Latest news with #CommunityCentre
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Deaf Services Lanarkshire secure right to own and manage Shawhead Community Centre
Move follows organisation's successful Community Asset Transfer application. Deaf Services Lanarkshire has secured the right to own and manage Shawhead Community Centre in Coatbridge following a successful Community Asset Transfer (CAT) application. The organisation, which delivers community-based services, aims to remove communication barriers for deaf people throughout Lanarkshire. With the approval of their CAT application, the group will establish a permanent base at the centre, where they plan to deliver services, events and activities for the Deaf community and local residents. The facility will provide a dedicated space for the Deaf community, offer British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting services and training, and operate a drop-in centre. It will also develop further support and accessible events for the wider community. The group had to demonstrate how their proposals would enhance wellbeing, deliver inclusive services, and protect the underused building from closure. Sylvia McPhillips of Deaf Services Lanarkshire said the organisation was delighted with the news, adding. "Everyone involved is thrilled that we have been approved for the Community Asset Transfer to manage Shawhead Community Centre. "We have been looking for a suitable property for several years to meet the growing demand and develop our services for the Deaf community. 'We will also offer activities and spaces that can be used by the wider community here in Shawhead. 'By preserving this space for local people, we are determined that inclusion and accessibility will become central to our future plans." George Drinnan, a member of the Deaf Services Lanarkshire board, said the centre would offer significant benefits. He continued: "This is fantastic news. The centre will allow us to provide many tailored activities for the deaf community. "It will also help reduce isolation, giving people a place to connect, which will be good for mental health." Councillor Geraldine Woods, convener of communities, welcomed the announcement, saying it reflected the positive impact of empowering local people. She added: "This shows how giving communities more say in how facilities are managed can make a real difference. "On behalf of the council, I congratulate Deaf Services Lanarkshire and look forward to seeing their plans come to life, benefiting the deaf community in Lanarkshire and residents in and around Shawhead." A Community Asset Transfer allows eligible community groups to apply for ownership, lease, or management of council-owned buildings or land. The process is made possible under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, which requires applicants to demonstrate strong governance, clear community benefits, and sustainable plans for the asset.
Qatar Tribune
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
QM hosts historic ceremonies at 19th Venice Biennale venue
Tribune News Network Doha During the pre-opening events for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, Qatar Museums Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani hosted a series of historic ceremonies, discussions and celebrations on May 8, marking Qatar's heightened presence on this pre-eminent stage of the international art world. In Venice's Giardini, the heart of La Biennale di Venezia, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa welcomed Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro, President of La Biennale di Venezia Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, and Qatar's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy HE Khalid bin Youssef Khalifa Abdullah Al Sada to the site of the future Qatar Pavilion. When completed, the Qatar Pavilion will be only the third national Pavilion added to the prestigious Giardini in more than fifty years. 'Qatar will join the great chorus of nations in the Giardini, where architecture becomes diplomacy, and beauty speaks peace,' HE Sheikha Al Mayassa said before the invited audience of dignitaries, distinguished guests and media. 'Our Pavilion, crafted by the brilliant Lina Ghotmeh, will embody hospitality, resilience and our collective dreams. 'The Qatar Pavilion will be a home for exchange, for wonder, for the world — a place to engage in multiple dialogues that foster peace and inspire understanding. It will also be the place where we showcase the art, architecture and creativity of Qatar and our entire region of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.' HE Sheikha Al Mayassa then opened the temporary installation that Qatar is presenting on the site: Community Centre, designed by architect Yasmeen Lari/Heritage Foundation of Pakistan. Community Centre is part of the exhibition, 'Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La mia casa è la tua casa', Qatar's official presentation in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition continues at ACP-Palazzo Franchetti, where HE Sheikha Al Mayassa later welcomed guests to two discussions organised under the auspices of Qatar Creates and its Evolution Nation initiative, celebrating fifty years of Qatar's cultural journey. Yasmeen Lari, designer of Community Centre, conversed with renowned Indian architect Raj Rewal in a discussion moderated by Sean Anderson, Associate Professor at Cornell University and co-curator of Beyti Beytak. Speaking about the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, Yasmeen Lari said, 'The exhibition's theme of hospitality is about taking care of each other. So it is important to use materials that are not threatening to people and the planet and that have a certain warmth, like the bamboo of Community Centre. The decision by Her Excellency and the curators to bring Community Centre to Venice sends a very powerful message: wealth is not necessarily the criterion. It's how you treat the planet and how you treat the people.' For the second part of the conversations, H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa engaged in a discussion about the future Qatar Pavilion with Lina Ghotmeh, founder and principal of the Paris-based studio Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture, moderated by noted architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff. HE Sheikha Al Mayassa said, 'This is a national pavilion that will reflect what Qatar does in the world, which is to support Arab voices across all pursuits—social, economic, and of course creative—and so it is important to have an Arab architect. Our goal is to elevate Arab creatives as well as others from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.' The Qatar Pavilion was conceived by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa with the support and guidance of the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as a major new resource for the nation in its role of fostering dialogue and international exchange through its museums, exhibitions, artist residencies, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations and programmes. Envisioning the Qatar Pavilion in the Giardini as a highly important extension of this commitment, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa had requested a design that would speak to the values and histories that Qatar shares with others across its region while also engaging with the multi-layered fabric of Venice. Following the conversation with Lina Ghotmeh, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa officially opened 'Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La mia casa è la tua casa', ushering guests into ACP-Palazzo Franchetti's galleries and inviting them to an evening reception in the Palazzo's garden.
RNZ News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Manurewa's first Pan-Pacific Strategy takes final step
Committee chair Penina Ifopo presents the draft Pan-Pacific Strategy to a full house at Te Matariki Clendon Community Centre. Photo: Facebook / Centre for Pacific Language Manurewa is set to adopt its first Pan-Pacific Strategy, marking a milestone for the South Auckland community where nearly 40 percent of residents identify as Pasifika. The strategy will be formally presented to the Manurewa Local Board Thursday, driven by a tight funding deadline and push to include all Pacific voices. Speaking ahead of tomorrow's presentation, committee chair Penina Ifopo confirmed the strategy had received strong support. "We asked three simple questions online: Do you support it, don't support it, and why? And the overwhelming response was support. No one said they didn't support it," she said. The strategy was shared with the public on 30 April at Te Matariki Clendon Community Centre. A packed room of Pacific elders, church leaders, educators, youth workers, and elected officials welcomed the milestone but raised concerns about the short timeframe and the inclusion of smaller Pacific nations. "This is about making sure our Pacific community isn't left behind again," said Manurewa Local Board chair Matt Winiata. "This strategy gives us a tool to unlock long-term funding and bring visibility to Pasifika in Manurewa. But we need to get it on paper now." The 10-year strategy outlines six short-term priorities: The committee developed the strategy through surveys, online submissions, and community talanoa. Ifopo said the community built the strategy for themselves. "We're not politicians, but we speak action," she said. "While we have the opportunity and the funding, let's move, otherwise this becomes just another document gathering dust." Auckland Council facilitator Akerei Maresala-Thomson said the process connected data with tautua (service), to ensure the final strategy is both meaningful and financially empowering. "We want to lock it down, so there's no excuses for our community to miss out again." Throughout the evening, speakers urged the strategy to reflect the full Pacific spectrum - especially smaller nations. "There's about 2400 of us Tokelauans in Aotearoa, even less in Manurewa. We make up less than 1 percent of the Pacific population here," said community leader Matt Enelio. "Our language is endangered. How can we make sure our people are represented in this plan?" Fesaitu Solomone, chief executive of the Centre for Pacific Languages, echoed the importance of inclusive design and engagement - particularly for often-overlooked communities. "We need to look for those communities, engage with them so they feel like they're part of Manurewa and the Pan-Pacific Strategy." Although few young people attended the event, their contributions helped shape the plan. "Youth was one of our key priorities," said Maresala-Thomson. "Not many turned up in person early on, but they engaged online. That feedback informed the February talanoa and helped shape the subcommittee that refined the strategy." Youth representative D'Angelo Baice provided a voice on the committee. With only one Pacific member currently on the Manurewa Local Board, Ifopo also called for greater community participation in local government. "We're not doing well in civic participation," she said. "We're not voting. It doesn't speak the language of our young people. But we must engage so that we can have the voice." Community members are encouraged to share final feedback by 7 May via email or directly with committee representatives. The strategy will be submitted for endorsement on Thursday afternoon. "We need you, we need your thoughts," Ifopo said. "We're inviting the whole village to come along. This is our work together." While some called for more time, many agreed the opportunity was too important to miss. "We've waited long enough," said one elder. "Let's not miss the boat." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
BBC News
15-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Wirral: £12m regeneration works start in Liscard town centre
Work is set to start on the £12m regeneration of a town centre on Merseyside. Up to 100 "affordable and quality" homes, a new community centre and improvements to the high street and shop fronts are planned for Liscard in plans include the demolition of former council offices on Egerton Grove which have been described by councillors as "an eyesore".Wirral Council leader Paul Stuart said the revamp would help "to build a more resilient, prosperous Liscard". The town was one of 55 projects across the country to get cash in the third round of government Levelling Up former Liscard Municipal Building and Community Centre will be demolished over 18 weeks to make way for new homes to be built, with work expected to start in council said the new home development would "offer a unique opportunity to redevelop the disused land and provide much needed affordable, quality housing within Liscard town centre".A decision notice published by the local authority said the disused buildings had been "boarded up for many years" attracting "regular vandalism at a cost to the council". Councillor James Laing said the beginning of the demolition was "excellent news" as it was "an eyesore that attracted antisocial behaviour".Councillor Janette Williamson said it was a positive step after years of pushing for more investment in the town Stuart said the authority would be working with the local community "to build a more resilient, prosperous Liscard and turning the vision we've had for some time now a reality". "It's the latest site in Wirral's ambitious regeneration plan to take a major step forward this year, and demonstrates our continued commitment to deliver on the plans we've so diligently developed," he said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
15-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Dorset man's petition to save day centre for wife with dementia
A man whose wife has dementia has launched a petition to save her local day care Mariner's wife, Mary, has early-onset dementia and he says the services "are vitally important" to Council is reorganising the way adult services are delivered in the Community Centre is one of six centres at risk of closing as the council looks to move to what it calls a Hub and Spokes model. "Mary was diagnosed with Alzheimer's about seven years ago," Mr Mariner explains. "She comes here twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and for both of us, it's a huge benefit."She meets friends, they have tea and coffee, go for walks when the weather is nice." Mr Mariner says Dorset Council's plans to move services to a hub at Sturminster Newton is "not an acceptable alternative"."It's a 20 to 25-minute drive on a good day. It would make it very, very difficult, if not impossible, because we're talking about an hours' round trip to drop her off," he says."It's not just the day care, the company, there's meals on wheels happening, there's other groups that meet here, it's a warm space in the winter, people come in, meet their friends, have a hot meal in the canteen, it's all very important really."It affects our lives greatly. If it were to close, it threatens my ability to work. "I don't know what we would do without this day centre. It's a vital facility, it's a vital building." Lorraine Hawley worked as a carer in Blandford for more than 20 years and says she is still a "friend" of the centre."Many people use it for all different services," she says. "This is a vital day centre. If we didn't have it, then people would be isolated, they would lose friendships, they would lose support. The effects on the families as well, they would lose what they need to do in the day as well."We have disabled facilities, an enclosed garden for people with dementia, an outside garden for anybody who wants to use it."It's just a vital vital service and we need to keep it". Dorset Council launched a three-month consultation in March on changing the services it said: "We've been encouraged by the robust debate and interest in our consultation process."At Blandford, we explored with people how connected the centre was to the communities in Blandford, and the way in which the centre supported a wider set of community connections. "The engagement and community spirit was very much evident. As a result, we are now re-evaluating our current proposals for the site."Service users, their families, and carers, play a crucial role in helping us identify the best ways to support people who use the Blandford Day Centre or have additional needs within the community."We strongly encourage users to participate in the consultation process - it really is helping us to develop, change and improve our ideas for the future of the services and centres."It said no final decision had been reached on service provision – but that "the conversations we had in Blandford will mean it is highly likely to be a different proposal that comes forward". The petition launched by Mr Mariner gathered more than 750 signatures in less than 24 hours and been supported by several local councillors and Dorset North Conservative MP, Simon Dorset Council consultation closes on 9 June. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
