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Daily Record
3 days ago
- Science
- Daily Record
'Power Trail' launches at New Lanark and the Falls of Clyde
The project explores heritage, environment and hydro power through interactive learning. A 'Power Trail' has officially launched at New Lanark and the Falls of Clyde – inviting schools, visitors and learners of all ages to explore the remarkable story of waterpower, from 18th-century cotton mills to 21st-century renewable energy. On Monday, June 2, the public trail was officially launched at New Lanark with representatives from all partner organisations, as well as students and educators from Lanark Grammar School, who were among the first to explore the new trail in action. The Power Trail follows a 1.2km walking route from New Lanark through the Falls of Clyde nature reserve, past Dundaff Linn, Bonnington Power Station, and up to Corra Linn. It includes 12 interpretation panels across eight key locations and takes around 45 minutes to complete. Kate Lapping, head of heritage at New Lanark, said: 'We're delighted to have partnered on this project and are grateful for the opportunity to further develop our visitor experiences. This initiative will not only explore our onsite heritage but also highlight its connections to the wider community and environment.' The trail has been developed as part of the Vision for Lanark initiative and is a partnership between Lanark Community Development Trust, Drax, New Lanark Trust, and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. It has received funding from Drax Group, operators of Bonnington Power Station, and SSE's Sustainable Development Fund, which also supported the creation of linked STEM education resources. Sylvia Russell, chairman of Lanark Community Development Trust, said: 'As chairman of Lanark Community Development Trust I would like to thank our partners, New Lanark Trust and Scottish Wildlife Trust, for their help and support in bringing this project to completion. 'We are also very grateful to Drax and SSE for their generous grant funding. We hope that visitors to New Lanark will find the new trail interesting and informative and that school groups will make use of the excellent STEM teaching resources.' The Power Trail has been carefully developed to support school group learning, introducing learners to three core themes: heritage, environment, and hydro-electricity. The accompanying digital STEM resources are designed for use in the classroom to enhance onsite visits or support remote learning, making the trail's themes accessible beyond the walk itself. While designed with educational groups in mind, the trail is open to all visitors and learners. Whether walking the trail or engaging with the digital content, the Power Trail encourages everyone to discover the story of waterpower and its relevance to Scotland's past, present, and future. The project has three core themes: ■ Heritage –Learn how 18th-century engineering innovation powered the cotton mills of New Lanark and discover 250 years of hydro technology. ■ Environment – Explore the Falls of Clyde and the Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve, home to ancient forests and diverse wildlife. ■ Hydro-Electricity – Visit one of the UK's earliest hydro-electric power stations, still generating clean energy today, and consider hydro's role in Scotland's energy future. Sarah Cameron, Scotland community manager at Drax, said: 'Drax are delighted to support the development of the Power Trail, as our Lanark Hydro scheme approaches its 100th anniversary. We hope all visitors following the trail enjoy learning about how Bonnington Power station operates using the River Clyde.' Michael Shanks, MP for Rutherglen & Minister for Energy, added: 'This exciting new trail showcases New Lanark's incredible heritage in the development of some of our first renewables – an early marker of Scotland's potential to generate clean power. Hydro schemes continue to play a critical role in our energy mix, and being able to see the journey of this technology through the centuries is a great opportunity.' Jamie Clarkson, ASC and geography teacher at Lanark Grammar, said: 'The pupils all commented that they liked seeing all the different parts of the trail, especially the water wheel, turbine and the waterfall. They all came away saying that they had learned something new, and they were full of smiles for the rest of the afternoon. Definitely a great wee afternoon out for them all.' And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
Powys County Times
20-05-2025
- Powys County Times
Powys communities improve public toilets with £40,000
Two Powys communities have benefitted from £40,000 of funding from the Welsh Government towards new public toilet facilities. Berriew and Crickhowell have revamped the public toilets via funding secured by Powys County Council from the Welsh Government, with Berriew receiving £22,500 towards improving the 50-year-old toilets in the centre of the village and Crickhowell getting £18,000 towards a revamp of the toilets at the Crickhowell Resource and Information Centre. The funding was secured by the council's economy and climate service to cover 80 per cent of the project costs, while the improvements were managed by by Crickhowell Town Council and Berriew Community Council. Councillor James Gibson-Watt, Powys County Council's cabinet member for a more prosperous Powys, said: 'It's great that visitors to Crickhowell and Berriew now have access to better toilet facilities. 'I hope more people will now be encouraged to stop off and see what both places have to offer and spend more than just a penny.' Crickhowell Town Council used its funding, along with a Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Sustainable Development Fund grant, to install new water-saving toilets, waterless urinals, 8kWp PV solar panels and battery, and low energy light fittings. Crickhowell town councillor Tony D'Anna said: 'This project took over six months to complete, but the hard work will pay off in the end. The town council and CRiC should save £5,000 per year on the operating costs for the toilets – currently more than £23,000 – and we will reduce our carbon footprint by over one tonne. 'Its success will be down to terrific partnership work with Powys County Council's tourism team, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and CRiC staff.' Berriew Community Council used its funding, along with a National Lottery Awards for All grant, to create two modern public toilet compartments, accessible to all, including those in wheelchairs and families needing baby change facilities. Councillor Phil Bettley, chair of Berriew Community Council added: 'This major refurbishment was long overdue and entailed us buying the freehold from the landlord for £1 to secure the facilities into the future. "We now have two modern, self-contained, private spaces with hygienic facilities which are frequented regularly by locals, tourists and those passing by. 'This couldn't have achieved without the Brilliant Basics grant and the National Lottery, Awards for All, scheme and we are very grateful to both bodies for their tremendous support.'
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Waterford resident helping Ukrainian women cope with war
A Waterford woman on the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women has been working to help improve the mental health of Ukrainians affected by the three-year-long war that started with Russia's invasion of the country in 2022. Nancy Butler, a longtime local financial adviser, author and motivational speaker, said she got the idea to bring together women's groups from throughout Ukraine to discuss mental health issues when she heard during a commission meeting about the extraordinary toll the war was taking on the country's female population. She said the idea was immediately embraced by Ukrainian women's groups, and just last month dozens of them gathered on Zoom to talk about programs that have helped women who feel isolated, threatened and under a tremendous amount of pressure as much of the male population has been forced to fight a war to save their democracy. The biggest problem of mental health of women in Ukraine, in my opinion, is burnout," said Natalia Gnatyuk, who heads the Sustainable Development Fund for the Ukrainian Sustainable Development Academy, U-SDA, in a western region of the country called Khmelnytskyi, in an email response to questions. "Three years of full-scale Russian invasion devastated Ukrainian settlements, especially small towns and villages. The entire burden of supporting the front, supporting the family, the elderly and people with disabilities fell on women." In an earlier Zoom interview Feb. 25 from her home in Ukraine, Gnatyuk said the sessions Butler helped set up Jan. 6 were very powerful, and she has been busy forming new partnerships as a result, especially around sustainable development and recovery. "It was our first time when we have such international cooperation," she said via Zoom. "It's nice to create new partnerships." Gnatyuk equated the mental health service delivery system in Ukraine today with the idea that "whoever took the first coat is the doctor." But she said the recent Zoom conference, which brought together many different regions of Ukraine, pointed to the need to form a new social ecosystem based on partnerships within certain geographic areas, rather than the traditional institutional approach that tends to erect walls based on different mental health categories. "In Ukraine today there are many organizations that provide assistance by dividing people into categories and this, in my opinion, is the wrong path, since by communicating with people with similar traumas, we have no chance to get out of this circle of problems," Gnatyuk said. "In this case, multifunctional teams are more flexible and sustainable. They help a person gradually find their unique place, restore, helping others." Gnatyuk said women's mental health issues in wartime can be affected by the loss of loved ones, of course, but there are also myriad other issues, including everyday problems with apartment repairs, medical care, and the stigma of mental disorders. Some women fear giving birth to children in the middle of a war, and for female students the isolation of distance learning and lack of socialization can negatively affect mental health. "Emotional stress plus physical exhaustion lead to disruptions in the nervous system," Gnatyuk said. To combat this, she added, "The most effective are emotional reset programs, collective cultural and educational activities. Constructive and productive communication in support groups. Formation of local multifunctional teams capable of organizing social support for ALL who need it." Women's groups in Ukraine, she added, are currently trying to collect success stories to focus on how people can change their lives in a positive direction. One methodology, she said, focuses on helping women transition from the "survival" paradigm to a "creation" paradigm as a way to take control of their lives. Gnatyuk said her country is aware of the current political situation that indicates the United States is withdrawing support for her country, but believes it was predictable even if it's a wrong turn for both Ukraine and the United States. "We in Ukraine are now forming an image of the future world order," she said. "We are convinced that within the American people there are many capable cells that will not wait for political decisions, but will make their own correct decisions in the direction of partnership and interaction at the basic level." She said ordinary Americans are now helping the most to bolster Ukraine's spirit. Nancy Butler, who has been a leader among women locally with such groups as Safe Futures and the Women's Network of Eastern Connecticut, said she was glad to be able to put a spotlight on the women of Ukraine as the war drags on. "Right now, when heads of state cannot agree and provide peace and security to humanity, the role of personal connections becomes especially relevant," Gnatyuk said. "The formation of communication at the level of 'person-person,' 'group-group,' the implementation of micro-projects, daily activities, even if small, are the key to our common stability. And the more of them there are, the better.
