Voice of the People
RSVP WALKING GROUP
Walk leaders with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme organise and lead three walks every week, starting at various places across Stirling and Clackmannanshire on Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get extra exercise and have a chat along the way, contact Anne Marie on 07935 911156 for more details.
HANDYPERSON SERVICE
Handyperson volunteers carry out small/minor maintenance jobs in older people’s homes in the Stirling, Bridge of Allan, Dunblane, Callander and Clackmannanshire areas. The service is co-ordinated by registered charity Volunteering Matters. There is no charge and donations are gratefully accepted. Volunteers welcome. For details during the current climate call 01259 928088.
COUNCIL ON DISABILITY STIRLING
The office in Cameronian Street is open and available for all disability related work or enquiries. During the pandemic, COD continues to operate successfully by phone for all types of benefit form completion and follow up work to tribunal if required. Whilst COD is not yet offering face to face appointments, the situation is monitored continually and staff look forward to re-introducing this as soon as it is practicable. A wealth of information on services can be found on the website at www.councilondisability. org . All updates on face to face reopening will also appear here. Please phone 01786 462178 or 07521 186159 or email advisor@ councilondisability.org.
ROCKTALK
Stirling’s talking newspaper for the blind is free to visually impaired members of the community. Contact Mike Milne at enquiries@rocktalk.org.uk or 01786 816673.
NEURO CENTRAL
Neuro Central aims to ensure that people in Scotland who live with neurological conditions, as well as their carers and families, have access to high quality services, therapies, information and support in a friendly, relaxed environment so nobody has to feel alone. Meetings are held on the first and third Monday of the month at Stirling County Cricket Club from 11am-1pm. Precautions will be taken to ensure, as far as possible, the safety of our members, volunteers and therapists. Further information is on the Facebook page, by calling 07526 281747 or on the website ‘neurocentral.org.uk.’ As usual, everyone welcome. If you would like a cuppa, please bring your own cup.
ALZHEIMER SCOTLAND
Contact dementia advisor Donna Paterson at dpaterson@alzscot.org, 01786 8311 or 07733 302772.
TOWN BREAK
The charity group supports people with early to moderate stage dementia to live well. For more information in the current climate, contact 01786 641841 or email admin@townbreakstirling.org.
STIRLING CITY CHOIR
Weekly rehearsals have resumed on Tuesdays from 7.30-8.30pm in Park Church (former St Columba’s). The Spring Concert which will take place on the evening of Sunday, April 10 in the Church of the Holy Rude will be a performance of Karl Jenkins’ ‘The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace’. Further details available via the website at www.stirlingchoir.org.uk or through the Facebook page.”
FORTH VALLEY TOP TOES
Part of the Braveheart Association non-profit charity providing personal footcare service to adults who are unable to cut their own toenails. Cost is £15 per session which covers overheads and the customers’ nail care kit. It offers basic nail clipping and filing every six-10 weeks by a team of trained NHS approved volunteers but do not provide other podiatric treatments. The clinic meets at the Bellfield Centre, Stirling Community Hospital, Livilands Gate, Stirling on Thursdays from 9am-12.30pm. To book an appointment contact the Forth Valley Top Toes team on 07596 375674/01324 633505 or email louise.bleazard@nhs.scot.
STIRLING LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY
The 2021/22 season meetings are being held online, via Zoom. Meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month at 7pm. Registration details can be found on the current season section on the webpage. Online tutorials are available on the Zoom website. For more details on the society, please visit the About Us page.
STIRLING AND DISTRICT FLORAL ART CLUB
The club is returning to in-person meetings after two years of lockdown restrictions. Meetings have been organised on April 12 and May 10 - at 2.30pm. Please note the club is moving to a new venue - Park Church Main Hall, Park Terrace, Stirling. The entrance is from the side door. Visitors and new members are always welcome. Meetings cost £7 for visitors. Contact honorary secretary Mrs Sarah Murdoch fore more information on murdochsarah@btinternet.com.
LODGE ABERCROMBY NO 531
A regular meeting will be held in the Masonic Temple, Bridge of Allan on Tuesday, April 12 at 7.30pm. The business of the evening will be an Entered Apprentice Degree to which the RWM extends a warm welcome to all visitors and brethren to attend. Rehearsal on Sunday, April 10 at 7pm. All brethren taking part in the degree are requested to attend.
STIRLING POETRY SHARING GROUP
The group is restarting on the first
Thursday of the month from the new time of 11.30am to 12.30pm in the Smith Art Gallery, Dumbarton Road, Stirling. All are welcome to come along to share and enjoy poetry being read aloud. Bring a couple of poems of any era or style if you wish to read, or just come along to listen. If you wish to hear a particular poem read, but do not wish to read yourself, the group will provide a willing reader. The Smith Cafe is open from 11am for the sale of refreshments. Further details from 07464 602207. Future Thursday dates are May 5, June 2, July 7, August 1 and September 1.
SPIRIT MEDIUM
World-renowned spirit medium David Traynor will be appearing in Stirling this month. One of the UK’S leading mediums, David has toured the UK demonstrating his talent for many years, has appeared on TV and radio and published books on the subject of clairvoyance. He will be on stage at the Golden Lion Hotel, King Street on Thursday, April 21 at 8pm and tickets, priced £20, are available from David at 07812 019702 or by contacting Helen Henderson on 07771 647326. David will also be appearing in Aberdeen on Wednesday, April 20 and Fort William on Saturday, April 23. For more details contact Helen on above number.
DUNBLANE CIVIC SOCIETY
On Monday, April 11 the society concludes its programme of speakers with a presentation by Bill Calman entitled Ault Wharrie - the story of an Edwardian house in Dunblane. The meeting is to be held in the Braeport Centre, Dunblane at 7.30pm. Free entry to visitors.
CARSE OF STIRLING ROTARY CLUB
Last week saw Rotarians gather at the Golden Lion Hotel for a speaker’s evening. Speaker was Justin Laurie from NHS Forth Valley who is a Champion for Public and Patient Involvement in Research. He explained how he tries to encourage the public and patients to play an active part in deciding the areas that NHS Forth Valley does research into. There was an interesting and lively conversation about the challenges and rewards of doing such a role. Members are also going full steam ahead with the organisation of this year’s Kids Out Day which is due to take place in June. Whilst the future cannot be predictred with certainty, hopes are high that this event can go ahead. Anyone who would like more information on helping people both locally and internationally through Rotary can either pay a visit to the Golden Lion Hotel on a Wednesday night or get in touch through social media channels by searching for ‘@carserotary.’
THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION SCOTLAND
There will be a monthly meeting of the Stirling branch on Tuesday, April 12 at 7.30pm upstairs in the Kilted Kangaroo, Upper Craigs, Stirling. All military personnel serving or retired are more than welcome to come along on the night. For any more information please contact James on 01786 609770.
BRIDGE OF ALLAN AND DUNBLANE ROTARY CLUB
Rotarian Tony Jannetta, Rotary District 1010’s Rotary Foundation Advocate, gave members a valuable reminder of the background to the formation and the current operation of the Rotary Foundation. Established in 1917, the Foundation has been at the heart of Rotary’s grant-aiding programme that supports a wide variety of projects worldwide. Of special significance in this context has been Rotary’s support for the End Polio Now initiative. Working with the World Health Organisation and other national and international partners, Rotarians worldwide have invested $2.1 billion to support the drive to free the world of this disease. As a result of the extraordinarily successful programme, since 1980 three billion children have been inoculated against polio, with a total worldwide of just five cases recorded in 2021 in two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. But, Tony emphasised, the Foundation has also been an active advocate and supporter of a wide range of global and district initiatives. These are set out in Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus - water, sanitation and hygiene; disease prevention and treatment; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; community economic development; peace building and conflict prevention and the most recent Area of Focus protecting the environment. To fund projects supporting these Areas of Focus, Rotarians worldwide contribute to the Annual Fund, the primary source for these grants. In 2019-20, Tony reported, Rotary Foundation provided $130 million for 1850 grants to enable large-scale international activities responding to these Areas of Focus, and also to support smaller-scale Rotary district grants. In the latter category, he noted the club’s success in being awarded a £20,000 grant to fund the supply of PPE equipment for Strathcarron Hospice. A further Rotary Fund – the Endowment Fund – has just over $1 billion professionally invested, with the annual earnings providing financial support for projects. The target is to increase the value of this Fund to $2 billion which would generate some $50 million annually in earnings to support Rotary’s activities. In addition, Rotary funds six Peace Centres around the world aimed at advancing knowledge and world understanding among potential future leaders. In 2019/20, 69 fellows from 35 countries began their studies. Since the programme began in 2002, Rotary Peace Centres have trained more than 1400 Fellows who now work in more than 115 countries. As a reassuring measure of Rotary Foundation’s performance, Tony revealed that, out of 8000 organisations worldwide assessed by Charity Navigator in 2021, Rotary Foundation had been placed fifth in terms of its efficiency, financial performance, accountability and transparency. Speaker’s Host Iain Fraser thanked Tony for a valuable insight into Foundation’s achievements that must, he said, serve as an encouragement to members in their support of its vital work. Club meetings are held in the Westlands Hotel, Dunblane at 6.15pm on Thursday. It is also possible to attend by Zoom. Non–members are welcome; anyone wishing to attend should contact secretary Stuart Brown at secretary@dunblanerotary.org.uk. The club’s programme can be found on the website: www.dunblanerotary.org.uk or on Facebook
OCHILS MOUNTAINEERING CLUB
Last weekend was a successful family club meet in Kinlochleven. Groups were out walking and indoor climbing at the Ice Factor. The socialising was enjoyable too. Other club members were walking in Glen Etive. With the longer days the climbers in the club are arranging indoor climbing sessions at The PEAK in Stirling and some outdoor climbing at local crags. Plans are being made for a club alpine trip to Switzerland in the second half of July. Details of forthcoming weekend meets at Lochinver in mid April and Glen Brittle campsite at the end of April are on the club website, at www.ochils.com,
STIRLING PROBUS CLUB
Stirling Probus had its first post-covid meeting on February 23 and held its AGM on Wednesday, March 9 in the Guide Hall, Glebe Avenue, Stirling. There were almost 20 attendees at both meetings. s there had been a two year suspension of activities, this bodes very well for the future. Next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 13 when President Peter Kendall will talk about a trek he and his son did around the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. The format of meetings is a half hour tea/coffee social time followed by a 45 minute to one hour speaker session. Speakers have covered topics ranging from “History of Stirling”, through “interesting member holidays”, to “experiences in the North Sea oilfields”. The club is part of the world-wide Probuss community - Probus Clubs are for retired or semi-retired ladies or gentlemen from all walks of life and may include business or professional people. New members are welcome – either come along any second or fourth Wednesday of the month or call President Peter Kendall 01786 464457 or Secretary Mike Milne 01786 816673 to find out more. The current programme runs until May 25, resuming for autumn/ winter/spring on September 14..