Linlithgow Aspires – our town, our future – let's make it happen

Venue: Black Bitch, Linlithgow

Attendees:

David Keddie, Alan McColm, Calum Hay, Anne, Daly, Jim Hay, David Tait, Mike Vickers, Hazel Hay, Alex Stewart, Karen Cadell.

1. JH gave a brief outline of Aspires to date.  The leadership team continues to facilitate the route towards a fully operational community led project having already developed a draft Guidance and Constitution for the group to take forward and improve upon. Background research into framework options has been undertaken including possible delivery mechanisms. Those included advice taken from the public sector, government schemes and initiatives, private sector specialists, regeneration bids examples, various outside consultants, Development Trusts, Renaissance Towns leaders and a host of others. The realisation at the end of this research being that the most successful places are those which have done it largely for themselves. Linlithgow has so much talent within the community to be utilised and it can be driven forward as a bottom up process by the community. The meeting tonight is about setting out direction and establishing what input everyone can contribute.

1. The group then gave a brief introduction about themselves and where their skills or interest lies:

Alan McColm – working with younger people, education and schools

Alex Stewart– can offer skills in graphics, design and marketing, advertising and in any positive way.

David Tait – no specific skills but will work on anything that can make a positive contribution.

Hazel Hay – will help wherever required.

Mike Vickers – would like to work on moving more small professional business into the town

Calum Hay – wants to bring a younger person perspective and to do things for the younger people of the town.

Anne Daly – happy to offer services in a fund raising role and in regeneration.

David Keddie – urban economist and will work on taking the project plan forward

Karen Cadell – help to develop the vision and community engagement

1. David Keddie then went on to give a brief presentation on “The Broad Approach to the way forward” based upon his many years experience in this field as an urban economist.  (Presentation document attached)  The team fully supported David’s proposal and it was agreed that this would be a good forward plan.  Alex Stewart will work with David to simplify the presentation document for presentation at the community engagement meetings and for the website

1. Karen Cadell agreed to work in conjunction with David on the “Way Forward” and on a community engagement plan.  These are to be discussed at the next meeting.

5.  Date of next meeting:

Thursday, 8^th October at 7.30 pm.