Fiona Smith and Sarah Ade, representatives of the Glenkens Community Action Plan Steering Group, and Helen Keron, GCAT Executive Manager, met Gillian Brydson, Director of Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing and Ingrid Gemmell, Stewartry Ward Officer, on Tuesday 8th October 2024.

The Education and Learning event held in the Glenkens in July 2024 catalysed a very useful meeting between the CAP Steering Group and Dr Gillian Brydson, Director of the Dumfries and Galloway Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing deptartment.

Galloway Glens supported a Glenkens Men’s Shed project to make a replica of the famous Balmaclellan Mirror. The event on the 22nd August 2021, took place in the Smiddy car park in Balmaclellan and the casting was carried out by the Mobile Foundry.

The Glenkens Community and Arts Trust (GCAT) hosted an Education and Learning event in the Glenkens on 11th July 2024, on behalf of the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan Steering Group. The event was designed to inform and inspire, in response to the changing nature of education provision in remote-rural Glenkens.

A ‘Land Use in the Glenkens’ meeting was held on 8th July 2024 in The Smiddy, Balmacellan to report and discuss the recent land use projects.

This feasibility study provides recommendations and guidance on how the potential of the Vision for Land Use in the Glenkens could be realised. In 2023 the communities of the Glenkens adopted this Vision, which sets out their aspirations for creating a landscape which is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable, where all voices are heard, respected, and valued, and where empowered communities have more control over the market and policy forces which currently shape the use of land.

Dalry Community Council with GCAT commissioned three complementary reports studying Land Use and Local Place Planning in the Glenkens. The studies were funded by SoSE and Nature Scot, to set out the next steps required to embed land use considerations in the Glenkens into the medium term.

A report on the first year of delivery of the Glenkens Hub.

The Network’s purpose is to bring together the voluntary committees who run and maintain village halls and centres across the Glenkens.

This paper from the Community Action Plan Steering Group (CAP SG), owners of the Glenkens & District Community Action Plan, sets out a clear rationale for a delay to the decision to mothball the Dalry Secondary School to allow the wider impact on the community to be assessed and appropriate mitigating actions put in place.

Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) held their 2024 AGM on 29th January. After the business meeting, Helen Keron (GCAT Executive Manager) gave a five year Strategy Update for 2023-2028, including Artistic Vision and delivery of the Glenkens and District Community Action Plan (CAP).

This grant is for small tree and woodland planting projects which fall below the size eligible for the Forestry Grant Scheme. The maximum grant available is £1,000 per applicant per year.

Slides from meeting held on 19th September 2023 at the Smiddy, Balmaclellan by Ronan Doyle (Renewable Heat Engineer, Natural Power Consultants), Becca Nelson (Glenkens Community Spaces Network Facilitator) and Helen Keron (GCAT Executive Manager).

The ‘Can You Dig It’ Community Archaeology Programme was a four year Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership project, providing engaging and educational archaeology activities.

The Building Biographies project recruited volunteers to undertake research into some of the large country houses within Galloway.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Threave Landscape Restoration Project is a ground-breaking, 100 year initiative outside Castle Douglas.

Six booklets created during the Galloway Glens Scheme, supporting some of the different projects and initiatives undertaken.

A conservation report on the restoration of the Old Mortality sculpture in Balmaclellan.

A report on research carried out by Connecting in Communities (CiC), a Glenkens Community & Arts Trust project that ran between 2016 and 2023.

Active Travel Delivery Plan 2022-2032 presents an updated framework looking at creating suitable and attractive opportunities for walking, wheeling, cycling (or taking part in any form of active travel) across the region, by integrating the work of different Council services.