Members enjoy Dougie MacLean meet and greet
Worthy causes from across Renfrewshire have enjoyed performances by some of the top names at this year’s Spree festival, thanks to a community tickets scheme.
The Men’s Shed is among the groups to benefit, with a visit to the Dougie MacLean gig at the Spiegeltent on Wednesday night, where they also got to meet the man himself.
The group sees men of all ages meet weekly in a social setting at the Foxbar Youth Centre. They build birdhouses, plant boxes and bird feeders, tend to community allotments and undertake guided walks all over Renfrewshire and beyond.
Volunteer coordinator, Janice MacNamara, said: “Coming together at a gig like this makes such a difference to the men.
”It’s a social thing, some of them don’t have any family, so it’s another night out.
“Meeting Dougie was just brilliant. We were chatting away about Paisley.
“Different men of all ages come to our group for different reasons. Some come through bereavement because they’ve lost their partner and we also have men who maybe have mental health or addiction issues, though they are all free from drugs and alcohol when they come.
“No questions are asked about anybody. It’s about sharing skills and helping each other and it’s been great for all of them to get together in this way.”
Community group tickets made available for this year’s Spree festival also includes 100 given out for Paolo Nutini’s soldout homecoming gig at Paisley Abbey on Friday.
Sixty were given to community groups through charity Engage Renfrewshire, with another 40 distributed to looked-after children through the council’s social work department.
Other groups which benefited across the festival include the Star Project, Paisley and Renfrew YMCAs, Street Stuff and Haven Recycling.
As the Spree continued this week, top comics Tom Urie and Janey Godley teamed up for a special night of music and laughter at the Burger and Keg Live Tent, located just outside Paisley Abbey.
Another raft of aspiring musicians, including Anton and the Colts, Kieran Sinclair and Friends, and Bobby Deams performed at the Danny Kyle Open Stage at the Spiegeltent, while the Spree For All fringe festival hosted live music at a string of venues across the town centre, including at The Old Swan Inn.
Other upcoming highlights include the Brewband show at Paisley Town Hall tonight, singer songwriter James Grant’s show at Paisley Abbey tomorrow and the RSNO takeover at Paisley Abbey on Tuesday, where talented Renfrewshire schoolchildren will perform with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Paisley 2021 Bid director Jean Cameron said: “The Spree allows us to take culture to every corner of Renfrewshire.
“The aim of the UK City Culture 2021 bid is to allow us to open the benefits of culture and the arts to all.
“The community groups tickets initiative at the Spree festival allows us to support local charities and communities in this way and give them to access cultural experiences they would otherwise be unable to.”
Tickets for shows are available from www.thespree.co.uk and the box office on 0300 300 1210.