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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
Following this year’s successful Spring Concert, a performance of ‘The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace’ by Karl Jenkins, the choir is now on its summer break. Rehearsals resume on Tuesday, September 6 at 7.30pm at Park Church when the choir will be getting ready for the Christmas Concert as well as planning ahead for next year’s Spring Concert - a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah. New members always welcome. More information on www.stirlingcitychoir. org.uk twitter: @stirling_choir Facebook: Stirling City Choir”
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. Next meeting is on May 10 at 2.30pm. Please note the club has moved 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.
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.
OCHILS MOUNTAINEERING CLUB
The club Skye meet was a great success with many club members making their way to Glen Brittle. Many peaks, scrambles and rock climbs were done. With the longer days the climbers in the club are arranging some outdoor climbing at local crags at Cambusbarron, Kips crag, Limekilns and Dollar quarry. There’s still some indoor climbing sessions at The PEAK in Stirling. On the social front, the Thursday’s pub meet will take place at the Crossed Peels, Stirling from 8pm, non-members are welcome to attend. Plans are being made for a club alpine trip to Switzerland in the second half of July. The club has a guest speaker tonight (Wednesday) at Stirling County Cricket Club starting at 8pm. The speaker is the well known ultra hill runner Debbie Martin Consani. The next day trip is on May 15 details on website below. There is a new members meet at the club cottage on July 1-3. It’s a great way for folk interested in joining the club to meet existing members and get involved with the club activities. There are membership incentives for those wishing to join the club. Please see the website for further details. Details of forthcoming weekend meet at the Roybridge campsite at the beginning of June are on the club website, at www.ochils.com, or check out Ochils Mountaineering Club on Facebook for current activities.
ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS REGIMENTAL SSOCIATION
The next Stirling branch meeting will be tonight (Wednesday)at 7pm at the King Robert Hotel, Glasgow Road, Whins Of Milton. All regiments are welcome. If you would like any further information please contact the secretary on secretary. aashstirlingbranch@btinternet.com, or the chairman by phone 07940 828434 or email james21healy@outlook.com.
LODGE ABERCROMBY NO 531
A special meeting will be held in the Masonic Temple, Bridge of Allan on Friday, May 6 at 7.30pm. The business of the evening will be the MMM Degree. All Lodge members who have not yet received this distinction, are requested to attend on this evening. All brethren and visitors will be made most welcome.
CARSE OF STIRLING ROTARY
Last week saw the club meet at the Golden Lion for its AGM where the club appointed conveners and council members for the next Rotary year and listen to annual reports. The club also had a social outing on Friday to the tenpin bowling. The winner on the lanes was President Gordon with an impressive score which saw him lift the club’s trophy. On Tuesday members of the club helped Braehead Primary School with a community litter pick in their local area. It’s always rewarding to get involved with local projects and help make the Stirling area a nicer place to be. Rotarians are still working hard on the preparation for the annual Kids Out Day at Bridgehaugh on Wednesday, June 8 with only around a month left until the big day. Things are going well and special thanks are due to Eddie Cramb and Jimmy Muirhead for their particularly dedicated efforts to date. Anyone interested in helping people, both locally and abroad, can either pay a visit to the Golden Lion Hotel on a Wednesday from 6.30pm or get in touch through social media channels by searching for @carserotary.
BRIDGE OF ALLAN AND DUNBLANE ROTARY CLUB
Nowadays we think nothing of boarding a plane to fly halfway round the world, with as little concern as if we were getting on to a bus or train. But, as Rotarian George Matthews explained, behind the scenes there is complex network of air traffic management at work ensuring our safety. In his talk, George described the evolution of this system that now controls the movement of tens of thousands of aircraft every day. Crucial to the overall safety of passengers across the world are the standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) that are accepted worldwide as the benchmarks for flight crew, aircraft maintenance, communications and navigation. In the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority is the agency appointed by the government to oversee all aspects of aviation. In terms of the management of air traffic it is the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) that carries the responsibility for controlling air traffic and the infrastructure on which that control relies. The responsibility for air traffic control in the UK is divided into two Flight Information Regions: the northern, Scottish sector is controlled from a location near Prestwick Airport; the southern sector, formerly based at West Drayton, is now controlled from Swanwick, close to Portsmouth. Together they are daily responsible for some 6000 aircraft movements carrying 600,000 passengers. The system primarily uses radar to track aircraft, allowing controllers to maintain appropriate separation between aircraft to ensure safety. Since its introduction just before World War Two, the technology, initially able to identify the position but not the height of aircraft, has developed significantly to allow a variety of information to be received, including a prediction of where an aircraft will be in 10 minutes time. George gave several video illustrations of the extent of air traffic within the UK and of that flying to and from America, where, in the latter case, the choice of route is affected by the position and speed of the jet stream which can add (or reduce) an aircraft’s ground speed by as much as 150 to 250mph. 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 the club 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: www.facebook. com/dunblanerotary.
PARKINSON’S
Stirling and Clackmannanshire Branch will meet on Wednesday, May 11 from 1-3pm in the Cochrane Hall, Alva. Anyone living with Parkinson’s and their partner/carers are welcome. Meetings are normally held on the first Wednesday of the month but because the hall is being used for the local elections, the meeting is being held on the following Wednesday (May 11).
STIRLING ROTARY CLUB
President Robin Sutton welcomed members, in particular SVP Philip Alison back from his long family trip to Australia. There were two other visitors, both from the Alloa club - Alun Morgan and Celia Norton, both ADGS. Alloa has had a long connection with the Rotary Club of Warsaw City and it isnow using this connection to pass on funds for Ukraine. Alloa is one of four clubs, the others being Warsaw City, Berlin and Milan North involved in the current project, and so far Alloa has passed on £7500 gathered from local Scottish clubs. This is part of a much larger activity which so far has provided two ambulances, hospital beds and mattresses, power generators and of course food and garments. In addition they run a refuge currently accommodating 40 women there on a temporary basis until the situation on Ukraine becomes clearer. Apart from passing on money gathered from local clubs, the Alloa club is active fund raisers, currently the Tour de Clacks a 13-mile marshalled cycle ride which took place on May 1. Money gathered from this an from any other clubs goes directly to Warsaw City who have good local contacts and who know what is currently needed.
THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION SCOTLAND
The RBLS will hold a monthly meeting at 7.30pm on Tuesday, May 10, upstairs in the Kilted Kangaroo, Upper Craigs, Stirling. All serving & ex service personnel, welcome to come along. For any more information, call Jame on 01786 609770