Annual Report 2015

Stirling Council

2014-15

stirling.gov.uk phone 0845 277 7000 or 01786 404040 text 07717 990 001

April 2014 Andy Murray receives Freedom of the City

April 2014 Self-directed support introduced

June 2014 Stirling hosts National Armed Forces Day

July 2014 Beechwood Park wins Green Flag award

July 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay travels through Stirling

August 2014 Housing Support team awarded top marks by Care Inspectorate

August 2014 First Crit Under the Castle cycling event takes place

September 2014 Scots Programme launched

October 2014 Beechwood Park voted Scotland’s second-favourite park

November 2014 Living Wage increased to £7.85 per hour

January 2015 Stirling praised for its groundbreaking approach to conservation at opening of the River Teith

March 2015 New wooden carvings unveiled on Stirling’s Back Walk

March 2015 Nine new Council homes completed in Cornton

March 2015 Stirling’s Sports Strategy launched

March 2015 £200m investment plan unveiled

April 2015 Broadband scheme launched in Stirling area

Councillor Johanna Boyd Council Leader

Councillor Mike Robbins Provost

Councillor Neil Benny Depute Leader Finance and Economy Convener

Councillor Danny Gibson Environment Convener

Councillor Violet Weir Housing Portfolio Holder

Councillor Alistair Berrill Education Convener

Councillor Corrie McChord Community Planning and Regeneration Convener

Councillor Martin Earl Public Safety Convener

Councillor Christine Simpson Social Care and Health Convener

Councillor Scott Farmer Audit Convener

Introduction Stirling Council’s Annual Report tells the story of the work of the Council over the course of the financial year, highlighting our achievements and celebrating success. It reaffirms and brings to life the Council’s vision and key priorities, demonstrating the work which has been done to accomplish these.

The Annual Report also provides information on the Council’s overall performance and targets. This information is available in a separate document at www.stirling.gov.uk/financialreport This year, the Report includes more digital elements to present the Council’s vision of Stirling in 2014-15 in an accessible way. An accompanying video, “A Day in the Life of Stirling Council”, shows a snapshot of the huge variety of work done by the Council every day.

The Annual Report 2014-15 is presented in four sections: Jobs and Opportunities, Active Lives, Events, and Children and Young People. It concludes with a Vision for Stirling’s Future.

Jobs and Opportunities: The Living Wage; Broadband; Working in Partnership; Apprenticeship and Graduate Scheme Case Studies; Housing; PBB. Active Lives: Open Spaces; Award-winning Stirling; Protecting Stirling’s Fishing Heritage; The Queen’s Baton Relay; Stirling’s Sports and Physical Activity Strategy; Building Resilience at Beech Gardens; Self-directed Support.

Events: National Armed Forces Day and Stirling’s Big Weekend; Crit Under the Castle, the Paranormal Festival; Andy Murray’s Freedom of the City.

Children and Young People: Early Years Collaborative; SCOTS Programme; SCOTS Programme Case Studies; Pumping up the Jam at the Tolbooth.

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A message from the

Council Leader Johanna Boyd 2014-15 was one of the most exciting years in living memory for Stirling. As a Council, we delivered the biggest event in Stirling’s history, successfully hosting National Armed Forces Day. We welcomed 35,000 visitors from around the world and demonstrated without a doubt that Stirling is worthy of international recognition. I’m very proud of the critical role Council officers played in preparing for and delivering the event, such as the public realm improvements which ensured that Stirling’s city centre looked its best.

Stirling Council demonstrated real innovation with the SCOTS Programme. Partnering with Forth Valley College, we were able to help young people prepare for the world of work, making the most of the top-class facilities at the College and delivering the programme through Stirling high schools. We further showed our commitment to doing everything we can as a Council to help young people fulfil their potential by taking on more graduates and interns last year than ever before. Many have progressed to full-time employment with the Council or have developed their careers elsewhere.

One of our key achievements this year was becoming the first Council to pay a minimum wage of £8 per hour to our lowest paid workers. In 2012, one of our first actions was introducing and backdating the Living Wage. It is critical to us that as a Council we tackle inequality and help those who need it most by paying them a decent, hourly rate of pay.

Last year the Council also continued to deliver an ambitious house-building programme in rural and urban areas across Stirling. We are proud to provide high quality, affordable housing, for example the ambitious Station Rd Goosecroft development. We invested £6m to provide 53 affordable mid-market rental apartments, as well as space for commercial tenants in this vital city centre location.

My vision is for Stirling to realise its full potential by building on its assets to create a highly functioning, beautiful city; a wealth generator for Scotland that attracts and retains talent and nurtures business growth and entrepreneurial spirit, supported by a firm socio-economic foundation that ensures opportunity for all and a commitment to increasing equality and fairness.

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A message from the

Chief Executive STEWART CARRUTH As you may know, Stirling Council faces a huge financial challenge - saving £25m over the next five years. Stirling covers an area the size of Luxembourg. We educate 14,000 children, cut 3 million square metres of grass every 10 days, collect 41,000 bins every week, remove 12 tonnes of litter and debris from our streets every day, and produce 850,000 school meals each year.

How will we continue to do that?

We’re taking a very sensible, long-term approach to this, with Priority Based Budgeting, which is helping us understand the financial challenges which lie ahead. Since PBB was introduced in 2013, we have delivered on 95% of the savings identified – 10.7m in 2013-14 and £1.3m in 2014-15.

We are thinking more imaginatively about how we can continue to focus on the Council’s priorities and deliver our services with less money. We’ve been transforming how we work; more efficiently and effectively, and we’ve also been working with our communities and partners to think about how we can deliver all our services differently. The fact that everyone who is involved with the Council can now influence and shape our services is a huge step.

Stirling Council is changing, just as Stirling is changing. We must be more flexible in the way we work, being risk aware not risk averse, more customer-focused, building up our economy to create jobs and attract investment, be smarter with the data we have and the decisions we make.

We want to be more closely aligned with the communities we serve. That’s especially, though

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not exclusively, true of rural Stirling. We recognise that some of the characteristics of rural Stirling need special thinking; the community in Tyndrum is very different from the community in Plean, which in turn is different from Balfron.

In five years’ time, I believe that the city of Stirling will be a very vibrant, dynamic place, where sports, culture and the arts sit hand in glove with a dynamic technology, business sector, and food and drink industry. It will be a player on the national stage and connected, in particular to Glasgow and Edinburgh, but not exclusively. There are challenges, but I see the Stirling of the future as a city that’s recognised externally as being famous for its customer service, famous for being much better aligned to its communities and famous for punching above its weight and generating economic growth, in which we are able to give everyone access to high quality skills, training or employment. Stirling Council will continue to challenge itself to deliver more for the area and its people in the future.

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Section 1

Jobs and Opportunities

Creating access to high quality jobs, training and opportunities for local people in all areas of Stirling is a key priority for Stirling Council. We especially want young people to have the chance to live and work here when they finish their studies.

Stirling Council nurtures local talent and creates opportunities through the many apprenticeships, internships and graduate training schemes it offers each year.

The Living Wage In 2015, Stirling Council became an officially accredited Living Wage Employer. Much of the work to achieve this was done in 2014; in November that year, we renewed our commitment to protecting those on the lowest incomes by increasing the Living Wage to £7.85 per hour and we are also the first council in the UK to set a minimum wage of £8 an hour for everybody who works for us. We were one of the first local authorities to pay all our staff the Living Wage, introducing it in October 2012 and backdating it to April 2012.

Council Leader Johanna Boyd said:

“We are living in incredibly challenging times and Stirling Council strives to think both innovatively and creatively about how we can help those on lower incomes.

“We remain committed to protecting and helping our employees on the lowest pay grades, many of whom are local residents, and our decision to increase the Living Wage and set a Stirling Council minimum wage this year demonstrates that.”

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Broadband Stirling Council helped connect more communities to faster broadband in 2014-15. Our work with Community Broadband Scotland and the Scottish Government’s Step Change Programme has meant that many more businesses and residents can access superfast broadband.

The Council contributed £600,000 of extra funding to boost the Step Change programme, meaning 76% of premises are now broadband enabled. The target coverage to be achieved from the Step Change Programme by 2017 for the Council area is 93.4 %.

Finance and Economy Convener Councillor Neil Benny said:

“We know how vitally important fast and reliable broadband is to all businesses and homes across the Stirling area, whether it be for educational, business or social reasons. We’ve worked long and hard to improve the local service, so it’s fantastic that properties in Kippen, Callander and Doune have been broadband enabled. However, we must keep working with communities to help get remaining areas properly enabled as soon as possible.”

Working in Partnership In 2014-15, the Council developed a much more joined-up approach to the work we do, building strong relationships and links with other organisations and agencies. We’ve brought together key partners and expertise to ensure that people are safe from crime, disorder and danger, and free from injury and harm.

A highlight of this is the excellent partnership working between Stirling Council and Police Scotland; a police liaison officer is now based within our Safer Communities team. This not only helps us protect people throughout the Stirling area, it also plays an important role in supporting Police Scotland.

Public Safety Convener Councillor Martin Earl said:

“The Council’s Public Safety Committee plays a vital role, not only in protecting our communities but also in providing scrutiny and support for Police Scotland in this financially challenging environment.”

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Section 1

Jobs and Opportunities

Apprenticeship Case Study – Scott Mason “I became an Apprentice Countryside Ranger with Stirling Council in January 2012. I loved every minute of being an apprentice. The support I received from my colleagues and Youth Services was absolutely fantastic, and I have always had a great love of the outdoors. Being an Apprentice Countryside Ranger with Stirling Council was very diverse – no two days were the same.

“I started off shadowing the other Rangers in the team, learning about site management, visitor engagement and how to run public events and volunteer action days. I learned all about conservation, bio-diversity, the outdoor access code and laws and legislation regarding wildlife. I had fantastic opportunities to attend specialised training courses which allowed me to gain qualifications that helped me secure full time employment as a Fisheries Officer with the Council in June 2014, at the age of 21. I also completed an SVQ in Environmental Conservation. I feel I developed very quickly in my apprenticeship and within a short period of time I was responsible for organising public events on my own and representing the Ranger Service at a national level.

“I have recommended apprenticeships on numerous occasions to various people.

I currently manage two apprentice bailiffs and I am very supportive of the work Youth Services do.”

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Graduate Scheme Case Study Jack Breslin, Business Improvement Support Officer “I studied Marine & Freshwater Biology at the University of Glasgow, graduating in 2011. After returning from a two-year trip abroad I visited Skills Development Scotland, who looked at my skill set and suggested I apply for a position titled ‘Angling Festival Co-ordinator.’

“The position gave me the opportunity to develop a skill set I didn’t have but interested me, while at the same time allowing me the chance to network within a field relative to my study. I’m now a Business Improvement Support Officer, and my position mainly involves project work. This means identifying and delivering improvements to day to day business and legal compliance within the Housing and Environment Service.

“The graduate scheme was a great opportunity to gain a broad range of skills, get a foothold on a career and learn by doing. The position was a nine month contract and gave me the project management skills and experience required for my current role.

The day to day tasks of the two positions are very different but the skills and experience carry over.

“I have now been with Stirling Council for 18 months and I would recommend the scheme to others.”

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Section 1

Jobs and Opportunities

Housing Stirling Council’s Housing Support service was given top marks by the Care Inspectorate in August 2014. The service helps people maintain their Council houses and live independently in a joint approach involving both Council teams and outside agencies.

Housing Portfolio Holder, Councillor Violet Weir, said

“It’s a key priority of the Council to build more socially rented housing.

Last year, we not only provided many more homes for local people, we have also been praised for the work we’ve done to engage with tenants and bring real benefits to our communities.”

Nine new Council homes were completed in March 2015 in Cornton. Among the first to move in were Celia and James Walker, who were delighted to collect their keys.

“We’ve lived in Stirling all our lives and the move to our new house means we’ll still be close to our family,” said Celia. “The house is lovely and I’m looking forward to the summer.”

There are also new Council houses in Riverside, Killearn and Balfron, where the Council stepped in and bought a partially developed construction site to create 10 homes.

Elsewhere, work continued on the ambitious £6m housing and commercial development on Goosecroft Road in the heart of Stirling. This will provide 53 affordable rental apartments as well as space for commercial tenants and help transform a key city centre site.

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Every year Stirling Council invests around £200m across the area, delivering the services we all rely on – everything from schools to street lighting and libraries. However, everyone knows how challenging the last few years have been and that things are only going to get tougher as a continuing squeeze on spending is matched by ever-rising demand.

2014-15 was the second year in which the Council took a Priority Based Budgeting (PBB) approach to budget-setting, opening up the whole discussion about what the Council spends – and where it directs that spend – to everyone.

Council officers work with communities to identify, prioritise and protect the services most important to them.

Stirling Council Chief Executive Stewart Carruth said:

“As a Council we want to be more closely aligned to our communities; there are opportunities to listen more closely to what these communities are looking for and start to shape our services around them.

“The openness and transparency of the PBB approach has been welcomed, I think, as it gives groups and individuals the chance to influence our councillors, who are the decision makers in the Council.”

A total of 41 options for ways we could save money were presented for discussion, with 28 ultimately accepted.

To date more than 95% of the savings identified over the past two years have now been delivered, totalling close to £12 million.

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Section 2

Active Lives

Stirling boasts some of the best scenery in the world, with a fantastic national park on our doorstep and wonderful countryside. We have excellent opportunities and facilities for sport and physical activity, with The Peak, the University of Stirling and much more. We also have excellent social care and health services. We want to build on this, improving opportunities for even more people to get involved, be active and live healthy, fulfilling lives.

Stirling’s Open Spaces Stirling’s fantastic outdoor spaces were shown to their absolute best in 2014-15. New woodland carvings introduced by the Council’s Ranger Service and created by award-winning chainsaw carvers have been a popular attraction for locals and tourists. Along Stirling’s Back Walk, carvings including a wolf drew from the city’s rich history, while in Aberfoyle a village of fairy houses delighted woodland walkers of all ages.

Environment Convenor Councillor Danny Gibson called the carvings a “fantastic feature” while Council Ranger Claire Bird praised the “crack team” of carvers and the “enthusiastic input” of the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum and local schoolchildren who came up with ideas.

Elsewhere, Council officers worked hard on the city’s appearance, replanting roundabouts and laying out stunning floral displays in the run up to summer.

Councillor Gibson said:

“First impressions really do count. The creativity shown by Environment Service staff has been outstanding – mixing colourful flower designs with edible borders and vegetables really makes our displays stand out.

By making the city look its best, they’re helping instil a new sense of civic pride in everyone who lives here.”

A new Forth Trail opened up more of the river to walkers and cyclists, and the Council also introduced two dedicated city centre wardens. Environment Vice-Convenor Councillor Neil Benny said: “These wardens will be able to quickly act on everything from broken slabs to benches that need repainted or faulty street lights, to improve the look and feel of the city. The improvements put in place this year will be the benchmark for how we want the city to look in 12

future summers. This is not just a one off.”

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Award-winning Stirling Work to brighten up Stirling was also recognised with a win at a national awards ceremony in September 2014.

Stirling Council’s Land Services Team scooped the Large Town Trophy and also picked up a silver medal certificate at the Beautiful Scotland Awards run by Keep Scotland Beautiful.

Both prizes came in the first year Stirling has ever entered the competition and Land Services Manager Nicole Paterson was delighted with the result:

“This is a fantastic win for Stirling and real recognition of the hard work that the Land Services Team and others put in to ensure that the city always looks its very best.

“This summer in particular, as Stirling has played host to so many visitors, it has been wonderful to see that those efforts have ensured the city makes such a good impression.

“To achieve such a result in the first year of entering the Beautiful Scotland awards is the icing on the cake.”

The next month, the city’s Beechwood Park was named Scotland’s second favourite in a UK-wide public vote – and 25th favourite in Britain as a whole. The Council worked with the local community to make improvements including new play equipment, upgrades to cycle tracks, extensive planting and changes to the maintenance regime. Councillor Danny Gibson was “absolutely thrilled” by the accolade and added at the time: “The Council has worked closely with locals to ensure the park ticks all the boxes, and today’s announcement that it’s Scotland’s second favourite park is a fantastic achievement worthy of celebration.”

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Section 2

Active Lives

Protecting Stirling’s Fishing Heritage Stirling is well known for the excellent fishing to be had on the River Teith. In 2015, the Council, which owns and manages the river, was praised for its groundbreaking approach to conservation; the Teith is the first river in Scotland to introduce a tagging system alongside catch and release measures to maintain fish stocks.

Scores of anglers and local schoolchildren joined Provost Mike Robbins and presenter Adam Henson for the opening of the Teith’s salmon fishing season at Callander in February 2015.

Adam said: “From what I have heard and seen, the work that Stirling Council is doing for conservation on the river is trailblazing. They are at the forefront of trying to improve the quality of the river, the riverbanks and spawning areas. The conservation behind the fishing is absolutely essential… we have been fishing these rivers for hundreds and thousands of years and we want to keep fishing them for hundreds and thousands more years.”

Councillor Danny Gibson said: “As a Council, we have led the way in fisheries conservation, and our fisheries staff do an incredible job to preserve the river and its fish stocks. We are committed to ensuring that generations to come can enjoy the type of event we have seen here today.”

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The Queen’s Baton Relay Thousands of local people welcomed the Queen’s Baton as it travelled through the area between July 5 and 7 last year, visiting more than a dozen local communities – Raploch, Bridge of Allan, Dunblane, Thornhill, Aberfoyle, Drymen, Killearn, Balfron, Buchlyvie, Kippen, Blairdrummond, Bannockburn, Doune, Callander, Kilmahog, Crianlarich and Tyndrum. Everyone had the chance to join in and celebrate Stirling’s local heroes as they carried the baton.

Many communities organised their own events to mark the occasion – such as the community breakfast at Doune’s Red Lion Hotel and the piper’s welcome in Aberfoyle. At The Peak sports centre, the Council and Active Stirling organised a full day of fun activities including taster sessions, storytelling, circus skills and arts and crafts workshops.

Council Leader Johanna Boyd said: “The relay is all about celebrating our communities and honouring our

baton bearers. It is their valuable and inspiring contributions to our communities that make Stirling such a great place to live.”

Provost Mike Robbins added: “It has been great for Stirling to take part in the Baton Relay celebrations. There has been a huge amount of anticipation in the Stirling area as we wait for the Commonwealth Games - with its strong sporting legacy, many of the Team Scotland athletes come from our area - and the Baton Relay is a great opportunity to celebrate that in our communities.”

Even before the relay arrived, more than 1600 local children had already got in on the act at the Big Baton Relay event in 2014. The event happened in Bannockburn and included children and young people from Wellgreen and Park Drive Nurseries; Bannockburn, Braehead, Cowie, East Plean, St Margaret’s and St Mary’s Bannockburn Primary Schools; and Bannockburn High School. They took part in their own relay featuring a brightly coloured baton that contained a wish for the future from each child, helping to build interest and excitement ahead of the Games and encouraging them to think about getting involved in sport and pursuing a healthy, active lifestyle. Braehead Primary’s Kate MacNish said: “It was a unique, exciting and memorable event for everyone involved, building enthusiasm and motivation for Glasgow 2014 and a knowledge and understanding of the Commonwealth.”

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Section 2

Active Lives

Stirling’s Sports and Physical Activity Strategy Sport is a vital part of Stirling’s heritage and culture. The area played an important role in the XX Commonwealth Games and its legacy can be seen in the development of the Council’s Sports and Physical Activity Strategy, which brings to life the Council’s vision of making Stirling the sport and wellbeing capital of Scotland.

Everyone who lives in the area was asked for their views on the draft strategy, and over a thousand people responded to tell us how to make the whole area a healthier and happier place to be. Coaches, parents and swimmers at Arion Swimming Club, which holds training sessions for people with disabilities at The Peak in Stirling, told us about the club as part of the consultation. Comments included: “People here are very friendly and all help each other” and “The swimming club is invaluable. There’s been a tremendous change in my daugher, with the benefits of competition and companionship. It gives her success, in a world when it’s difficult for even the able bodied to find something they’re good at.”

The strategy’s vision is to help everybody, of all ages and abilities, join in more with sport and physical activity. It was launched in June this year and its recommendations are now being put into action. There’s a particular emphasis on making the most of the many opportunities for sport and physical activity that already exist in the area – such as the high quality facilities at The Peak and the University of Stirling, as well as wonderful, easily accessible countryside, including large swathes of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

Community Planning and Regeneration Convenor, Councillor Corrie McChord, said: “We’re clear that our ambition is to see Stirling become Scotland’s centre for sport and this is an important step in that direction.”

Also on the sporting front, plans were announced for Stirling Council to work with a range of partners to invest further in Stirling Sports Village.

Councillor McChord said:

“The Council is investing in sport to encourage everyone to make the most of their lives, and as a means of improving health and well-being in both urban and rural communities. Stirling has a wide range of modern facilities and resources for performance and community sport and we want to build on that.”

The long term plan is set to start taking physical shape early in 2016.

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Section 2

Active Lives

Building resilence at Beech Gardens Elderly and vulnerable people are more in control of the social care they receive than ever before.

At the Council’s Beech Gardens care home in Stirling, people who need extra support and their families work together with NHS and Council staff, to make the right decisions about their future care. The short stay assessment is a very interactive process – over six to eight weeks, the team works to build up confidence, skills and abilities, talking openly and often about how it’s going and looking at different options.

At the end of this time, the decision might be that the person is still able to live in their own home, sometimes with a little extra help through the reablement service.

Reablement is a programme which allows older people to live largely independently, continuing to do the things they are still able to do for themselves, but with support and assistance for the things that they can’t. Studies show this has a real impact in terms of keeping people healthier for longer.

A resident said: “Care and support at Beech Gardens are excellent, always given in a friendly and kindly way. The staff go that extra mile to remove any fear of being in a home.”

Another said: “It has helped me to be able to do more for myself when I go home and I won’t have to rely on other people. I can now be left on my own.”

Eilidh Campbell, manager at Beech Gardens, said: “For many, the short stay assessment is a chance to have time and space to think about what’s best for them. It also means that when the end decision is that a move into sheltered housing or a care home is best, this isn’t such a sudden or unfamiliar prospect.

“Council care homes make a real effort to make sure residents remain an active part of their communities – at Beech Gardens, for example, a summer fete this year provided fun for residents as well as raising funds that were used for doing up the lounge to make it more homely and to go towards a variety of trips and other activities.”

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Self-directed support In 2014, Stirling Council introduced a new way of helping people with social care needs.

Stirling Council’s Social Care Convenor Councillor Christine Simpson said:

“Self-directed support is a major change to the way people are supported, based on the human rights principles of fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy for all. It allows people to be equal partners with the professionals who care for them, working together to decide on how their needs should be met.”

Self-directed support allows people to choose and control what type of social care services they get, when and where they get them, and who provides them. People have many different needs from social care services – some may need help to become more independent, or to access activities they enjoy or try new things. This means they are not limited to choosing from existing services such as day centres, respite care or home care, but may still choose them if that will best meet their needs.

People who receive social care support are now allocated an Individual Budget, which means they are able to have as much control of their own support arrangements as they want.

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Section 3

Events

Stirling hosted a spectacular programme of events in 2014-15. Highlights included the Big Weekend, when Stirling hosted the Armed Forces Day National Event, Bannockburn Live and Pipefest. Thousands of visitors flocked here, to enjoy the biggest events in the history of the city and, of course, a warm Stirling welcome.

National Armed Forces Day and Stirling’s Big Weekend Stirling’s Armed Forces Day National Event was the biggest and most successful event the city has ever hosted. 35,000 visitors attended the stunning celebration of the Armed Forces in the shadow of the iconic Stirling Castle in June 2014 , giving the local economy a boost of £1.5m, while £800,000 was spent elsewhere in Scotland.

HRH the Princess Royal attended to take the formal salute as more than 1,600 service personnel, reservists, cadets and veterans marched into the specially prepared Events Field at the start of the festivities. The Prime Minister, the First Minister, leaders of all the main Westminster political parties and many senior military and MoD staff were also there.

Events included breathtaking displays by the Red Arrows and Red Devils parachute team, flypasts of vintage Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane aeroplanes and skilful displays of manoeuvres by pilots of the Typhoon and Tornado fast jets.

Provost Mike Robbins said:

“The Armed Forces Day National Event was a spectacular success, undoubtedly one of the highlights of our well-received, year-long Stirling 2014 programme.”

The Armed Forces Day National Event was, however, just part of Stirling’s Big Weekend.

The heart-stirring Pipefest saw thousands of pipers and drummers entertaining huge crowds as they marched through the centre of Stirling. And over both the Saturday and Sunday, the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn was celebrated at Bannockburn Live, featuring music, battle re-enactments, food, drink and fantastic family entertainment.

Council Leader Johanna Boyd said: “Armed Forces Day National Event, as part of Stirling’s very successful ‘Big Weekend’, was one of our key events in our Stirling 2014 programme, which we will look to build on in the forthcoming years, to ensure Stirling continues to offer a wide range of quality events to attract residents and visitors to our area”.

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Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said:

“Stirling’s Big Weekend was a huge success, with Pipefest, the Armed Forces Day National Event and Bannockburn Live – a signature event of Homecoming 2014 – drawing tens of thousands of visitors of all ages and nationalities to the city.

“With media from all over the world in attendance from Hawaii to Canada, France to Australia, this unique weekend put Stirling and indeed Scotland in the global spotlight and had a significant and triumphant impact on Scottish tourism.”

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Section 3

Events

Crit Under the Castle, Super September and the Scottish Pararnormal Festival Stirling built on the excitement of Stirling’s Big Weekend with an amazing programme of events throughout the rest of 2014.

The first ever Crit Under the Castle cycling event was a huge success, attracting 350 racers when it took place on August 10th, 2014. The event incorporated the Scottish Youth Road Race Championships and the Senior Scottish Criterium Championships, encompassing nine races on a closed road circuit around the city centre. Attended by former World Cycling Champion Graeme Obree as guest of honour, it was a chance for everyone to give it a go as events included races for riders under eight years old and even a Retro Race for those who wanted to take part in a non-competitive capacity, as well as some of the best and most battle-hardened racers in Scotland. Organised by Stirling Bike Club and supported by Sportscotland and Stirling Council, the event was broadcast live on YouTube.

During Super September, the city played host to four separate festivals. The action-packed month kicked off with the return of the ever popular Off the Page book festival organised

by Stirling Libraries and the Wha’s Like Us family history event. The Stirling Fringe Festival returned for a second year, this time encompassing 20 different venues hosting 50 events including art exhibitions, children’s shows, theatre, comedy and music. The Bloody Scotland crime writing festival also returned for a third year, attracting murder mystery fans from across the world to hear from some of the genre’s top literary talents.

Stirling has always been happy to embrace quirkier events and the city turned spooky for four days in October 2014, courtesy of the Scottish Paranormal Festival. A mix of academic and more popular examinations of all things weird and wonderful, the festival included talks, lectures, film screenings and more around ghosts, aliens and UFOs. Community Planning and Regeneration Convener Councillor Corrie McChord said:

“It’s been an incredible year for Stirling. The city has been alive with action; it was transformed into a race circuit showcasing the best talent in the country for Crit Under the Castle cycle event, and with Super September and the Paranormal Festival providing fun for the whole family, we really built on the excitement of National Armed Forces Day.”

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Andy Murray’s Freedom of the City Local tennis hero Andy Murray became the fifth recipient of Stirling’s highest honour in April 2014, in recognition of his gold medal triumph at the 2012 London Olympics and what was then his first ever Grand Slam win at the US Open.

Andy was visibly moved as he was given the honour

by Provost Mike Robbins at his old school, Dunblane High School, in a special meeting of Stirling Council.

A musical performance from pupils added to the emotional atmosphere. The role model then travelled to Wallace High School in Stirling to receive another award from Tennis Scotland and to take part in a Q+A session with schoolchildren from across the UK, with cycling hero Chris Hoy. Andy said he was “honoured and excited” to receive the Freedom of Stirling as Provost Mike Robbins called him “an inspirational figure”.

Council Leader Johanna Boyd said: “Physical activity fosters young people’s physical, social and emotional well-being. But taking part in sport also promotes self-esteem and team building, attributes that reach beyond the impact on physical health.

“We are promoting that in our schools and investing in facilities that will raise the profile of Stirling as a City of Sport. There can be no greater ambassador for those plans than our own local hero, Andy Murray.”

“The Provost, bailies and councillors of Stirling Council, recognising his contribution to tennis both locally and nationally, and his achievements in winning gold and silver medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games, winning the US Open Tennis Championship 2012 and winning the Wimbledon Championships 2013, now confer upon Andrew Barron Murray, OBE, the Freedom of Stirling.”

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Section 4

Children and Young People

Children, young people and their families in Stirling are supported by the Council and its partners to be ambitious, confident, independent and responsible. Our schools are amongst the best in the country, helping all young people reach their potential.

Early Year’s Collaborative: #bestplacetogrowup One of Stirling Council’s top priorities is to help struggling families as early as possible. We work with specialists from different organisations, including health and the police, to make Stirling a great place for children and young people to grow up. One of the ways we’re doing this is our work with the Early Years Collaborative [EYC], a national project involving people who work in early years education – nursery teachers, Council education officers and politicians. The cutting-edge changes introduced to improve children’s lives, from before they’re born until they’re five, mean it’s the first ever project of its kind in the world.

The Learning is Fun Together [L.I.F.T] project is part of the EYC programme. It was piloted in three early learning and childcare centres in Stirling and helps families living in disadvantaged areas improve how they interact with their children and develop children’s language skills.

Louise Illingworth, Speech and Language Therapist, Hillview Children and Family Centre, said: “I would say to any practitioner out there thinking of trying the LIFT project – go for it! There’s lots of support available. By working together, we can really make a difference to children’s lives.”

The project involves: 1. Teaching new skills to people working in early years education:

“Because of LIFT I’m a lot more confident at helping parents interact with their children and influence their language development.”

Jordon Campbell, Early Years Educator, Hillview Centre

2. Working with parents:

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“Parents are key to change. They can use everyday opportunities to improve their child’s development.” Louise Illingworth

April Masson: “If I could give any child a gift, it would be confidence and resilience.“

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SCOTS Programme More than 60 young people from Stirling and Clackmannanshire schools received help to find the job of their dreams in 2014, from Forth Valley College and Stirling Council. The SchoolCollege Opportunities to Succeed (SCOTS) programme gave S4 pupils the chance to try a range of college courses, to help them decide what they would like to do after leaving school.

Education Convener Councillor Alistair Berrill said:

“The Council’s Raising Attainment Strategy is aimed at increasing ambition, raising expectations and improving the self-motivation and cofidence of children and young people. The SCOTS programme is a fantastic opportunity for S4 pupils in Stilring to explore a range of opportunities.”

The young people were able to try eight subjects: Construction Crafts, Construction Technology, Healthcare, Early Education and Childcare, Travel and Tourism, Hospitality, Salon Services and Broadcasting. At the end of each “taster”, each pupil selected their favourite subject before starting a longer experience. During this time, pupils were encouraged to apply for a college place in the subject for the following academic year.

The taster sessions are supported by at least one double period a week at school so the pupils can apply what they have learned towards achieving an agreed award, such as SQA employability units. Within their schools, the young people involved also work with teachers to improve their skills for learning, skills for work and skills for life. They develop employability skills such as researching for jobs, creating a CV, preparing for interviews and learning more about the subjects they explored at Forth Valley College.

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Section 4

Children and Young People

Scots Programme Case Studies Robbie Williams a pupil at Wallace High School, said: “It’s like being an adult when you come to college. It gives you other options for the future and lets you know your strengths and weaknesses. You will be quite surprised at how well you fit into something and how much you enjoy it. The SCOTS programme has given me a better idea of what sort of path to take and my career options. I want to achieve something and do something with my life. My advice to others would be – don’t be put off by the thought of college, it’s nothing like school and nothing like you would expect. Give it a go and just try it - nothing is impossible.”

Fiona Dick, a pupil at Dunblane High School, said: “Before I started doing the SCOTS Programme I thought I would just go to university and get a degree, but I think I might go to college first now as it gives you that bit more experience and that bit extra. The editing facilities are quite impressive and I am glad I did the course. It prepares you to go beyond school and for later in life.”

Jade Hamil, a pupil at Balfron High School, said: “When I was picking my subjects one of my support teachers asked if I wanted to come to the college for a couple of hours a week.

I want to work in childcare and I thought that being at college and experiencing this on the SCOTS course would help. When I leave school I am going to come back to college and do my HNC in Childcare. This course is really useful, it just gives you a taster of what you would do if you come here full-time. It has been an important stepping stone to where I want to be in life.”

Harun Karim, a pupil at Bannockburn High School, said:

“I’ve enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends on the SCOTS course and I think I am more confident now. If anyone is confused about what they want to do then this is a quite a good opportunity to come and try new things and find out what they are comfortable in and see what they want to do in the future.”

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Pumping up the Jam at the Tolbooth The Tolbooth, at the heart of Stirling’s Old Town, is a hub of activity for musical young people. Pump Up the Jam is a series of free songwriting workshops led by professional musicians, for 11-18 year olds and 18-25 year olds. Teenagers flock to learn the ropes of writing songs, playing instruments, crafting performances and using a recording studio, and get the chance to put on a live concert. There are also jazz, classical and traditional music workshops, with the whole building opened up to youngsters learning instruments on Monday nights and Saturdays.

The Tolbooth also runs a successful community outreach programme, working with schools including Dunblane High School, St Modan’s High School and Snowdon School. Kenny Bates, Music Development Officer, said: “We don’t just bring the community to the Tolbooth, we also go out to the community ourselves. Lots of kids who are now in their late teens have been coming to our sessions since they were 11 or 12. Many have gone on to study music at college, or work in the music industry, as a result of coming here.”

Summer activities for children of all ages include everything from photography, art and music lessons to tapestry.

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The vision for Stirling’s future The Council’s vision is to make Stirling a world-class economic and cultural powerhouse. In March 2015, we announced an ambitious £200m plan to attract investment to Stirling, boost growth and create high-quality jobs. In June 2015, we revealed plans for a City Development Framework, with concepts including: •

A digital hub which would be a seedbed of product development and cutting edge technology, and would position Stirling as a leader in digital technologies.

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A business incubation space to support the development of small and medium-sized businesses, working with other key partners in Stirling.

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A new city parkland in the dramatic setting of Stirling Castle that would act as a new gateway to the city and link Kings Park, King’s Knot, the Back Walk, Gowanhill and Stirling Bridge.

We’re working closely with the public, private and third sectors and the Stirling City Commission on these and other exciting, innovative ideas, including a new civic centre, conference centre and regeneration plans for the top of town, involving a city market and cultural quarter, and our ambitions for the future development of the river.

Johanna Boyd, Council Leader, said:

“Stirling is an incredible place, but to flourish we need to be bold. This ambitious plan is designed to build on our unique advantages, advance investment opportunities and encourage growth.”

Council Chief Executive Stewart Carruth, said:

“Like cities around the world, Stirling is thinking about its future and how we can create a vibrant, cosmopolitan city for everyone to enjoy. We are very lucky in Stirling. We have a great location, we’re really well connected and we have a wonderful heritage. Our challenge is to bring all of that together and modernise it.”

Neil Benny, Deputy Council Leader and Chair of the Finance and Economy Committee, said:

“This is a great way to ensure that Stirling can compete in the modern world and make it a place that people want to live in, set up businesses in and visit. I’m optimistic for Stirling’s future.”

Stirling Council’s Senior Manager for Economic Development, Carol Beattie, said:

“Competition to attract international trade and investment is fierce and we’re doing all we can to show businesses that Stirling is the perfect place to establish themselves.”

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Contact details Email:

info@stirling.gov.uk

Mail:

Communications Team, Stirling Council Old Viewforth Stirling FK8 2ET

Social Media:

Stirling Council @StirlingCouncil

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