6 & 7-12years, 1600-1700 & 1700-1800 @ Balgrayhill Hall (Balgrayhill Road, G21)

Table TennisWe are working in Springburn area to develop a Community Table Tennis club at Tron St Marys church (128 Red Road, G21 4PJ) for all ages & abilities, come along between 6pm & 8pm.

All activity is FREE OF CHARGE – to get more information or to book space(s) call Greg on 0141 6304254 or email [email protected] with name(s), age(s) & a contact number.

GET INVOLVED…ngsportslegacy is all about YOU & YOUR communities…as such we are always listening to

ideas and looking for help…if you want to discuss any aspect of sport & physical activity in Springburn/Possil, or would like to get more involved - please call 0141 6304254 or email [email protected]. Full support will be given and all ideas considered!

Re-GEN NORTH

No.1 for Local Sports Coverage

To advertise in the Re-GEN, call Karen on 0141 773 0574. For news stories and general information, call George on 0141 771 7039.The Re-GEN is produced by Re-Gen Newspaper Limited. Use or reproduction of any information or images in The Re-GEN is not permitted without written consent of publishers.

This publication is designed and printed by Athena Design & Print. Tel: 01698 803909.

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GLASGOW CITY F.C. CELEBRATE TITLE SUCCESSGlasgow City picked up the SWPL trophy today after a Champions performance against Aberdeen which saw Scotland’s top side score 11 second half goals to beat Aberdeen 12-0 at Petershill Park. With Captain Rachel Corsie out injured, Vice Captain Leanne Ross took the armband for the day and delivered a leader’s performance with four well taken goals early in the second half to add to Emma Fernon’s first half strike. Further goals from Julie Melrose and Danica Dalziel were added to by a brace from substitute Jane Ross and goals for other City subs Jo Love, Eilish McSorley and Emma Mitchell. Glasgow City and Scotland full back Emma Fernon, receiving her sixth successive Premier League medal today and the only City player to have won all seven Championships in total with the club, put the Champions ahead with a sublime curling shot into the top corner just after the half hour mark. Minutes into the second half and Leanne Ross scored her first and her side’s second of the day as she rounded Lauren Sangster in the Aberdeen nets after receiving a pass from Danica Dalziel. Julie Melrose slotted past the Aberdeen keeper soon after to make it 3-0 before Leanne Ross cleverly chipped Sangster to score her side’s fourth goal after 57

minutes. Less than a minute later Ross got her hat-trick as she brilliantly dummied her way past the Dons keeper when through on goal to score into the back of the empty net after getting on the end of an excellent pass from Ciara Barnes. Eilish McSorley, who had come on for the injured Ashley McDonald in the first half, headed home number six as she met a Jane Ross cross. On 66 minutes Jane Ross was provider once more, this time making her way to the by-line before cutting the ball back for Leanne Ross to side foot into the corner of the net. Emma Mitchell who replaced Julie Melrose midway through the second half fired home number eight after rounding the goalkeeper. Danica Dalziel tapped in number nine after another set up by Jane Ross before Ross herself scored with a fantastic curling shot into the top corner. The City top goalscorer netted number eleven firing into the back of the net after a good Leanne Crichton pass and Jo Love finished off a great day for the Champions as she lifted the ball over Sangster to make it Glasgow City 12 – 0 Aberdeen. Commenting on the win, City Head Coach Eddie Wolecki Black said, “I am delighted with the performance today, especially in the second half. It was really pleasing

to see that the girls worked on the things we discussed at half time and the areas to exploit. In the second half we gave a real Championship winning performance and it is a real credit to the players that they performed like that. They moved the ball really well and with a higher tempo in the second half and we got our rewards for that. The season is however not over and we are still focused on our last League match and of course the Scottish Cup Final where we will be going all out to win the treble.”

SWPL P W D L F A D PTS

Glasgow City 20 19 0 1 141 10 131 57Celtic 20 14 0 6 74 19 55 42Hibernian 20 14 0 6 78 31 47 42Forfar Farmington 20 13 2 5 47 23 24 41Spartans 20 7 3 10 41 49 -8 24Aberdeen 20 5 1 14 18 91 -73 16Hamilton Accies 19 8 6 5 58 40 18 30Hutchison Vale 20 9 3 8 61 64 -3 30Rangers 20 7 4 9 48 37 11 25Falkirk 20 6 2 12 33 69 -36 20Inverness 20 4 3 13 36 84 -48 15Kilmarnock 19 0 2 17 18 136 -118 2

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