Presentation to Dundee Floral Art Society

Later this afternoon, I was delighted to participate in a presentation to Dundee Floral Art Society who have received a welcome donation from Barney’s Fund, to be put towards the cost of arranging a floral display as part of the Commonwealth Games. 

 

There are 56 clubs in Scotland taking part to put together a beautiful arrangement inside the Glasgow Cathedral based on the theme of roots, shoots and fruits.   This will showcase the heritage and traditions of the local area by focusing on Jute, Jam and Journalism as the roots.  The shoots will represent members of the local community who have gone to explore all areas of the world and the fruits will signify local achievements and cultures.

 

The Barney’s Fund committee as always is very keen to support local groups and charities and Dundee Floral Art Society are a great example of this, demonstrating the talent and community spirit of the local area.    

 

Dundee Floral Art Society is a member of the Scottish Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (SAFAS) and recently celebrated the 57th year as a club. They currently have 109 members who meet every 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Queens Hotel in Dundee. The society promotes the idea of friendship through flowers with hands-on workshops and demonstrations where members learn new skills. Dundee Floral Art Society also takes part in local events such as the Flower and Food Festival and gives back to the community by running a flower rota at Roxburghe House. 

 

Glasgow Cathedral will be open in full bloom on the 23rd and 24th of July for members of the public to visit the wonderful displays by the local clubs from all over Scotland. Dundee Floral Art Society will have their section in Blackadder Isle of the Cathedral, embracing local heritage and achievements which will be a must see. Barney’s Fund is extremely proud to support this local group who will represent our local community on such a grand stage and continue to bring members of our society together through their love of all plant material.

 

Applications for Barney’s Fund donations are currently being sought.   Local voluntary, community and charitable groups wishing to apply should send an application letter to Barney’s Fund Committee, Barnetts Motor Group, Riverside Drive, DD2 1UG or email barneys@barnettsmotorgroup.co.uk by 31st July 2014.

From left – Andrew McBride and Sandra Myles (both Barney’s Fund Committee), Mabel Murdoch (Floral Art Society), myself, Joan McMurray and Pauline Andrews (both Floral Art Society) and Laura Hutt (Barney’s Fund Committee)

 

Visit to The Brae

The beautiful ponies at the Brae Riding for the Disabled are looking particularly well groomed today after receiving a donation of new grooming kits from Barney’s Fund.     Along with two of my Barney’s Fund committee colleagues, we had the pleasure of attending a presentation and photocall at The Brae at lunchtime today – see below:

Over the last 2 years, Barney’s Fund committee have been supporting local groups and charities who demonstrate an active role in fundraising for their group.  The Brae is a fine example of a community based initiative and since they opened their doors 5 years ago over 120 people from the disabled community have been able to ride to their level of ability in a fun and encouraging environment.  A rolling waiting list is testament to the centre’s popularity and also ensures that everyone in the disabled community, young and old, has the opportunity to experience the wide ranging benefits from specially structured riding and carriage driving sessions.  

 

The centre thrives thanks to the help of over 120 volunteers of all ages and walks of life.  The centre’s youngest volunteer is only 14 and the oldest is an impressive 91!  They do tireless fundraising activities as well as help deliver the riding and carriage driving sessions and carry out day to day horse and centre maintenance.  

 

Having visited the centre, I pointed out the far reaching benefit for the disabled riders and their families and the excellent community spirit of local volunteers who are more than happy to give up their own time to participate in the centre’s activities. 

 

“With much needed donation of funds such as the Barney’s Fund donation we can continue to provide a wonderful experience for 700 disabled people living in the Dundee and surrounding areas” said Brae Centre Manager, Mary Sneddon. 

 

If you would like to enquire about lessons at the Brae, make a donation or if you are interested in volunteering please visit their website at www.brae.org.uk  

 

Applications for Barney’s Fund donations are always welcome. Please send an application letter to Barney’s Fund Committee, Barnetts Motor Group, Riverside Drive, Dundee, DD2 1UG or email barneys@barnettsmotorgroup.co.uk. 

Tuesday meetings …

Yesterday, I attended the latest meeting of the Jericho House Support Group, the team that help support fundraising and other initiatives for Jericho House that does vital work to assist people with alcohol dependency problems.

 

We had an extremely positive meeting, with an update from Claire Bee who is leading the group of Jericho House service users, staff and others including young people, who are to be presenting their play “Broken Puzzle” at the Steps Theatre on Saturday 27th April.     We also discussed other possible fundraising events for 2013.

 

Thereafter, I had a useful discussion with trades union representatives about the forthcoming City Council budget meeting on Thursday and then chaired a meeting of the Barney’s Fund committee, the charity fund established by Barnett’s Motor Group.    In our first tranche of applications for 2013, we had a large number of submissions and were able, after detailed discussion, able to select three very worthy charitable causes for funding awards.

 

Yesterday evening, I attended the latest meeting of West End Community Council, at which a number of local issues and concerns were discussed.

Barney’s Fund helps sheltered tenants enjoy Christmas

Yesterday, along with other representatives from local charity Barney’s Fund, established by Barnetts Motor Group, we presented a cheque for £250 to assist the sheltered housing residents of Sinderins Court and Pennycook Court enjoy a Christmas Party to remember.

Pictured above are Andy McBride (Chair, West End Community Council), Sarah Lewis (Home Scotland Scheme Manager), Louise McKenzie (Barnetts Motor Group) and myself as Chair of Barney’s Fund at the cheque presentation.

It was great to see all the residents having a super Christmas Party and we are pleased that Barney’s Fund was able to help with the festivities – see below:

Barney’s Fund looking for new applications!

Earlier today, I had the pleasure of chairing the Barney’s Fund committee, the charity set up by local business Barnetts Motor Group to help worthy causes in the local area.

We are looking for new applications from local charities and good causes – more details from our news release below:

NEWS RELEASE :   Local charity Barney’s Fund looking for new applications

Local charities, community groups and worthwhile local projects are set to receive a boost to their fundraising efforts towards the end of this year with the help of Barnetts Motor Group’s Barney’s Charity Fund.  

The Barney’s Fund Committee are now accepting applications for its second 2012 tranche of awards and would like to invite local charities, community groups or projects to apply for a small donation or grant to help support their existing fundraising efforts.

Barney’s Fund Committee’s Chairperson Cllr Fraser Macpherson said “We remain keen to support groups or charities who demonstrate an active role in worthwhile community based projects or events and are looking for applications to include some background information, details of any upcoming events and current fundraising efforts as well as future plans.  

“We have already made awards to local good causes and the fund is keen to help more charitable activities through its new tranche of awards at the end of November, so I would urge local groups to apply.”

Please send an application letter to Barney’s Fund Committee, Barnetts Motor Group, Riverside Drive, Dundee, DD2 1UG or email barneys@barnettsmotorgroup.co.uk. The closing date for applications is 30th November 2012.  

CONTACTS:

Carole Phillips, Barnetts Motor Group

Direct Line: 01382 647842

Email: carole@barnettsmotorgroup.co.uk 

Cllr Fraser Macpherson

Councillor for the West End

Office : 01382 434985 – Home : 01382 459378

Barney’s Fund – one year old!

To mark the first anniversary of the launch of Barney’s Charity Fund,  the committee members were keen to visit one of the most recent recipients of the fund – Starter Packs – at their premises in Taymill in the West End yesterday.  

Registered Scottish Charity, Starter Packs Dundee has helped over 5 000 families and young people through the transition of being homeless, in hostels or temporary accommodation to having a home of their own – by supplying essential starter packs containing household items such as bedding, pots and pans, towels etc.  

This worthwhile cause plays such an important part in the local community and it is great to see that vulnerable people in the area can get back on their feet, thanks to the work of the project.    The volunteers are lovely, committed folk and it was very good to see their work first-hand.

Barney’s Fund is keen to support local groups or charities who demonstrate an active role in worthwhile community based projects or events and we are once again looking for applications to apply for a small donation or grant to help support their existing fundraising efforts in 2012.

If you wish to apply to Barney’s Fund in 2012, please send an application letter to the Barney’s Fund Committee, Barnetts Motor Group, Riverside Drive, Dundee, DD2 1UG – or email barneys@barnettsmotorgroup.co.uk. The closing date for applications is 30th June 2012.  

If you would like to make a donation to Starter Packs, if you have unwanted items or would like to make a cash donation please call Starter Packs, Dundee on 223977. The goods that are most needed are towels, curtains, duvet covers and large plates.

Barney’s Fund food parcels donation for Christmas

Today, along with others on the Barney’s Charity Fund committee and volunteers from the Discovery Food Programme, I took part in a photocall to mark the handover of a donation of food packs to this excellent charity.   Here’s a couple of photos and the news release from Barney’s Charity Fund :

The group with the food parcel donation

Us sorting out the food parcels Discovery Food Programme has received a welcome boost from Barnetts Motor Group’s “Barney’s Charity Fund” with a donation of around 75 food packs to help provide emergency food relief to individuals and families experiencing financial hardship in Dundee. Barney’s Fund committee member, Sandra Myles, was very keen to brief the rest of the committee on Discovery Food Programme’s urgent requirement for support over the festive period.   “With such a worthwhile cause the committee had no hesitation is supporting their plea for emergency food packs and with the addition of a few Christmas puddings and selection boxes we hope to bring some festive cheer to those in need.” said chairperson Cllr Fraser Macpherson.  Registered Scottish Charity, Discovery Food Programme has assisted over 4,400 men, women and children in 1,437 households over the past year.  However they are still in great need of assistance to continue providing this emergency food relief to those in need.  Anyone can make a donation whether it’s a bag of pasta, boxes of cereal or indeed a cash donation, the Discovery Food Programme Team would be delighted to discuss how you can help simply contact them on 222372.

West End Christmas Week Brochure launch!

The West End Christmas Week Brochure rolled off the presses at local printer Urban Print on Perth Road yesterday afternoon and a number of us were present to see the brochure launched.    A download of the full brochure will be available at www.dundeewestend.com shortly!

Barney’s Fund, the charitable fund established by Barnetts Motor Group, is kindly sponsoring the West End Community Fayre on Saturday and it was great to welcome Barnetts’ representatives to the photocall yesterday, along with some of the Christmas Week committee members who could manage along :

Above from left :  Susan Sherriff of Barnetts Motor Group, Andrew McBride, Chair of West End Community Council, Rev Andrew Greaves of Dundee West Church, yours truly, Frank Urban of Urban Print and Carole Phillips of Barnetts Motor Group.

Barney’s Fund – Presentation to Friends of Balgay

As reported in this morning’s Courier, yesterday afternoon, I have the pleasure of presenting a cash award of £150 from Barney’s Fund to Dr Hilda Spear, Chair of the Friends of Balgay, to help the group with its excellent project to replant the historic Rose Window at the park.

The photograph below is of my presenting the award to Hilda, with Barney’s Fund committee members and representatives from Friends of Balgay looking on.    Below the photograph is the Barney’s Fund news release on the event.

The Friends of Balgay are the first of many to receive a donation from the newly formed Barney’s Charity Fund.  Barney’s committee members will present the much needed funds to help restore the historic Rose Window in Balgay Park at 2pm on Wednesday 2nd November. 

The Friends of Balgay started off as small local group dedicated to preserving and improving the amenities of Balgay Park and now with almost one hundred members, they have completed many successful projects including the removal of through traffic to the park.  Amongst the parks many historic artefacts, the Rose Window from the Church of St Mary’s gutted by fire in 1841 was embedded in the earth on the slope of the south side of the hill in 1873. For the past 10 years the group have planted it twice per year but it was recently earmarked to be removed and preserved elsewhere.  However, after much discussion, Historic Scotland, Archaeology Scotland and the Museum agreed that the Rose Window should stay where it is on the basis that the Friends of Balgay clear the window, replenish the soil with an alpine friendly supplement and plant it with long-lasting alpines to avoid further disruption to the stones of the window.

Barney’s Fund is delighted to assist this local community group in another successful project at Balgay Park. This particular project also helps to protect something of historical importance and the members have worked hard to convince other interested parties that the Rose Window should stay where it is.  Friends of Balgay Chairman, Dr Hilda Spear, said “We are very much looking forward to its restoration as an attractive flower bed in the park with the help of Barney’s Fund”.

Barney’s Charity Fund Latest

Last month, I mentioned the launch of Barney’s Fund from Barnetts Motor Group.

Here’s the latest press release about the fund that gives details of how to apply for funding :

Local charities, community groups and worthwhile local projects are set to receive a boost to their fundraising efforts this year with the help of Barnetts Motor Group’s new Barney’s Charity Fund. 

The Barney’s Fund Committee are now accepting applications and would like to invite local charities, community groups or projects to apply for a small donation or grant to help support their existing fundraising efforts in 2011. 

Barney’s Fund Committee’s Chairperson Councillor Fraser Macpherson said “We are keen to support groups or charities who demonstrate an active role in worthwhile community based projects or events and are looking for applications to include some background information, details of any upcoming events and current fundraising efforts as well as future plans.”

Please send an application letter to Barney’s Fund Committee, Barnetts Motor Group, Riverside Drive, Dundee, DD2 1UG or email barneys@barnettsmotorgroup.co.uk. The closing date for applications is 5^th August 2011. 

ENDS

 

CONTACTS:

Carole Phillips, Barnetts Motor Group

Direct Line: 01382 647842

Email: carole@barnettsmotorgroup.co.uk

 

Cllr Fraser Macpherson

Councillor for the West End

Office : 01382 434985 – Home : 01382 459378

Barney’s Fund Launch

At the end of March, I mentioned that I had agreed to chair the Barney’s Fund Charity Committee, set up by local business Barnetts Motor Group to help worthy causes in the West End of the city.

As reported in tonight’s Evening Telegraph, this morning we had a photocall to launch the charity committee.   Along with representatives of Barnetts Motor Group, including Paul Barnett, Group Chairman, I am pictured below with Sandra Myles, Chair of the Community Spirit Action Group (second right) :