Meeting of Stakeholders – Belleisle Park

21st June 2012

Prestwick Committee Room, County Buildings, Wellington Square, Ayr

In attendance:

Organisation / Representative
1. / Friends of the Belleisle / Olena Stewart ( Vice Chair Person)
2. / Belleisle Conservatory Ltd. / Tony / Ruth Bowbeer
3. / South Ayrshire Council (HLF Bid) / Lorna Jarvie / Fiona Ross
4. / Scottish Natural Heritage / Graeme Walker
5. / Alloway & Doonfoot CC / Ruth Bowbeer
6. / VASA / Marie Oliver
7. / Forehill, Holmston & Masonhill CC / David Pugh
8. / West of Scotland Agricultural College / Kev Theaker
9. / Ayr College / Sooh Sweeney
10. / Kyle & Carrick Civic Society / Colin Hope
11. / Ayr Photographic Club / Robert Collie / Graeme Walker
12. / Local Scottish Wildlife Trust / Robbie Mann / Kevan McCallum
13. / Local SOC / David Rackham
14. / Local RSPB / David Rackham
15. / Plant Heritage / Pat Gibbs
16. / Alloway Parents & Toddler Group / Rhona Mortlock
17. / Duke of Edinburgh Award / John Muir / Bruce Harris
18. / Early Learning / Sarah Pye
19. / Fort, Seafield & Wallacetown CC / Olena Stewart
20. / Kincaidston & Belmont CC / Molly Nutt
21 / South Ayrshire Council / Jim McQuillan (Head of Property and Neighbourhood Services) / Lorna Jarvie ( Sustainable Development Policy Officer) / Fiona Ross (Environment Strategy Officer)

Apologies:

Organisation / Representative
1. / CTV / Julie Grant / Sandra Sussman- Bryden
2. / Scouts / Eric Johns

Notes of Meeting

  1. Introductions

Jim McQuillan provided a short presentation regarding recent developments relating to Belleisle Estate. This was followed by an update by Friends of Belleisle (Olena Stewart) and Belleisle Conservatory Ltd. (Ruth Bowbeer) regarding their respective groups and progress made by each to date.

Lorna Jarvie invited all representatives to introduce themselves, which organisation they represent, how they use the park and if they do not use it why they do not use it. See appendix 1 for details.

  1. Potential Events Calendar

Fiona Ross provided examples from other Parks which have events calendars with a variety of events which would appeal to a range of people. Fiona Ross distributed a mock up of a Belleisle Events Calendar 2013 leaflet. There was a discussion about other parks having a full time staff member in the parks that supported the delivery of the events – while this is something that the Council and stakeholders can aspire to in the longer term for Belleisle, it is not something we have or are able to provide in the short term, i.e. to assist with an events calendar. Jim McQuillanreminded the group that the physical improvements / infrastructure would also take time to put in place,howeverto secure the funding to make all the desired improvements we need to demonstrate that there is activity in the park and that we are working together with the stakeholders in the room to increase activity. Documenting and publicising the events that already take place, and perhaps other events groups would wish to try and can support by themselves, will help to do this and to support any of those events and groups also. One good way of doing this will be to create a 2013 calendar bringing all the information about the events together in one leaflet.

Current / planned activities include :- Rhona Mortlock (Alloway Parents and Toddlers Group) is holding 3 teddy bear picnics and meets up on the main lawn every Friday 2012; Alloway Rotary hold their putting Competition at Belleisle 2012; SOC have kindly agreed to undertake a breeding bird survey of the area in 2013.

  1. Interactive Session

Lorna Jarvie invited attendees to provide examples of events currently being held in Belleisle and those that they thought could be held in the Park. These were noted by flipchart and are listed below:

Current Events / Group providing event
Teddy Bear’s Picnics / Alloway Toddlers
Weekly Nursery Outing (weather permitting / Alloway Toddlers
Putting Competition / Alloway Rotary
Outdoor Education / Coylton Community Nursery
Venue for course work / Scottish Agricultural College
Breeding Bird Survey / SOC
Cheese & wine
Sunflower planting with Rozelle Nature
Forest School
Weeding Weekends!
Sunday Sales!
Car Boot Sale
Country Fayre
Open Doors Day
Hourstons Exhibition / Belleisle Conservatory Ltd.
Suggested Events / Potential lead group if suggested
Education walks and talks- Wildlife and History e.g. Fungi Foragages; Trees; Mini beasts; Bat walks; history about the park and the area / RSPB / SWT volunteers
Adult picnics / Community Councils
Easter egg hunt ; Easter Fun day / Mother and Toddlers
Halloween Haunt! / Potential link to conservatory pumpkin growing
Fete’s / Community Councils
Keep fit in the park; seniors; toddlers; any age group / Green Gym / FoB, BTCV
Toddlers Olympics / Commonwealth games / Mother and Toddlers / Early Learning / Schools?
Putting Competitions
Children’s Trails – interpretative ones that they can do by themselves / Early Learning?
Photo competitions / learn how to take better photos / Ayr Photographic Society
Learn how to survey for flora and fauna / SWT volunteers?
Art in the Park / Environmental Art / Ayr College / Duke of Edinburgh?
Music / Band in the park / Ayr College
Theater in the park / Burns An’O’ That
Camp Craft / Duke of Edinburgh
Learning a craft – e.g. willow weaving in a yurt!
Skills sessions, volunteering sessions / John Muir Award / Duke of Edinburgh Award
Introduction to orienteering
Geocaching in the park
Mobile Climbing Tower / Dolphin House have the equipment
Construction / Music / Graphic Design Students could all make use of Belleisle / Ayr College

Below are comments that came out in the discussion:-

  • Having a building, a base that can be used by education / the community would be an important feature to increasing use of the park e.g. outdoor education nursery base; place that college or university students can use if weather inclement; a venue for community groups e.g. Green Gym’s. The Conservatory Group said they hoped that in the fullness of time the conservatory could potentially fulfill this purpose for some groups and be seen as a base for activities in the park.
  • Are there plans for allotments at Belleisle? Is there potential for allotment holders to share good practice or advice to those just starting to grow their own fruit / veg. either on an allotmentor in their garden? Are the allotment holders a stakeholder group that should be included in future meetings? It was agreed that the allotments contact would be contacted.
  • Pets corner was a recurring theme – recognising that it provided a significant attraction to people young and old. If there is no plan to restore the pets corner is there potential for alternative unusual attractions that would bring in the same people e.g. urbanfarm area or something else?
  • Is there funding for events? – the Council has a voluntary organisation grant that groups can apply to as well as the events development grant. In addition Marie Oliver of VASA also stated that they send out fortnightly newsletters re funding.
  • South AyrshireCouncil is happy to act in the role of coordinator to gather the information relating to stakeholders and their events as they relate to Belleisle and working with all to develop a calendar showcasing the level of support and commitment that there is within the community at large for Belleisle.
  • Ayr Photographic Club would investigate the possibility of providing recent photographs of Belleisle which would be able to be used in publications and publicity such as the events calendar.

Representatives were asked to take the idea back to their groups and discuss with them the potential for them to hold or run an event in Belleisle or to consider Belleisle a venue for their competition / activities as noted in the table above in relation to events. e.g. RSPB volunteers holding a dawn chorus / bird walk in Belleisle; Ayr Photographic Society using Belleisle as the focus for a competition; SWT volunteers possibly leading an introduction to trees walk or undertaking some survey work.

  1. Next Steps

Action / Action By
1. / Representatives to discuss with their group the potential events they may wish to hold over 2013 where they could use Belleisle as a venueand report back / ALL
2. / Contact to be made with each stakeholder group for feedback on today’s event and any potential future events from their group / FR
3. / Time and venue for next stakeholder meeting (date to be 27 September) to be confirmed / FR