51�Թ����App

  We enter this festive season having experienced a year like no other. The year has brought significant challenges to the people of 51�Թ����App and Bute and many have been affected by this pandemic with the loss of loved ones and my thoughts and wishes are with them at this special time of year.

People with a PA21 postcode are being invited to apply for funding from the Lamont Bequest Fund. The original bequest was ‘to be distributed to the poor of Kilfinan’ but, due to significant changes in society since then, the bequest needed to be updated to take account of these. At a meeting of the Bute and Cowal Area Committee, members agreed the updated bequest terms and eligibility criteria that must be met before applications will be considered.

The Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group is seeking new members. The group, which forms a sub group of the 51�Թ����App and Bute Community Planning Partnership, is made up of public, third and private sector members, as well as community organisations and partnerships that have an interest in the future of Bute and Cowal. The role of the Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group is to:

A series of savings options will be considered by the Council when it sets its budget in February 2021. The Council has to prepare to meet an estimated funding gap of more than £6 million in 2021/22. At its meeting yesterday, the Policy and Resources Committee considered an update on work to find ways to raise income, make efficiencies, and identify possible savings options.

A new film celebrates the transformation of Campbeltown following investment of £13 million that has significantly improved the appearance and vibrancy of the town. The Campbeltown Regeneration project is shortlisted for the 2020 SURF Awards for ‘Scotland’s most improved place’   51�Թ����App and Bute Council has produced the film as part of the judging process for the awards. The film can be viewed on the council’s website.   Councillor Alastair Redman, Policy Lead for Business, Regeneration and Commercial Development:  

The pupils of Rhu Primary School have joined the fight against climate change by planting 420 saplings as their contribution to offset their carbon footprints. The whole school project, led by teacher Miriam Walker, enabled every child to plant at least one tree in and around the local community. The Woodland Trust provided a grant for the trees and species including rowan, birch, hawthorn, crab apple, oak, willow and dogwood.

Turning 51�Թ����App and Bute’s £50 million rural growth deal into action for the area took another step forward today, with the Policy and Resources Committee agreeing to invest £150,000 in developing project business cases. With £50 million secured from the UK and Scottish Governments, the next step will be to agree ‘heads of terms’ with both governments. This will set out the ways in which the funding will be used for 51�Թ����App and Bute.

Partnership working is highlighted as key to 51�Թ����App and Bute’s recovery from the impact of covid-19, in an action plan agreed today. The 51�Թ����App and Bute Recovery Action Plan outlines key themes for action to support the area in moving on from the pandemic and shaping the ‘new normal’. These themes include:

What makes 51�Թ����App and Bute a great place to learn and teach? Who better to ask than our Chief Education Officer, Anne Paterson, who’s retiring after nearly four decades teaching in the area.  How long have you worked in education in 51�Թ����App and Bute? I began working in January 1982 in Park Primary School as a brand new teacher, so almost 39 years. What roles have you held?

Pupils in secondary schools across 51�Թ����App and Bute are delivering top marks for exam performance according to new figures released by the Council’s Community Services Committee. The latest Education Performance Data Analysis for 2020 shows that schools in the area achieved excellent results which outperformed national averages. Figures for 51�Թ����App and Bute this year show that:  ·  National 4 results are above the national average by 9.1% ·  National 5 results are above the national average by 2.5%