village news

Friends Of Howwood Park

Friends of Howwood Park organised some events over the last couple of months. Easter Scavenger Hunt - 2nd April

Each child who found the Easter Bunny’s name - made up of 10 letters which were hidden around the park - was rewarded with an Easter Egg. A good time was had by all, on what was a lovely sunny day. Litter Pick - Sunday 11th April

Two large green bags were filled, albeit this did include litter from nearby surrounding areas including Midton Road, Beith Road and the Rhombus Garden. Our thanks go to Rachel, Alexander, Elish, Gayle, Hazel, Martin, Norma and Craig who helped out on the day.

Did you know...

...that the green picnic tables and benches at Howwood Park are made from recycled milk cartons - and lots of them! Howwood Park has 6 recycled plastic picnic tables and 3 recycled plastic benches. Between them, they are made out of 21,305 milk cartons. That is 21,305 less milk cartons going to landfill, and 21,305 milk cartons possibly ending up in our oceans.

e: info@advertizer.co.uk | www.advertizer.co.uk | May/June 2021 13 Friends of Howwood Park aim to bring pavilion back to life

An unused pavilion in Howwood Public Park could be brought back to life for the local community as councillors get set to a consider an application for a Community Asset Transfer. Friends of Howwood Park are seeking to take over the pavilion on a 10-year lease, with the aim of refurbishing it and bringing it back into community use. What’s planned? They plan to carry out a full refurbishment of the building, as well as adding a disabled toilet and baby changing area. Once complete, the group are aiming for it to be used as a changing facility for local teams using the adjacent football pitch, which has also been brought back into use, and as a social hub for parkgoers, such as local walking groups and youth clubs. The group have already transformed the play park in Howwood Park with new, inclusive play equipment including new swings, a zip slide, roundabout, climbing frame and bike ramps, assisted by a £50,000 award from the Council’s Green Spaces, Parks and Play Areas and Villages Investment Fund - and visitors numbers have significantly increased. What are people saying? Gillian Whyte, Friends of Howwood Park, said: “During the pandemic, Howwood Park has been a phenomenal asset for the village, as it has provided a great space for children to meet up and play, for adults to connect with other adults in a safe environment, and for outdoor exercise. “The re-opening of the pavilion will take this surge in use to another level as it will attract even more people to the park on a regular basis. Once Coronavirus restrictions allow, it will provide a place from where light refreshments can be bought, a toilet facility, a baby changing facility, storage space for equipment which we can use to hold events, and a base for local groups to meet, including local football teams. It will open a host of new opportunities for activities at Howwood Park”. The park has also benefitted from council investment in the drainage system, new paths and fencing around the perimeter. If their application is successful, the group plan to apply to Renfrewshire Council’s Community Empowerment Fund to support the refurbishment of the pavilion. Councillor Cathy McEwan, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “We’re always keen to support and empower local people where possible and I look forward to the application for a Community Asset Transfer being considered by the board.” For more information on community empowerment in Renfrewshire, including funding opportunities, visit https://www.renfrewshire. gov.uk/communityempowerment

New cycle route between Bridge of Weir and Houston

Cyclists will soon have a safe, dedicated way to travel from Bridge of Weir to Houston as work on a new cycle route gets set to begin. Beginning at the park near the entrance to Bridge of Weir, the route will see the existing pavement resurfaced and adapted into a shared use route for pedestrians and cyclists, with a new crossing point introduced on Old Bridge of Weir Road and the route continuing to its end point at Gryffe High School. The route was developed following a suggestion from Houston Community Council and following engagement with the local community, including local businesses, community groups, schools, elected members and residents, the fi nalised route is now due to be implemented. Work began on Wednesday 5th May and is expected to last around six weeks. Nigel Hobbs, Houston Community Council, said: “Houston Community Council very much welcomes the proposed route improvements between Bridge of Weir and Houston. “More now than ever being able to walk and safely cycle between our communities is vitally important in terms of health and the environment and it will provide 6,500 Houston residents with easier and safer access to the National Cycle Network, allowing those without a car to move around more easily. “It will also help Gryffe High School students get to school safely and support local community facilities and businesses as they begin to recover after the Covid pandemic.” If the cycle route proves popular with the local community, it is planned to extend it further into Bridge of Weir and there is the potential to make the route permanent should this be desired. For more information, visit: www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/SpacesForPeopleCycleRoutes

Questions, questions everywhere but not a space to think?

If you’ve got questions, you’re not alone. Alpha is a space where you get together with others, online, to watch a series of short videos covering some of the big questions around the Christian faith such as Who is Jesus? What’s the meaning of life? and then have a chat about it. You’re invited to come along for the fi rst session and see what you think. What have you got to lose? All welcome whether you have a faith or just questions? When: Tuesday nights at 7pm from 18th May 2021 for 11 sessions. Each session lasts 90 minutes. How: sign up via contact form at freelandchurch.org.uk

The Bridge

Summer is fast approaching with the hope of sunny weather. It will give us time to stop and enjoy the colour provided by the plants in the front and side gardens of The Bridge. Thank you to Brighter Bridge of Weir for their work and skill in ensuring the garden looks its best.. Thank you also to the dedicated group who attend to our back garden. The decorative metal railings around the garden have had a much needed facelift. Our very grateful thanks goes to Tom Jessop, a very skilled and generous gentleman who ensured our entrance pathway and benches were upgraded. The benches at the top of the pathway are just the place for a socially distant chat. Volunteers - continuing with our thanks - we must thank our dedicated band of volunteers who so ably serve our customers. Without them we could not provide our service. Customers - thank you for supporting The Bridge especially throughout the last year. Your custom enables us to provide the vital services of the Post Offi ce.

Greetings Cards and Stationery - due to strong sales we are continually restocking our selection of cards for all occasions. Our sales of postal items are going well. We have endeavoured to keep our stock levels up despite the lack of visits from our usual sales representatives. The internet is a very useful tool!! Post Offi ce - The usual postal services are provided during opening hours. Thank you to Donald, Alison and Fiona for their dedication to serving our customers. We look forward to seeing you soon. (Opening Hours: Mon – 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Tues to Sat – 10am to 1pm.

Shared Reading Group

Join Open Book and Paisley Library for an hour of shared reading on Wednesday mornings, looking at poems & stories from the weekly Unbound newsletter. This is a free event organised by Paisley Central Library and sessions run fortnightly on Wednesdays from 11.30am - 12.30 noon. No experience necessary. Ages 16+. Get your zoom link at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/open-bookand-paisley-library-on-zoom-tickets-113605127996 Learn more about Open Book Unbound at www.openbookreading. com/unbound/ and sign up for the Unbound newsletter. Open Book organise and run weekly shared reading sessions for a diverse range of community and public participants across Scotland. Part of a book and a poem are read aloud during these relaxed and informal sessions, with an Open Book Lead Reader on hand to help guide the discussion. We regularly run creative writing sessions for our readers, using the material the group is reading as inspiration to create new writing. Dates: 26th May, 9th & 23rd June.