News & Events

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- Please drop me a line at mark@jardinefunerals.co.uk on any topic at all. -

As we begin 2012, - The People's Project looks to YOU for ideas to make Dumfries and Galloway a tourist destination!

To start the ball rolling, - how about a zip wire across the Nith, - or a tall ship berthed on the Whitesands?
Why can't we have a Peter Pan trail, - or what about an indoor football facility at the Loreburn Hall?

Contact me on mark@jardinefunerals.co.uk or drop me a line to Three Crowns Court Dumfries DG1 1HU

THANKS!
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Joanna Lumley very kindly agreed to support The People's Project's Beautiful Dumfries and Galloway calendar for 2012 - to raise some much needed funds to reinvest in the area.

CALENDARS ARE ON SALE FROM SOME OF OUR SPONSORS INCLUDING:
GARDENWISE, HOUSTONS, MONAGHANS, JACQUIES BEAUTY SALON, BARBOURS, HAUGHS, and The LOREBURN CENTRE

Be among the first to get next year's "must have" and this years perfect Christmas gift and stocking filler
JUST £4.95.
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ZERO TOLERANCE APPROACH TO LITTER

The People's Project appealed for a zero tolerance campaign, - writing to the Chief Constable and the council on October 4th.

The People's project have opened a dialogue with the police and we hope to be able to persuade the powers that be to include littering and dog fouling to anti-social behaviour, - allowing police officers to hand out fines.

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PETER PAN

"The One Show" on BBC 1 featured our statue in a row with Kirriemuir over the true birth-place of Peter Pan, on Wednesday August 17th, - recorded on BBC Iplayer.
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JOANNA LUMLEY OFFICIALLY UNVEILED THE STATUE OF PETER PAN AT GARDEN WISE
ON
THURSDAY AUGUST 11th.

Grateful thanks are extended to the management and staff at Garden Wise, Ineke Thomson and her dancers, - to Claire Hastings and everyone else who helped out behind the scenes to make this event so successful.
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The People's Project welcomed the judges of Beautiful Scotland to New Abbey on the 2nd of August and to Dumfries on the 11th of August.
A lot of preparatory work went into the presentations, - and we hope both communities do well at the awards in September and bring recognition to the region, - and with it extra visitors.
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HIGH SCHOOL INITIATIVE:
The People's Project worked with Story Homes and Tam Pott's, - a local dyker, -to rebuild the dry-stane dyke at The Stoop, - which had been gradually knocked down over the last 3 years.

Tam has been absolutely brilliant with the kids, - showing them in small groups, - how to build a dry-stane dyke.

It is hoped that this unique initiative will bring new skills to some youngsters, and that the kids from The High School will take ownership of the wall.

Thanks too to the teachers from the High School, - who had to brave monsoon conditions!

For full story see DG LIFE magazine (August edition)

CITY STATUS BID

Yes the People's Project submitted a bid for city status for Dumfries in the Queens Jubilee year, - but it did so in good faith, - which caused a bit of a furore, - to say the least.
  Without intending to cause embarrasment to anyone in the council, - we were completely taken aback when news was released on Thursday 16th June, - that Dumfries was on the list of candidate towns.
Unfortunately, - all bids have to be made by a council, - and given that at the 12th hour this couldn't be done, - we submitted the bid independently.
All things being equal, - The People's Project believes that Dumfries should be granted city status, - therefore becoming Scotland's First City, - and the brightest jewel in her Majesty's crown.

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The People's Project completed two fantastic litter picks with local schools, - the first organised by the teachers of New Abbey Primary, - and the second in conjunction with Dumfries High School in their 50th anniversary year.

A BIG thankyou to all teachers and pupils involved!
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The People's Project believes that the future of Dumfries & Galloway lies in tourism, - and for that reason, - it was more than happy to support Roy Kerr's plan to bring a tall ship to the region. - For more details see the June edition of "Dumfries and Galloway Life" magazine pps 32 & 33

Did you know that the town of Dumfries itself has 4 golf courses and 2 golf ranges?

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SOS QOS
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A BIG THANK YOU to Andrea Thomson of
"DG LIFE" MAGAZINE - who on page nine of the March issue, - included an article on the People's Project Lottery.
The magazine also distributed FREE - copies of the lottery leaflet.
80% of any revenue received through the lottery will be given to the SOS Fund to help Queen of the South in 2011!
You have a chance to win one of four prizes every week including £1000.00 and £25 000.00
All you need to do, - is click on the lottery section and follow the details, - or even more directly via www.unitylottery.co.uk, - type in the people's project, - and you can pay by means of a range of cards.

Many thanks to you all
and
Good Luck!
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The People's Project kicked off the campaign with a £2700 cash injection from the Burns Night / Ceilidh

"Pleasures are like poppies spread,
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed,
Or like the snow falls on the river,
       A moment white, - then gone forever."
                                                                            (Robert Burns)

"If Burns were alive today, - he would think of Queen of the South as a snow-flake, - a real -life star, - to be coveted like a precious jewel.
All those who love Queens will need to steer that snow-flake away from the river, - so it builds a strong foundation, - and lives forever."

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SNOW

We all have a civic duty to clear our paths, - pavements, shop-fronts and ultimately our roads of snow.

Imagine the scenario, - 6 inches of snow falls overnight, - yet we all jump into our cars wearing high heels, - and that's just the men!

Instead, - every able bodied person should do their bit prior to jumping into that warm cocoon - and ONLY then if the road is passable.

Instead of passing the buck - spend 20 minutes or more to make sure you and others will be safe BEFORE you set off.

While all this is happening, - the council should be attending to the main roads, - and everyone will live happily ever after.

Alternatively, - you could spend umpteeen hours freezing in a tin can!
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THEATRE ROYAL

The People's Project considers it imperative that the Theatre is saved in some guise at least.
It accepts the limitations of the theatre, - but believes it has a future, - perhaps as a restaurant/come visitor centre, - highlighting the town's connections with Burns, Bruce and Barrie.

Perhaps it could be renamed the Peter Pan Theatre, - providing workshops for schools and other groups?

In tandem, - those with a vested interest in the theatre need to embrace the possibility of a new, - state of the art facility being created in Dumfries, bringing top acts and many visitors to this unique corner of the world.

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Litter campaign

The People's Project have teamed up with local Eco-schools co-ordinator Liz Gumby to produce a callendar for 2011, - which has been designed by pupils from Maxwelltown High School and St. Joseph's College.

The theme of the calander is pupils against litter and some fantastic designs have been created, - including some litter pigs, - produced by Maxwelltown High, - and a wonderful spin on the X Factor by St. Joseph's.

Callendars priced at just £3.50 can be ordered from both schools and also from Solway Heritage 7 Church Crescent Dumfries, - tel (01387) 247543

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SUMMERHILL COMMUNITY (ALLOTMENT SCHEME)

The People's Project have donated £500.00 to the Summerhill Community Group who have done some sterling work over the last few years through the strong leadership of AnneMarie Coulter.
The donation aims to help the group set up an allotment, - and it has the backing of St. Georges Church in Dumfries, - who intend to provide the initial expertise to set up the sustainable scheme, - providing healthy activity and ultimately fresh vegetables for the kitchen in the centre to feed the community,
-.....a real people's project.
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FIREWORKS
The People's Project were the main sponsors of this years fireworks display at Park Farm, (organsied by the local Devorgilla Rotary Club)- which was yet again a phemomenal display.

Around 4000 people watched the event and around £1500.00 was raised for Cash For Kids, - and other local charities. (amount updated Monday 15th Nov.)

A tremendous effort from Devorgilla Rotary Club and a number of other charitable groups, - businesses and individuals in ensuring the success of the event, in what was a real people's project!

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FLOOD WALL CAMPAIGN (OCTOBER 2010)

As we enter the rainy season in Dumfries and Galloway, - the People's Project once again calls for a simple flood wall to be erected on the Whitesands to prevent the perennial problem of flooding in our regional capital.

As the article from "The Standard" in January suggests, - the PP is willing to put up an initial £10 000 to kick-start the project, ( £8K from the PP bank account and a further £2k from myself) - with the most straight forward of suggestions, - simply place a sandstone block on top of the existing wall and block off the sandy opening, - and 99% of the flooding problem will be solved!

Doing nothing has not worked, - spending millions of pounds is not an option, - so why not employ a couple of tradesmen, - remove a section of fence every day with a disc cutter, - bed the new sandstone coping stone, - and refix the fence when set?

Yes there will be some displacement, - but let's deal with that problem as and when it happens!

Why not involve students from D&G College to help with the job to make it a real People's Project, - and when it successfully holds back the Nith, - then inward investment, instead of dirty water will flood in to the Whitesands, - the jewel in the crown of our regional capital.

Anyone willing to support the Flood Wall Campaign with a donation should contact myself at mark@jardinefunerals.co.uk
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BEAUTIFUL SCOTLAND COMPETITION
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Dumfries won a coveted silver gilt award in the large town category of the above competition in Glenrothes on the 22nd of September, - coming second to the hosts.
The judges awarded the town 160 points out of a possible 200, in a range of areas from cleanliness to biodiversity, - and from lack of graffiti to the number of hanging baskets.
The People's Project would like to thank Civic Pride - Dumfres and Galloway Council- the education department - the Dumfries and Galloway Standard and all businesses and householders for taking part in a real people's project.

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The Proposed Robin Rigg Wind Farm Extension:
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The People's Project vehemently opposes the proposed extension by "E-ON" of the wind-farm in the Solway, - as this will impact severely on the communites of Rockcliffe and Kippford.
The villages are in an area of outstanding natural beauty, - and attract visitors from all over the world, - who come to marvel at the sea-scape.
Sadly, - those numbers may reduce drastically ,- if this extension goes ahead - at a time when Dumfries and Galloway needs all the visitors it can get!
Everyone who opposes the extension should join the People's Project to keep "E-ON" out!
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DUMFRIES SEA-GULLS
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Once again the People's Project calls for a bye-law to prevent people feeding sea-gulls in Dumfries.
By feeding the birds and leaving litter simply attracts the gulls, - and people should try everything in their power to get rid of them.
If we all ensure that there is no litter lying around (and hence no food source) the birds will fly away to find a new supply.

So simple, - yet so effective!

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PUPIL'S PROJECT
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Letters have gone out to all schools in Dumfries, - asking pupils to form an army to help make Dumfries the cleanest town in the UK.
Colin Grant, - the director of education has given his backing to the campaign, -but we are under no illusion that this will be an overnight success.

If you are a pupil, - you can make a massive difference to your town and region, - simply pick up a piece of litter and then find the nearest bin, - or better still, - fill a bag and then drop it in the bin at home, or at school

(please remember)

IT ONLY TAKES A SECOND TO PICK UP ONE PIECE OF LITTER!

THANKS!
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PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PRINT OFF AND PLACE ONE OF OUR POSTERS IN A PROMINENT PLACE, - PLEASE NOTE AT A RECENT MEETING THE "IT ONLY TAKES A SECOND" POSTER WAS VOTED THE MOST EFFECTIVE.
Below are some our our current campaign posters. Please click on the associated links to download them in Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) format:

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