July 07 
TOWN PARTNERSHIP GETS GOING

Following the inaugural meeting of Stonehaven Town Partnership (STP) in May this year the group has now grown in size. Sixteen voluntary sector organisations from the town have signed up for membership and the new Board has gained three new Directors.

The Board welcomed Trudi Clayton from the Folk Club and Martin Kasprowicz from the Folk Festival at their last meeting on the 11th July and unanimously agreed that John Cruickshank from Aberdeen and Stonehaven Yacht Club would also join them. Martin Kasprowicz was elected as Treasurer and the Board is now well on the way to opening a bank account.

STP is currently funded for initial set up costs through the European SusSET (Sustaining Small Expanding Towns) Interreg 111c project with monies being held by K&D VOICE on the Board’s behalf.

New member groups represent a wide range of interests from disability access to bowling and from allotments to activities for children.

The Partnership has welcomed the support following their launch and will continue in their aspirations to grow their numbers to include many more community groups and organisations that provide services, events, activities and support for the towns wellbeing and culture, through the work of volunteers and volunteer committees. All Directors are volunteers themselves and represent groups that are already active in the town.

Chair Gordon Ritchie said of their current developments “…”

STP will be sending out a brief survey to member groups, and groups that are on their contact list, over coming months to gain an idea about the priorities for changes within the town that groups have, building on the already comprehensive Future of Stonehaven exercise and the Tourism Marketing Plan, and to pinpoint areas of potential cooperation between groups with similar aims and desires. STP will develop its role to facilitate and support changes and projects, in partnership with others such as the Community Council, which will benefit from a collective approach.

One such project is the refurbishment of the Town Hall. STP will not take on ownership or project management of the Hall but will be leading in opening negotiations with Aberdeenshire Council to move this long awaited improvement of community facilities forward.

They are also looking at other potential projects working with sports groups and local schools to look at already identified issues relating to gaps in need and the involvement of young people in positive active citizenship.

Approved minutes from Board meetings are available on request.

If you or your group are interested in becoming a member or want further information about Stonehaven Town Partnership, please contact Gordon Ritchie, Chair, on 01569 762971, or  David Fleming, Company Secretary, on 01569 767200.