Community News

Making a better community 

If you have any news items of interest to the local community, contact us and we will add the information here 

You may have seen in the press that the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has launched its listening project,Let’s Be Heard: Sharing Scotland’s COVID Experience. We are keen to ensure that the views of the people living in North Lanarkshireare represented, and I am writing to ask if you can support us to do this.


Let’s Be Heard is inviting everyone affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland to share their experiences with the Inquiry. By hearing directly from people across the country, the Inquiry can better understand how the pandemic impacted our lives and communities. This will help Scotland to learn important lessons for the future.


Please use this link to access further information and share your experienceLet’s Be Heard: Sharing Scotland’s COVID Experience

January 23


27th January 2022

16 June 21

Indoor bowling club to be transformed into new hub

Community group develop business plan for site bought through
Community Asset Transfer scheme and lottery funding


Members of the Cliftonville and Coatdyke Community Group at the former indoor bowling club


Article from Coatbridge & Airdrie Advertiser/Daily Record

An indoor bowling club in Coatbridge is to be transformed into a new hub for locals after being bought by a voluntary group.


Cliftonville and Coatdyke Community Group has worked closely with North Lanarkshire Council (NLC), The Development Trust Association for Scotland, and the National Lottery to develop a business plan for the regeneration of the building.


Through the community asset transfer scheme, and with £190,000 of lottery funding, the group has bought the building and plans to make improvements to it.


When it’s complete, the new hub will offer a range of activities and education opportunities for people of all ages, as well as a café, meeting and events space.

Lizzanne McMurrich, head of communities, told Lanarkshire Live : "Congratulations to everyone involved in the Cliftonville and Coatdyke Community Group for their efforts in giving this building a new future for the benefit of the whole community.


“The building will become a hub for community activities, bringing together local groups and individuals, and is an excellent example of what can be achieved when the voluntary and public sectors work in partnership.”


Chairman of the group, Alex Forrest, said this was "a very important time" for the local community and volunteer groups throughout Airdrie and Coatbridge.

He added: “The purchase of the building will provide a focal point for our community and the present first class bowling facility will be augmented by a wide range of activities for all the community.


“We would like to thank our partners for helping to make this dream come to fruition; Roslyn Griffith and Douglas Tate (North Lanarkshire Council); Katie Alexander (Scottish Land Fund); Elyn Zang (National Lottery Community Fund); and, most importantly, Lynn Molleson from Community Ownership Support Services.


For more information, or help, please contact us on 01236 428641

    Garden Awards

    2022

    • Best individual garden
    • Best shared/ communal garden

    August 21

     14th July 2021

    New litter bin roll-out starting


    New large capacity litter bins are being installed across North Lanarkshire to help keep communities clean. The 240 and 360 litre bins have already been installed in country parks, with installation starting in towns and villages in the north area this summer. The installation programme will then move across the council area and be complete by the end of the financial year.

    New bins will be installed near public roads and in the busiest areas in towns and villages. They will be emptied routinely on a three-weekly, or higher frequency depending on the location, by the council’s bin lorries, as part of their regular routes.  All types of litter, including bagged dog waste, can be placed in the large bins.

     

    Although smaller bins, which often overflow and need emptied more often, will be removed on a phased programme, there will be a 400% increase in litter bin capacity across North Lanarkshire.

     

    “Keeping local streets clean is a key priority for our residents, and these new larger litter bins will provide much more capacity and allow us to deliver a more efficient cleansing service,” said Councillor Michael McPake, Convener of the Environment and Transportation Committee.

     

    “The initiative is also more environmentally friendly as the new bins will use fewer plastic bags, and we will cut the amount of fuel used by our fleet and, as result, reduce emissions.

     

    “As we install the new bins, we monitor their use to ensure they’re in the most appropriate locations and, if needed, move them to best meet the needs of each community.

     

    “Our parks and greenspaces have been very well used throughout the covid pandemic and will be an important resource for families during the school holidays. I would appeal to all residents to play their part in keeping our parks and streets clean – please bin your litter or take it home.”

     

    The bin replacement programme is also part of the council’s RecoverNL plans to help the area return to normal as covid restrictions continue to ease.


    21 June 2021

    Do Not Get Caught Out By Fake Dvla Sites Charging More For Driving Licences

    One of our Alert members got in touch to highlight a situation she found when renewing her photo driving licence.  The result was that instead of paying £14.00 to renew online or £21.50 to do this task at the Post Office our member was charged £94.00 by using a website online that looked official and the route to applying for a new licence.

    The only official place to find DVLA services and information online is on GOV.UK

    What to look out for

    These sites are quasi-legal. You see them for passports, ESTA visa applications, driving licences, DVLA. What happens is they advertise on search engines and they are at the top. When you are doing a search, look for ‘ad’ at the top then it's an advert. This doesn't mean it’s there because it's the right thing for you it means they’ve paid to be there. These companies advertise on top of official search terms like ‘get a driving licence’. Then they have a site that looks relatively legit but they actually tend not to claim to be the site. They say we will process it for you for only this fee and then they charge you a fee on top for what you could get for free or what you could get at a basic set price. Many of the third party sites are made to look like official channels to trick drivers but do make clear services are more expensive. Some even put their more expensive figure next to the true DVLA price to make drivers aware they will be charged more.

    However, they claim the extra money goes on offering drivers a better service including weekend and evening support. A mobile-friendly application and personally checked applications are also used as excuses for charging higher fees. But the sites are still able to legally operate because they contain disclaimers saying the site was not official.

    The business practices of these companies may be morally reprehensible however not illegal.

    Remember always go to GOV.UK

    10 May 2021

    SCAM Warning – National Insurance Number


    The following information and link has been recently posted by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) and refers to a National Insurance Phishing SCAM.


    An automated telephone message claims that the National Insurance number of the recipient will be terminated due to some unethical financial transactions.
    The automated message states: "This call is in regards to your National Insurance number. Ignoring this final warning may lead you to legal troubles. The reason behind this phone call is to inform you that your National Insurance number will be terminated due to some unethical financial transactions."

    The recording then asks the recipient to "please press '1' to get more details.

    The call is a data harvesting or phishing attempt, which could lead to identity theft. Pressing the button puts the recipient in touch with a scammer who will supposedly verify their National Insurance number. Unfortunately, anyone who responds is revealing key personal details putting their finances in danger

    If you receive this call, do not ever press 1 and please warn others about it. Also, report it to the authorities, such as Advice Direct Scotland or Police Scotland on 101.