Volume 22 Issue 8 The Merkinch community newsletter, entirely written, produced and printed in the Merkinch, and delivered by volunteers. September 2016 What's on in Merkinch ... page 12 Arts in Merkinch update ... page 7 Merkinch Welfare Hall Update ... page 9 Inside this month: L a t e s t W e l f a r e H a l l N e w s Goals for the Future success for two local lads. See Page 5 Merkinch Local Nature Reserve ... page 4 What has made Ali and Ann smile???? See Page 4
Transcript
Volume 22 Issue 8
The Merkinch community newsletter, entirely written, produced and printed in the Merkinch, and delivered by volunteers.
September 2016
What's on in
Merkinch ...
page 12
Arts in
Merkinch
update ...
page 7
Merkinch
Welfare Hall
Update ...
page 9
Inside
this
month:
Latest Welfare Hall News
Goals for the Future success for two local lads. See Page 5
Merkinch
Local Nature
Reserve ...
page 4
What has made Ali and Ann smile???? See Page 4
2 News & Views
Madras Street Hall
41 Madras Street
Madras Street Hall
SUNDAY — CHURCH SERVICE —
5PM
SUNDAY — SUNDAY SCHOOL —
5PM, DURING CHURCH SERVICE
TUESDAY — BIBLE DISCUSSION
GROUP — 7PM
THURSDAY — ROAD TO
RECOVERY — 7.30PM
CONTACT — TEL: 01463 715809 /
01463 231981
Alastair Stewart & Son
Memorials Ltd
Granite Memorials at KEEN prices
Additional inscriptions in any cemetery
For a colour brochure ring
01463 710178
12-14 Carsegate Rd North, Inverness IV3 8DU
Helpline AGE Concern – 0800 731 4931
BREATHING SPACE – 0800 838587
(FREE) http://breathingspace.scot/
BROKEN glass, drugs needles etc –TEC
Services 01349 886690
BULKY furniture and other items for
special uplift, bins etc – 01349 886603
CHILDLINE – 0800 1111. Free confidential
advice 24 hours a day.
CITIZENS Advice Bureau – Appointments,
01463 237664
COMMUNITY CENTRE – 239563
Your local COUNCILLORS –
Janet Campbell 226598
Donnie Kerr 225217
Richard Laird, 07557 566552
Bet McAllister 710558
CRIMEBUSTERS – 0800 555111
DENTIST, Emergency – 0845 644 2271
DOG Warden – 01349 886603
DRUGLINE Scotland – tel 0800 776600.
Free advice on drugs 24hrs.
FAIRFIELD MEDICAL PRACTICE –
713939 from 8am.
GAS/ELECTRIC – 0800 111 999 (FREE).
MERKINCH Enterprise – 240085
MERKINCH Partnership Office – 718989
NEW START – 715615 or 728770
NEWS & VIEWS – 240085
NHS 24 (out of hours medical advice/GP
Service) - Freephone 111
NHS Living Life 0800 328 9655 FREE
http://breathingspace.scot/living-life/
POLICE – confidential line 101 (no longer
815555). Genuine emergencies still 999
PRIMARY School, Merkinch – 232962
REFUSE, extra and bulky collection –
01349 886603
RELATIONSHIP Counselling Highland –
Jill O’Connell 712888
ROAD to RECOVERY – Ian Polworth,
Madras Street Mission, 715809
SAMARITANS – Freephone 116 123
SOCIAL WORK Dept, Emergency – 0845
769 7284
TRADING Standards – 0845 600 4222.
VICTIM Support – tel 258834
WEBSITE, Merkinch Community —
www.merkinch.info
Inverness WOMEN’S Aid – Confidential
support for abused women, tel 220719
Got a contact you think we should include?
Contact News & Views on 01463 240085
Merkinch Partnership are looking for new members to join our existing Board. Board members are responsible for the general policy and direction of the charity that best serves the local community. The Board meets once a month with some additional meetings as and when required. If you have an interest in supporting the local community and would like to be involved, please contact Anne Sutherland by email: [email protected] or call 01463 718989.
Opportunities at Merkinch Enterprise Merkinch Enterprise provides free training in a wide range of IT applications in a format to suit the client that can lead to gaining a recognised qualification. However, we also provide a wide range of non accredited training as we recognise that learning is not just about qualifications but gaining enough experience and confidence in IT to improve your skills and abilities.
The training will be either one to one or group sessions and will be adapted to suit your requirements and interests to make the experience more relevant and suitable to you. In addition, we are able to offer free access to our PC suite if you wish to continue your learning and development out with the training schedule. Applicants must be unemployed (but not necessarily claiming benefits) or working 16 hours a week
or less. There is no upper age restriction.
In addition, we can provide finance towards the cost of registered childcare if necessary.
We also offer a variety of volunteering and work placements in our office on Grant Street. Hours
and days are flexible to suit your needs.
Work placements are also available in our Fliperz Nursery and, where appropriate, we will fund the
cost of PVG disclosures for those wishing to pursue a career in child care and
you will be fully supported by a qualified member of staff.
For further details, please call into our office at 14 Grant Street, call 01463
S E R E N I T Y Serenity is a drop in centre for females with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and runs every Monday 10.30am to 1.30pm at Merkinch Community Centre. The drop in is facilitated by people with experience of BPD and was set up to take people out of isolation and to start socialising. At Serenity, we share experiences which
Everything you give to New Start Highland helps people locally.
New Start Highland tackle poverty, homelessness
and unemployment in the Highlands.
They take furniture, soft furnishings and small items; the things needed to make a Highland
house a home.
You can drop items off at New Start Highland or for free collections, phone
01463 715615 or visit
www.newstarthighland.org.uk
INVERNESS TRINITY CHURCH of SCOTLAND
Upcoming Events
Trinity Ladies Social Group are running a bus to MacArthur Glen shopping centre on Saturday 12th November cost is £18 .If interested please contact the Church. Trinity Guild are holding their annual fund-raising concert on Tuesday 15th November starring the ever popular duo "The Marlettes" Trinity Church Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday 26th November
(www.trinityinverness.org.uk) Inverness Trinity Church of Scotland
Friends of Merkinch Local Nature Reserve Latest News
The LNR group are continuing to meet once a month with the main focus being the Awards for All project they are carrying out in the reserve. At the last meeting in August the group discussed the volunteer training element of the project.
The plan is to recruit ten volunteers from the local community who want to get involved hands on in the reserve and who will take part in woodland management training sessions in the reserve during October and November. The training will cover all aspects of woodland management (site selection, planting, after care, species identification, dealing
with dead trees, survey techniques and managing the canopy and understorey) and will be delivered by an experienced trainer. Anyone interested in taking part in the training and who would like to get involved in the reserve as a volunteer should contact Anne Sutherland on 01463 718989. Local charity, For the Right Reasons, is spending four hours per week in the reserve, working with local volunteers on general repair and maintenance jobs. One of their first tasks will be replacing the chicken wire on the boardwalk and clearing vegetation from the reserve side of the railway gate. We are delighted to be working in partnership with such a worthwhile local charity and they will be a great help in tackling the issue of ongoing maintenance. At the last meeting, the LNR group also discussed other elements of the Awards for All project, a visit to another Nature Reserve in Scotland, printing new leaflets and designing a new pop-up banner.
For more info on Merkinch Local Nature Reserve, visit our website
www.merkinchlnr.org.uk
and will be delivered by an experienced trainer. Anyone interested in taking part in the training and who would like to get
should contact Anne Sutherland on 01463
reserve, working with local volunteers on general repair and maintenance jobs. One
clearing vegetation from the reserve side of the railway gate. We are delighted to
worthwhile local charity and they will be a great help in tackling the issue of ongoing
discussed other elements of the Awards
Reserve in Scotland, printing new leaflets
Above: Ivor Souter, past President of Inverness and Culloden Rotary Club presenting a cheque for £900 to Ali Locke, Chairman of Friends of Merkinch Local Nature Reserve along with Anne Sutherland Merkinch, Partnership Manager.
Merkinch Partnership held a Board Meeting on 10th August where one of the main topics of discussion was our Development Plan for the next three years. Copies of a template for the Plan were circulated and the Directors attending the meeting had a wide ranging discussion on the needs and issues of the local community, covering the following points:
What does Merkinch need and how can Merkinch Partnership respond to this.
What is missing in Merkinch and how to get people to identify any gaps in services
How to encourage local people to get involved in activities
Social isolation and loneliness issues
How do we bring local people together to get involved in local groups
Raising awareness of existing activities in Merkinch
Volunteering The Partnership is keen to get the views of local people on these issues so that they can have an input into the Development Plan. If you would like more information on how to get involved contact Anne on 01463 718989 or 07872 014520. Other issues discussed at the Board meeting included:
The Partnership relocating to the Welfare Hall, which the staff are very much looking forward to as it will give them a much bigger space in which to deliver their activities
Recruiting new Directors for the Board
Update of projects and targets which Anne confirmed are all going to plan.
Merkinch Partnership has been awarded a two year funding package from Children in Need to deliver our Fit for the Future project for children and young people aged between five and 18 years old who are living in areas affected by deprivation. The grant will help cover core costs, as well as a range of weekly activities and trips, which are set to benefit 140 young locals in the next two years. At the project, participants can enjoy sporting sessions that promote physical fitness and boost self-confidence, and include, cycling proficiency, games of football and cricket, or other sports.
These will be supplemented with workshops on health and nutrition, which aim to impact the general wellbeing of young people long-term.
Activities at the project take place in the local community and are free, making them accessible and open to all children and young people. In addition, sessions are delivered by trained staff members in an informal setting, allowing children of all abilities to feel comfortable with getting involved.
Goals for the Future participants Ryan and Sean receiving their certificates from Merkinch Partnership staff members Anne Sutherland and Peter Corbett for successfully completing the Health and Safety /First Aid training delivered by AD Training at Clachnacuddin Football Club.
Merkinch Sum-
mer Arts
Looking for Pipers and Drummers to come down to Merkinch
Community Centre, 7:30pm until 10pm every Wednesday evening and have tea/coffee and biscuits before. Chanter and pipe practice with Pipe Major Tam Cornwall Ex Royal
Scots Pipe Band. Mainly for charity work, events although we do not compete in competitions.
Merkinch Community Centre Telephone: 01463 239563
Topside is set up to provide quality Eco friendly and non-toxic cleaning services to our clients.
We offer a one-off, contract or subcontract cleaning services tailored to meet the specific needs of our customers.
Each Tuesday and Thursday, Inverness Foodstuff serves a hearty, healthy meal to those in need. Homeless and / or vulnerable people can enjoy a nutritious three course meal. Set up two years ago and held in Ness Bank Church Hall, the project is growing with over forty people attending some days and a network of over fifty volunteers that help with cooking, serving and organising the food that is donated by local retailers.
Meals are served from 1pm – 2.45pm and visitors can use laptops provided to check emails or look up information with the assistance of staff from Highland Council and Merkinch Partnership.
On Thursdays, they can also try a selection of arts and crafts whilst chatting and swapping news.
There’s always a tasty soup for starters, with main courses including pasta and vegetables or pizza and salad. Yes! Puddings too with fresh fruit regularly available and usually scones, flapjacks or cupcakes. Do come along - please don’t feel hungry.
Inverness Foodstuff has a Facebook page with weekly updates. Do ‘like’ them to keep in touch.
Inverness Foodstuff
6 News & Views
Arts in Merkinch decided to postpone their Summer Art Exhibition which was due to open at the end of August. With their theme of Unity it was decided to make this a more collaborative event than usual by running it as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival (SMHAFF) which takes place across Scotland from 10th to 31st October. This means that as well as the usual range of local artists and the many arts and craft people who have a relationship with The Bike Shed art groups there will be a chance to see work from a variety of groups working throughout the Highlands. As always there will be cash prizes awarded by the Inverness Courier for the three best photographs and Inverness Art Society will choose their favourite work from the painting, drawing and mixed media entries. Items wishing to be included in the judging must fit into the themes of either TIME or UNITY. Craft work will also be welcome. Work for inclusion in the exhibition should be dropped off at the bike Shed on Monday 3rd October between 6pm and 8pm or on Tuesday 4th October between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.
craft people who have a relationship with The Bike Shed art groups there will be a
The Art Room, who usually meet monthly in the Clay Studio are changing their venue from this month and will meet at The Bike Shed on Sunday 25 September. This is an open group where anyone with an interest in painting, drawing or mixed media can drop in between 2 and 5pm. There is a £5 charge and tea and coffee as well as all materials will be provided.
We are holding a very special craft event on Saturday 24th September. This will not be our usual drop in session and it will require booking. Elaine Murray from LOOK will be running a recycled lampshade session. Elaine visited us a couple of years ago and the picture left shows the result. There will be a charge for participation in this workshop and times are still to be confirmed. Anyone wishing to find out more or make a booking should call Catherine on 01463 719712 or email: [email protected]
Arts News For any details of events or other enquiries, please ring 01463 719712
POSTPONED EXHIBITION
7 September 2016
Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160c/325f and heat the oil in a large pan. Dust the chunks of beef in the flour and fry the beef for 7-8 minutes until golden brown all over. Add the onions and cook for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add the red currant jelly, red wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Add in the carrots, potatoes, swede, stock, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil then place a lid on and cook in the oven for 3-4 hours, stirring a couple of times during cooking. Alternatively, you could transfer to a slow cooker and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours). Serve topped with fresh thyme and fresh bread or potato scones.
Ingredients
Quiz fans get a shot at winning the Nicol’s Corner Shop
prize of a £10 voucher. When you’ve answered all the
questions, fill in your details and send your entry in — or
deliver it — to Merkinch Enterprise, 14 Grant Street to
reach us no later than Thursday 22nd September.
Name …………………………………………………..
Address ………………………….……………………….
Phone …………………………………………………..
SLOW COOKED SCOTTISH BEEF STEW
1. Which number in Chinese is considered very lucky? 7 8 11 2. How many dots are on a standard dice? 18 21 30 3. How many times has Del Boy Trotter been married in Only Fools and Horses? 0 1 3 4. How many carats in pure gold? 12 18 24 5. How many pieces, in total, at the beginning of a game of chess? 16 24 32
6. How many finger holes are there on a recorder? 8 10 12 7. How many dimes are there in an American dollar? 2 10 100 8. How many rooms are on the Cluedo game board? 7 8 9 9. In computing, how many bits are in one byte? 8 64 256 10. On a standard dartboard, which number lies opposite number 4? 12 16 18
Nicol’s Prize Quiz
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1kg Aberdeen angus braising/stewing beef, chopped into bite-size chunks
2 tbsp. plain (all purpose) flour mixed with a pinch of salt and pepper
2 large onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp. red currant jelly
500ml red wine
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
Half a small swede, peeled and diced
700ml beef stock (water plus 2 stock cubes is fine)
2tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 bay leaves
2 tsp dark brown sugar
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp crushed black pepper
August’s quiz check
1. True. Male wasps have no sting.
2. False. The Queen has no passport. 3. False. There was a dead heat in the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race in 1877.
4. True. A manometer measures the pressure of liquids.
5. True. The first non-white British MP was elected in 1892. 6. False. Utah is not nicknamed 'The Waterfall State'.
7. False. You cannot be executed in England for any crime.
8. True. Humphrey Bogart never said 'Play it again Sam' in Casablanca. 9. True. Codeine suppresses a cough.
10. False. A granny, a sheepshank and a bowline are types of knot.
8 News & Views
What Number?
There were no winners for last month's quiz.
Published by Merkinch Enterprise 14 Grant Street, Inverness IV3 8BL
Tel: (01463) 715450 Fax: 01463 717977
Opinions expressed in this publication are not nec-essarily those of the editor, or of Merkinch Enter-prise.
Merkinch News & Views always welcomes input from readers. If you have an idea for an article, any comments or questions, please get in touch with us.
9
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The renovation of Merkinch Welfare Hall is now in full swing! The new roof is now installed on the main hall with beautiful new rafters and is now ready for the slates to go on. The chimneys have been renovated with some new chimney pots (the ones with the hearts are the new ones). The first floor rafters are now in place and are just waiting for new floor boards and the new extension is almost complete. Monika Maleszka-Ritchie, Learning and Engagement Officer for : Fit for the Future project said “it’s amazing how much progress has been made! It only feels like yesterday that I walked into the derelict building, cold and damp and with the dust of disuse. The hall feels like it is shaking off the dust and coming back to life!” Last Friday the Graffiti Street Art project panels were exchanged, with the second part of the design now on display outside the Hall. The young artists from Inverness High School were on hand to inspect the work and field questions from the press! The new panels look forward, celebrating the future use of the Hall as the new home of the Inverness Boxing Club.
Saturday 10th September 2016 (10:00 – 12:30) Merkinch Welfare Hall Doors Open Day. All welcome! We are meeting in the Bike Shed. Saturday 1st October 2016 (10:00 - 12:30) Building Surveying and Illustration Workshop at the Bike Shed. Come along and learn the basics of how to go about investigating and recording an historic building through its architecture, materials and construction methods. Saturday 1st October 2016 (13:30 - 16:00) PastMap and CANMORE Workshop at the Bike Shed. Come along to learn how to carry out historical searches using online resources PastMap and Canmore to search the information and collections of the National Record of the Historic Environment. Wednesday 5th October 2016 (19:00 - 21:00) ‘The Campaign for Women's Suffrage in the Highlands’, a talk by Dr Susan Kruse at the Bike Shed. Describing a WEA project investigating the campaign for women's suffrage a century ago, a movement with close ties to the temperance movement. Tuesday 15th November 2016 until Saturday 14th January 2017 Merkinch Welfare Hall photographic exhibition at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery in the Community Gallery. This exhibition will collect the best of photographs taking over the course of the year during the renovations of the Merkinch Welfare Hall.
September 2016
Upcoming Events
The chimneys have been renovated with some new chimney pots (the ones with the
Nicol’s Opening Days
Present at the opening were Marc Delaye (street artist / Fresh Paint), Laurie Redfern (Inverness Amateur Boxing Club), Terry Ellison (Merkinch Enterprise), Mia Scott (Merkinch Welfare Hall: Fit for the Future project manager), Mr Niall MacLennan (Inverness High School art teacher), John MacPherson (photographer) and Monika Maleszka-Ritchie (Merkinch Welfare Hall: Fit for the Future Learning and Engagement Officer).
Taking part in the project from Inverness High School were Chloe Connell, Caitlin Mackintosh, James Newlands, Michael Shields-Stevenson, Louise Watt, Caitlin Hunter, Aidyn Jones, Kuba Logocki, Jack Mackenzie, Chantelle McLeod and Calum Stewart.
Training has started for the first Inverness Football Community league which is supported by Merkinch Football Academy with
funding from Big Lottery Fund through Awards for All. The Community League will provide 5 weeks of training for the pupils who
have just moved up into secondary schools this year. All five Inverness secondary schools will be involved. Each team is run by one
head coach and 2 senior pupils with a third senior pupil helping out with refereeing. The league will culminate in a one day football
festival at the Bught Park on Thursday 22nd September.
Merkinch Football Academy
Now that the schools are back, football coaching days and times have been fixed. P1-3 Fridays 3.00pm - 4.00pm P4-5 Sundays 10.30am - 12noon P6-7 Saturdays 10am - 11.30am (unless playing their IDYFA League games at High School) P4-7 Girls Wednesday 3.15pm - 4.15pm High School Girls S1/2 4.00pm - 5.00pm Our Street League teams continued their League and Cup games at Milton Pitches. Under-15’s have reached two Cup Finals with the Division A Cup Final at Caledonian Stadium v Balloan Athletic on Saturday 3rd September with a 2.00pm kick off and the other Final v Raigmore on a date to be confirmed. Under-17’s are still in the All in Cup after beating Kirkhill 4-3 in penalties recently.
For more info on sports news, look at the Merkinch Sports, Merkinch Football
Academy, and Merkinch Mountain Bike Club, South Kessock Angling Club
and the Merkinch Walking Group Facebook pages. All have videos, pictures
and news. Or contact David on:
01463 718989 or 07951 977 922
Walk on the Wild side
This month the Walk on the Wild side project has been back out gorge swimming at Meig Gorge,
canoeing up Loch Dochfour and white water sledging down the River Feshie. Amongst the activities
covered on the Walk on the Wild Side project have been archery, beach casting, bush craft, fly fishing,
gorge walking, weaselling, Segways and lots more. The aim is to gain new skills and experience the great
outdoors. This project is funded through Investing in Ideas through the National
Lottery. For more info on any of the above projects contact David on 01463 718989.
Walking Group
The group continues to cover more ground going as far afield as Rogie Falls,
Blackmuir Woods, Loch Ashie and Daviot Woods. At present the group caters for
residents of Oak Ridge and Maple Ridge but will soon open its doors to everyone.
For more info on sports in Merkinch look at the
Merkinch Sports, Merkinch Football Academy, and
Merkinch Mountain Bike Club, Facebook pages.
Merkinch Sports, Merkinch Football Academy, and
12 News & Views
Sunday 25th September 2016 We are hosting a Community Day
filled with Fun activities for all ages!
Come along and have some FUN!
We will be hosting this event at the
CLACH PARK.
From 12 noon until 4pm Have a go with Beat the Goalie , Bub-
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