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  • Garvald Shelter

    Message from Penny Short,
    Champion for Children & Young People, Haddington & Lammermuir Area Partnership:

    Following consultation and the overwhelmingly positive response from villagers regarding installing a shelter in the park, I submitted an application to the Haddington and Lammermuir Area Partnership for funding and this was recently approved.  I am delighted to let you know that the shelter will be installed very soon.

    As you will be aware, the shelter will be installed, maintained and looked after by the Council’s Amenity Services and its location and design was largely dictated by Amenity Services to fit in best with the play park and surrounding area.  Ideally I would have liked a door on it and perhaps comfier seating but health and safety regulations meant that this was not possible – however it will still be an excellent shelter/haven for those in need.  It will have a motion sensor light (as we know it can get very dark in the park in winter) which will only go on if someone is using the shelter and I am still in discussions to organise wi-fi which will  be very useful.

    As initially proposed it will be built principally to be used by our young people as a social space and to recognise that they are a very valuable part of our community and it is important that their needs are met and their voices are heard. But of course it is hoped that the shelter will be used by all villagers, young and not so young, and I know that everyone will, as always, use it responsibly and considerately bearing in mind the close proximity of houses to the public park.  I hope this will be a great asset to the village and that everyone will enjoy using it.

  • Burns Supper at the Garvald Inn

    Burns Supper this Saturday…

  • Gorilla Gardening

    Bulb planting reminder – calling all volunteers to help plant them along the path in the park.
    We will be planting this Saturday 28th 10-12noon.  Many hands make light work (oh and please bring a spade)!

  • Gorilla Gardening – Sun 22nd, Sat 28th January

    Bulb planting is ON for the next two weekends…!

    The bulbs have arrived and are sprouting – so calling all volunteers to help with planting them along the path in the park. We will be planting this Sunday 22nd 2-4pm and the following Saturday 28th 10-12noon.

    Many hands make light work (oh and please bring a spade)!

    Jo (685)

  • Garvald School

    Received a message from Bill Anderson which may be of interest to you all… Hoping he’ll send on some more historical photos to go on the website Gallery.

    Hi there,
    I have just found your web site and thought I would get in touch, our dad was John Anderson who was headmaster of the two teacher Garvald Primary through the 1950’s until the late 1960’s, when we moved to Rosewell. I was brought up in Garvald at the school house from 1953 until 1968 and it was a wonderful place to grow up in at that time of innocence. Sadly our dad passed away in September 2015 at the grand age of 96 and my twin brother may have some photos of Garvald school that may be of interest to you.
    Bill

  • Gorilla Gardening in Garvald

    Bring a spade…Gorilla gardening in Garvald

    With proceeds from last year’s Village Show, Garvald Horticultural Society has bought (through East Lothian Council at our request), 2000 crocus and daffodil bulbs for the park. All we need to do now is plant them! The Council will shortly mark out the areas for planting along the path, then its all hands on deck. With circa 200 population – that’s 10 bulbs per person!

    We anticipate planting late January – snow/permafrost etc permitting – for first full display next Spring (although if the weather stays mild we may get a few blooms this year from the daffs).

    Watch this space for the time and date. Any questions – call Jo (685)

  • CitizenAID app

    Message from Sandy Baptie, Emergency Planning and Risk Manager, East Lothian Council.

    The CitizenAID  free smartphone/tablet app gives advice on how the public can take immediate action following, or during a terrorist attack/incident. It offers advice on what to do and also offers some basic advice on how to deal with injuries that may result from such an attack/incident. It also offers information on what to do on discovering a suspect bomb and the immediate actions to take after a bomb has exploded. Thankfully, it is not likely you will ever require to use the information, but the view ‘better to be prepared for any unexpected event’ is one I preach and follow! This app has been given considerable media coverage. More information is given below and on the CitizenAID website.

    CitizenAID

    Why not start 2017 with a resolution to be prepared? Simply download the free citizenAID App from either Google Play or the Apple App Store.

    The citizenAID App will reduce the anxiety from difficult decision making in an unfamiliar situation. Follow the logical steps to do the right things in the right order. Stay safe and help us… to help you… to save lives.

    The citizenAID app is free to the UK public and is designed initialy for use in the UK. Access is left open internationally for the wider public good, but recognising there is detail that relates only to the UK (such as emergency service phone number). Additional country versions will be developed dependent on demand.

  • Garvald Art Show 2017

    Message from Tim Flynn:

    It’s a while since our last Art Show and some old hands wonder if we have enough new/replacement artists in the area to enable a worthwhile exhibition this year. Traditionally November time, but other or better dates aren’t ruled out. These shows are commercial; run and financed by the artists themselves, attracting favourable rates for village hall hire. We have found that a show inspires artists to stir their (pencil) stumps, stretch their canvases and get arting – painting, carving, ceramics, tapestry, possibly even a photo section, and so on, as long it’s high quality. If you are, or know of, a local area artist who would like to get involved please, in the first instance, contact Tim Flinn at Beech Cottage or use the contact form and your message will be sent through to him.

  • Proposed Youth Shelter in Garvald

    Message from Penny Short:

    The Haddington and Lammermuir Area Partnership wish to provide more places for young people to hang out both in Haddington and within the rural communities in the area. There is an inequality in the provision of social/recreational facilities of children and young people between the rural villages and those living in the town centre. As Champion of Children and Young People I have been tasked to consult local people about this proposal and I would be very grateful if you could take the time to read the information below and let me know your thoughts and views.

    Why Install a Youth Shelter?

    Young people mature by socialising and learning to relate to each other, away from direct adult supervision. Responsible and caring communities are beginning to cater for this vulnerable and impressionable age group by providing for their basic social need of a “safe place of our own to meet friends”. Purpose built heavy duty outdoor seating, generally referred to as Youth Shelters, are increasingly being asked for by teenagers and provided by the communities of which they are part of.

    Mental health problems affect about 1 in 10 children and young people. The Mental Health Foundation advise that things that can help keep children and young people mentally well can include:

    • having time and the freedom to play, indoors and outdoors
    • feeling loved, trusted, understood, valued and safe
    • being interested in life and having opportunities to enjoy themselves
    • having a sense of belonging in their family, school and community
    • feeling they have some control over their own life

    Providing an “always open” youth shelter is a highly visible demonstration of a commitment by the community to include and cater for the needs of young people. They provide opportunities for 12-16 year olds to socialise and relate to each other. The structure would be designated as a “Youth Shelter” but of course could be used by people of any age including young children and parents of kids playing in the park if the weather is inclement.

    Location

    Garvald is one of the most remote villages in the Haddington & Lammermuir area, with no public transport. There are currently 22 high school-aged kids in the wider Garvald area with 12 based in the village. If these young people are feeling isolated or wish to socialise with people their own age in a relaxed atmosphere away from parental supervision, they have currently nowhere to go that doesn’t require them to be physically taken there, usually by parents. There is no safe and sheltered area in Garvald where kids can just escape for some breathing space. The park in Garvald is an ideal location for this pilot because of its central location in the village and its large size which means the shelter would not be sited near any homes.

    Design of Shelter

    I looked at a number of designs of but prices quoted were around £15,000 for a basic shelter and none were visually attractive. After speaking to Amenity Services regarding the standard youth shelters available on the market, a suggestion was made that Amenity Services would design, make and install the shelter for around £5,000. The construction would consist of steel poles with specially produced boards which are durable and resistant with a life-time guarantee and with no maintenance required. The boards are designed to look like wood panels and the sheIter would have a natural ‘rustic’ look. The proposed shelter is not large and would be sympathetically designed to fit in with the play park equipment already in the park. It would be covered by the Council’s insurance and maintained by the Council. I am also looking at installing wi-fi in the shelter (at no extra cost).

    Please let me have your responses by 17 January 2017. Thank you.

    Penny Short

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    • GMCC December 2016 meeting minutes now available

      The minutes from the December 2016 meeting of Garvald and Morham Community Council are now available on the GMCC page. Among the items discussed were new Community Council members, Crystal Rig Funding and the work of the Local Area Partnership.

      The next CC meeting will be on Monday 6th February (7pm, Garvald Village Hall).