November 16, 2011
Small acts make the difference
Ross Martin’s plea (see Policy Talk – ‘Why we need to do more’) seems to have struck a chord in Fife. Last week 13 groups from across Fife were recognised at the It’s Your Neighbourhood awards ceremony. Local people who feel strongly enough to take some kind of positive action to improve something about the area where they live. Whether it’s the regular litter pick-up or tending a community garden, these small but important acts of caring for neighbourhoods make all the difference
Dedicated green groups from Levenmouth have blossomed and bloomed at a national award ceremony.
Five local organisations were among 13 from Fife who are celebrating recognition of their ecological efforts.
Keep Scotland Beautiful presented them with environmental ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ awards at a ceremony in Stirling last week.
The community groups were rewarded for their year-round efforts in creating beautiful, clean and green neighbourhoods.
The well-known CLEAR group in Buckhaven was praised for its ‘Outstanding’ achievement, while East Wemyss and McDuff Community Council was encouraged by its ‘Developing’ status.
In the ‘Thriving’ category, Links Road Neighbourhood Watch in Leven, Sea Road (South) Tenants and Residents Association and West Wemyss Community Development Trust were among those commended.
In its seventh year in Scotland, the ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ campaign is a Royal Horticultural Society campaign run north of the border by Keep Scotland Beautiful.
It is ideally suited to volunteer-led community gardening projects or groups who aim to clean up and green up their surrounding area, be it the estate where they live, a piece of communal ground, or the space outside a community building.
The campaign is inclusive and non-competitive, welcoming groups of all sizes.
It is all about bringing members of the community together to make a positive change to the place where they live, work or spend their leisure time.
Derek Robertson, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, and master of ceremonies at the presentations, said: “It’s Your Neighbourhood empowers groups across Scotland to change the areas they live in for the better – for their own benefit, their community, and for visitors alike.
“These groups should all be praised for the results they achieve year on year.”
It’s Your Neighbourhood communities were visited informally by an assessor during the summer.
Visitors examined three themes during their stay – community participation, environmental responsibility and gardening achievement.