2011 Beautiful Scotland in Bloom. These pages outline the progress of the Udny entry and our aspirations and plans
LOOKING FORWARD Udny in Bloom WE have been 4 years in the planning. This year we have achieved a first for mainland Scotland that our community has invested in a wind turbine. This social enterprise has raised 1.5 million pounds in grants and loans to fund a 77 metre tall 850kw generator. This will bring major income into our parish for community projects, environmental improvements and energy saving measures. The projects to be funded are in the process of being decided. Key amongst this is the work to involve the community in improving the sustainable environmental improvements. It is the start of a huge change for us. have been working hard in the last year not only to construct the major wind turbine but have been working at other planned improvements we have highlighted later. Our plans for the Park had taken a step forward with designs for play equipment and the preparation of a National Lottery Bid. The Park Trustees have finally established that a land issue around the school can be resolved and that a plan to establish a village centre as an objective of the Community Trust Co can go ahead to the detail stage. WHERE WE ARE NOW We have provided new drainage for the car park plan and improved play areas. The Drove Road project has funding plans and agreements on access are now in place around Cloisterseat Croft while agreements on a path route to Udny Green are progressing. We supplied new seating in Udny Green and renewed planting. We have involved the children more and both schools entering the Formartine in Bloom schools competition starting this year. Udny Green School was the winner!! The PUT Co-op have 3 polytunnels of a commercial size with plans to expanding the community use and creating a financially sustainable project based on using the compost. We have planted trees on the southern approaches to compliment the new flower beds when we were improving the southern entrance to Pitmedden. Our larger planted area in a former grass desert in front of an elevated row of cottages called St Medden s Terrace has been adopted by the girl Guides. In summary this has been a busy year and above all the sense of hope and pride in the community has grown with the fabulous wind turbine project and the prospect of 4.25 million in inveting in all aspects of our community.
The project sees a new path, cleared levelled and surface with possible shelters and floral, fruit planting along its length. It will link with the path network to Tarves and a future project to develop a safer cycle and footpath to Udny Green. The new path to Cloisterseat is now finished, planted with spring bulbs and we are 25% complete on the project. The Udny Community Trust Co is funding the work. The path from Cloisterseat to New Craigs road has been surveyed and initial plans, clearing work where possible is done. The community has to finalise the consents from the local Estate for part of the route to divert around the wood-re-cycling facility. The section will be made into a path with planting of fruiting trees to continue the theme leaving the village to the south.
Pitmedden is famous for their National Trust owned Pitmedden House and Gardens. Many people from around the United Kingdom and abroad visit the gardens during the season. It has been a key factor in focusing local people into wishing to regenerate their village with so many visitors in the area. That Community Council and other groups have been working closely with the manager of the Gardens to help each other reach our goals. The Community has been working to reduce vandalism and encourage better dogwalking in the Gardens area as well as promoting the house and grounds. The National Trust has being giving advice and practical encouragement providing surplus plants from the Garden Nursery. The village has a small number of allotments owned by the National Trust and are discussing how to help expand provision locally with PUT Community Co-op. Udny in Bloom Susan Burgess, the manager of the NTS property locally is a trustee of the local park and involved in our Community Planning exercises to improve Udny. National Trust and Pitmedden Garden
Udny has entered Scotland in Bloom again for the benchmarking and judging how well we are doing in a bigger and longer journey in our community than might be expected in entering an annual competition. Our aim is to build a sustainable community not in an academic or simple eco sense but in a more general way. Improving our environment, bringing back sense of community and getting people doing things and making it last by creating ways we can afford to do things by investing in the community. We Have created community social enterprises and a community Trust Co Ltd to develop all things that will make Udny and Pitmedden a great place to live. The principle of what we are doing is that we look at it not from just a floral point of view but we try to reduce waste, re-cycle materials create sustainable areas and involve people in the widest sense - not just in green fingered things but in pride in their whole community. So we have take massive steps this year with our wind turbine launch. Creating Udny s image Udny in Bloom Less vandalism Our approach to our work is not about quantity of floral display but creating views that lead people to think that there is a harmony in streetscape. Our plan has been for spring colour with bulbs and planters that give an uplift. We try for all year round colour and as can be seen we replace beds throughout the year. Our crocus display this year was huge and is now a distinguishing point of the village. 10 years ago there NO spring flowers of any note. We continue to look at the views, vistas and walks and try to create, improve and balance the feel of the villages which would otherwise lack a strong architectural backdrop.
Wood RecyclAbility As Part of the Community in Udny around we have an international award winning social enterprise project. Wood RecyclAbility provides meaningful employment in a realistic workshop environment for 45 adults with learning difficulties and minor physical disabilities. In order to provide this service thy accept deliveries or collects clean uncontaminated wood and pallets for recycling. In 2007 they processed more than 2500 tonnes of wood which would otherwise have gone to landfill. Where possible the wood is remanufactured into a wide range of garden furniture, planters, fence panels, etc or protective habitats for most furry or feathered wild animals. Wood which cannot be used for this purpose is sold to DIY enthusiasts or shredded and sent off to be made into floorboards for the building industry. We are also investigating the use of our chipped wood as a carbon neutral fuel.
The Pitmedden Udny Tarves Community Co-operative (or PUT as it is known locally) is one of the main driving forces by which the Community has got things done locally. The Co-operative covers the two communities of Udny and the Community of Tarves. Set up over four years ago it has been composting green garden waste to produce a high quality soil improver to the equivalent of PAS 100 standard. Nearly 250 tonnes was processed last season. All of the Community's flower beds, hanging baskets and tubs use the compost from PUT. Compost from PUT has also been given to neighbouring villages, encouraging them to use local compost for themselves in Balmedie, Potterton, Belhelvie, Whitecairns, Foveran, Udny Station, and Methlick. The PUT co-operative is a notfor-profit social business. Part of the aim is to use profits to encourage community action locally and has been instrumental in encouraging this entry into Beautiful Scotland in Bloom. PUT has acquired three former commercial polytunnels to add to its existing Community polytunnel as part of a project to extend the use of the compost produced at PUT. A business plan is in preparation along with Centrica personnel as part of a development plan for their staff.. Part of the project will be to allow community allotments under polytunnel as well as to encourage community effort to grow produce and vegetables for sale within our community, raising funds for sustaining the project and improving local amenity, health and wellbeing. Currently PUT provides a polytunnel for bringing on both annuals and perennials for the floral displays. But also use this for testing the growing medium of the compost with vegetables as a demonstration. The site for composting is at Mill of Allathan Quarry which serves both Pitmedden and Udny Green. Besides making compost it also has a planted community orchard utilising the steep ground around the quarry. In time it will provide pleasant landscaping for the project while being productive.
Getting planting... This year we have taken the planting total for bulbs to the 45,000 mark. Spring is an important time of year for the community in Udny. A strong show of colour in the spring was a definite objective of the community groups. Over the last two years the Girl Guides in particular have planted a set flower bed (Picture on front cover) and have been planting bulbs on the walk between Pitmedden and Cloisterseat Croft (Wood Recyclability) to link with the proposed new Drove Road Walk project. We have worked with the Council to get a new path which runs from Udny Post Office up to Wood RecyclAbility. Many of those who work at Cloisterseat Croft have learning difficulties and it was a dangerous walk along a busy main road. The new path needed brightening up and therefore this was our priority planting area as part of our paths project as well.. Wood RecyclAbility is a social business which helps clients with learning disability. It not only recycles and make things from used wood but also trains people in polytunnel gardens. They have provided a number of the planters and displays around the community. We have planted over 200 trees along the road entrance to the South of the village. These were varieties for fruits and flowers that would be useful and will form part of the drove Road walks. Elder, Hawthorn, Hazel and plum, wild cherry.
Udny Green Primary school has been particularly successful in gain awards in the Eco Schools Program. The school has a section of native woodland garden which it uses for outdoor teaching of natural science. It has installed bat and bird boxes and takes children to monitor special water vole sites locally. Udny Green school has created a small water pond which has naturally attracted wildlife including frogs. The grounds are litter picked and maintained by the children. The school, alongside Pitmedden primary school has an allotment in the old walled garden at Udny Castle which is the historic house and grounds which forms the centre of the settlements. The school composts its green waste from its gardens and school grounds. It has two green flags and is working on its third. Udny Green Eco School
Polytunnel projects for recycling and sustainability Our polytunnel -to be expanded with 3 others for community Udny wants to be a sustainable village. In order for us to produce our own plants, create local volunteering opportunities, create employment and sustain ourselves with local food we have a series of projects that will involve our poly tunnels. Wood Recyclability creates opportunities for those with disabilities and also local employment with its tunnels as part of their project. PUT has one in operation for its compost and three more waiting for consent for construction. Wood RecyclAbility - showing the way in growing sustainability in social enterprise. These will provide local plants, food and get more of the community involved with tunnel allotment arrangements. Our two social enterprises growing the community.
Working to improve the grot spots in our area. Udny in Bloom All villages have places that are hard to make pretty or attractive. Its just the nature of the space. How do you make recycling bins attractive? Do you just hide them? And if you do, does that mean we recycle less? To address this we are near completion with a new project to remove, tired and poorly maintained shrubs by a car park which the Council has few resources to keep attractive. By redesign and modelling, we are making the area both visible AND attractive AND maintains parking spaces for residents.. The project material is recycled paving from Aberdeenshire Council. The Council are assisting with dropped kerbs. The work is being done with Our plans to the right, illustrates our final plan.
New Notice Boards at Park Udny in Bloom The school have adopted floral displays and baskets in term time to soften the stark school frontage. Planting of native hedging of park boundary Pitmedden School and our Community Park Pitmedden School is full to overflowing as the community keeps growing. The School has no playing fields or green areas but instead relies upon the Community Trust owned Park next door. The School has made use of raised beds in the previously waste concrete areas around the building. It is actively assisting with litter picks in the Park as well as it s own School grounds. The Park is not owned or fully maintained by the Council which has led to some considerable difficulties in recent years. This ongoing problem is still in negotiation with the Council, However, the Community has been keeping the place tidy within its resources. A Park Committee and Trustees have plans for a village centre revolving around a re arranged car park and floral displays.
INVOLVE To get the word out about helping the community look and feel better a group in the community publish the Pitmedden News, a newsletter which is delivered to every house in Pitmedden and Udny Green as well as most houses in the surrounding rural area. Pitmedden News advertise the local spring clean up and provided information about keeping the village tidy. Articles include helpful information about how the bin lorries collect waste reminding people to to ensure the bins face the right direction. News about PUT Community Composting and waste prevention is given. The newsletter strengthens the links between the schools and the Community, getting people involved with encouraging the pupils to look after their environment. alongside all the other the parish news. The website is constantly updated and gets hundreds of visits per month. Things like the tree planting, paint-a-thon and litter pick have all featured prominently. Volunteering opportunities are advertised in the newsletter to get people involved with the various projects - Park, composting, flower beds, litter and other activities. The newsletter is entirely sustained from local advertisers and makes a small financial surplus which goes towards Community funds. Pitmedden News has a very successful web site which will keep people involved with what is going on locally. Messages about looking after the environment are regularly available for local people
Again in 2011 we held a village spring clean up. This time, teams did Udny green and Pitmedden. We were pleased we had less litter this year and fewer larger items. Volunteers were rewarded with a coffee and rolls at the Bog breakfast, another key community event that happens on the first Saturday each month in Kirk. It raises funds for habit for humanity where we send a local team to build homes in the townships of South Africa. We contract with the Council to provide volunteers throughout the summer as well as the main spring clean. We work through the Aberdeenshire Litter Initiative (Ali) providing litter picking equipment and safety vests.
The Clean Dog Walkers scheme Every community has problems with dog waste. Udny Community Council has perpetual discussions about dog dirt and dog owners responsibility. The community was inspired by an initiative from Falkirk Council. In order to get to grips with the problem the community in partnership with the National Trust and Aberdeenshire Council have launched a scheme called CLEAN DOG WALKERS. Aberdeenshire Council are hoping to develop this as a model for other Aberdeenshire communities. Signs are up around the area and the areas covered by the scheme are monitored. Alan Gordon (pictured right), who coordinates the scheme is recruiting fellow dog owners to join. Susan Burgess (left) of the National Trust is working with Alan to get the message to less responsible dog owners that the designed landscape areas around Pitmedden gardens are not a dog toilet just because they are not in the village street light area.