News

Carina Taylor hails from Dunoon and, despite leaving the town to work and study in Glasgow, she has returned to her hometown to teach at Kirn Primary School. “I always knew I wanted to come back to Dunoon to be close to my family, but also to have the community feeling that I missed in Glasgow,” she said. “Argyll and Bute is a place where you feel part of something that is not just school wide but community wide.  I knew that I wanted to bring up my two children here.

Tha dà phròiseact ann an Earra Ghàidheal is Bòd air àite a chosnadh am-bliadhna air geàrr-liosta nan duaisean cliùiteach Quality Improvement Awards. ThaQuality Improvement Faculty aig Comhairle Earra Ghàidheal is Bhòid agus NHS na Gàidhealtachd air ainmeachadh air geàrr-liosta na duais Toraidhean a rèir Sgèile, agus a’ bhuidheann Argyll and Bute GIRFEC/Quality Improvement air àite fhaighinn air an liosta airson Duais Sgioba le a dhòigh-obrach mu choinneimh Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC).

Argyll and Bute Council CEO Cleland Sneddon is moving on to a new role. We are disappointed to lose Cleland after almost 10 years of dedicated service to the people of Argyll and Bute. He moves on to South Lanarkshire Council with our very best wishes and thanks for his work. The search for a new Chief Executive Officer for Argyll and Bute Council is underway. ---

We have received reports of suspected blue-green algae at the foreshore around the Lodge on the Loch area at Luss, Loch Lomond. Please be vigilant and check whether there are signs of blue-green algae growth in the water or around the shoreline. Where there is evidence of this, it would be sensible to avoid swimming or other water-based activities like canoeing or water skiing. Make sure that pets don’t drink or enter the water. Further advice is available on our website.

Two projects in Argyll and Bute have been shortlisted for this year’s prestigious Quality Improvement Awards. The Quality Improvement Faculty by Argyll and Bute Council and NHS Highland has been shortlisted for the Achieving Results at Scale Award, whilst the Argyll and Bute GIRFEC/Quality Improvement group is up for the Team Award for its approach to Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC).

A striking new exhibit has been unveiled at Helensburgh’s Outdoor Museum – paying tribute to 32 men who died when the K13 submarine sank in the Gareloch in 1917 and the remarkable rescue of 48 survivors. Members of the West of Scotland branch of the Submariners Association were joined in Colquhoun Square by representatives from Argyll and Bute Council and the Royal Navy for the unveiling of the bronze artwork, which includes details on the tragedy and the rescue efforts which saved 48 lives.

Kevin Walker Butchers in Kilcreggan has won two awards at the 2019 Scottish Craft Butchers awards. The butcher, based on Shore Road in Kilcreggan, won the Gold Award for their Traditional Steak Pie, as well as a Silver Award for their Mince Round. More than 280 pies from throughout the country were tested for appearance, flavour, filling and appeal. The panel of judges included experts, food writers and interested consumers and the event is organised by the Scottish Federation of Meat Traders in conjunction with John Scott Meat Ltd and William Sword Ltd.

Chris Doxsey relocated from Accrington to Argyll and Bute when he was offered a job as a PE teacher at Campbeltown Grammar School. “When I saw the post advertised I looked up the area online and couldn’t believe how beautiful it was,” he said. “I knew straight away it would be the perfect place to work and raise my children.” The 35 year old has been living in Campbeltown for seven years and hasn’t looked back.

Four projects in Argyll and Bute will share a total of more than £100,000 from Education Scotland to help deliver inspirational teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)subjects. Rothesay Joint Campus, Dunoon Grammar School, Port Ellen Primary and the Dunoon Digital Hub have all been awarded funding from the ‘Enhancing Professional Learning in STEM Programme’.

More than 6000 premises in the Helensburgh and Lomond area have been connected to the new hybrid fibre broadband network over the last six years thanks to the Scottish Government’s Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme. And 65% of those premises have taken up the service, compared to 55% elsewhere in Scotland, showing that there is a real demand for digital infrastructure here in Argyll and Bute. The majority of the 6181 premises which have been connected can access Superfast Broadband with speeds greater than 30Mbps.