St Monans & Abercrombie Area Resident Group

27^th February 2019 at Masonic Lodge, Braehead, St Monans – 6.30pm.

Present – from Fife Council – Colin Whyte, Tenant Participation Officer, Carol Irvine, Housing Officer, Sonja Potjewijd, CLD Development Worker.  Raymon Gray from North East Fife Tenant Residents Federation (NEFTRF).  Public members – Gordon Bell, Vicki Salvage, Sandra Mayes, Marta Zwolinska, Bob Hutt, Hugh Wallace, Maggie Jack, Steve Collier, J Dickson & B Rennie.

1 – Introductions, Welcome & Apologies

Apologies – Irene Laing, NEFTRF, Cllr Holt, Cllr Docherty & Cllr Porteous.

2 – Minutes of last meeting – agreed. Minute taker – Carol Irvine

3 – Housing Update –

Carol provided brief update Housing are still working in the area, projects are awaiting costs from other departments.  Quotes obtained from Beautiful St Monans regarding planters this has to be decided by lead officer if able to proceed.  Bin store conversation at Braid Court is ordered awaiting start date.  Area is quiet in terms of anti-social issues.

4 – Sonja Development Worker update –

The first baby & toddler group starts Friday 1^st March, in the church hall will run weekly for one year.

Projects – Youth & Sports Development to target age group 13 – 17 years.  Primary school age – creating a committee ideas to do – community clean up, youth disco, food festival, new playground, community garden, BBQ & picnic area – all ideas are currently being consulted and proposed for funding.

CAP committee to move forward with survey.  CAP hub set up in the library to encourage all residents to bring ideas and participate.  CAP list growing from the committee.

To set up a weekly newsletter for the community – requires a team of volunteers to run this – speak to Sonja if interested.

5 – Cllr Update – no councillors were present to provide an update.

Steve updated from the CC current affairs – food festival this Saturday.  Armistice Event planned mid-March, 2 day event 16^th & 17^th March being held in the Heritage Centre.  Future events are also planned.

Steve is working on a Welcome Park for new residents – this includes working with Kingdom Housing Assc & FC Housing along with others to provide information to new residents.

6 – Committee Update –

Colin brought the role descriptions for the member roles, to form a group it requires the following members – Chairperson, vice chair, Secretary and Treasurer and active committee members to set committee up.  Positions and support is available from Colin, Carol and Housing Services to help build and support the network.

Colin passed round the draft constitution for all to view, this outlined specific parts – same as last meeting however changed to include Resident Group.  10 Meetings including the AGM will be held throughout the year, no meetings held in July or December due to annual leave time.  Aims and objectives are generic, the last paragraph was added by tenant participation regarding the members conduct.  Social media has implications so members needs to adhere to code of conduct when using such platforms.  The wording can be changed to suit if agreed by all members.

Maggie raised about if / when committee agreed then an augural meeting to it and reference provisions, minutes etc.

If anyone wants to be put forward for committee speak to Colin before next meeting.  “Everyone in the town is in the committee automatically” the committee board (members) will be set up.  It takes time to create and get interest of the group and encouraging everyone in the community to be involved.

Fife council tenants have a vested interest as FC rents pay into Housing Revenue Account which pays for rents, repairs, housing building, support services, wages etc.

Can invite guest speakers to future meetings for example – Transportation, Safer Communities’ Officers and Police.

Gordon offered to support / mentoring to anyone who wishes to be involved in committee from his own experience.

The resident group is a forum for everyone to scrutinise and be involved.  Raymon works Fife wide and can offer committee training.

Sonja asked where resident group fits into in the St Monans structure of ongoing committee groups as CC, this is a branch off the Braid Court group and sit off Community Council group as community focused.  The Resident Group and CC can work together too.

Bob advised the funding from the Muga (Multi Use Games Area) trust was used towards the football/ sports pavilion and for school used, and financial help given to set up toddler group.

Sonja explained that CAP plan and residents group sits well alongside it as community involved plan, copies of CAP report available from St Monans Library at the CAP drop in group.  The resident group and CC can drive CAP important areas to be delivered.

7 – Any other business –

Walkabout was explained and discussed with the group it was agreed the walkabout and CAP ties in together and allows an action plan for next 12-18 months to make improvements.

Walkabout date agreed 17^th April at 11am meet at Town Hall.

Posters to be put up soon = resident lead so ideas for all to be involved and raise to Carol & Colin.  Can access budgets for example HIB, TP, Common Good Fund.  Invites to all 3 councillors, community safety officers, parks and open spaces, transportation, Alan Bisset, Mark Cook, Carol, Colin & Raymon, NEFTRA.

Marta would love to be involved in green Beautiful St Monans and ongoing maintenance.  She also suggested accessing Community Payback Team as they have done positive work recently in the area.

Steve asked if interest in residents group as CC keen to have resident group set up to work together.

John raised the idea of food / recipes for 1 – how can it be accessed, Colin advised he has the recipe cards from previous events and will bring along to future meetings.  Also discussion around foodbank, future plans that Energi have to create skills based cooking program and Sonja future food get together plans, also reminded of Food Festival this Saturday.   As food links to wellbeing strong links for all – housing – homeless – health connections – links and life skill teaching.

Future events & publicising –

Brian agreed to share future meetings on Masonic social media page,

Ladies offered to help with letter drop of posters and leaflets for next meeting

Loaves & fishes is delivered quarterly and this meeting was advertised in it.

Kingdom FM do a community shout out – so can access that also.

8 – Date of next meeting – Wednesday 24^th April at 6.30pm in Masonic Lodge, Braehead, St Monans

 All welcome