A South Lanarkshire community council is looking for new dedicated members to join.
Cambuslang Community Council has vacancies and is looking for people who have a keen interest in helping out with projects and campaigns. This is ahead of elections for all established community councils across South Lanarkshire which will take place in October.
The community council has been successful in a range of projects, including improving the town centre.
Chair of the Cambuslang Community Council, John Bachtler, commented on the town centre improvements.
He said: “Our big focus has been on regenerating and rejuvenating the town centre.
"One of the most important things we’ve done is focusing on that because one of the things we’ve found from our community engagement was people have felt that they have lost a sense of civic pride.
"There are lots of people who’ve grown up in Cambuslang but they see the decline with the loss of local industries and the shift to online shopping – the town centre isn’t as vibrant as it once was.
“So, the big thing for us is we managed to get almost £1m from the Scottish Government Town Centre fund and working with South Lanarkshire Council we’ve now have new ‘streetscape’ including new pavements, new furniture and so on for a good part of the town centre.”
The community council has also created welcoming entrances in the town through the Cambuslang Gateway Project whereby murals have been placed at the entrances of the town and at the train station, this was made possible by lottery funding.
They have also brightened up the town centre with ‘Cambuslang in Bloom’, where members planted vibrant flowers and hanging baskets to make the town more welcoming.
The community council has also been involved with creating a new outdoor venue for locals by developing Clyde Cycle Park, and want to develop it further into an international standard sport and leisure park.
The community council has raised £1.5m so far and working with partners the skills circuit has been created to give people more of a chance to learn to cycle.
On top of this it has improved greenspace for locals and wildlife at Holmhills Wood Community Park.
Other successful projects include working with local schools and the wider community to rid the streets of litter through the Cleaning Up Cambuslang campaign, which has 600 members so far.
The community council also supports and promotes local businesses through its Cambuslang Loves Local project.
After all banks closed down in the town centre, the community group lobbied the financial sector and were able to become part of the ‘access to cash pilot’.
Cambuslang was one of the first bank hubs in the UK to create a branch with the post office and five banks to provide service in one unit.
Mr Bachtler said: “That’s had a really big impact on people coming down to the main street not just doing banking transactions but also shopping and it’s also been great for businesses.”
Speaking of the successes of the community group, Mr Bachtler, added:
“All of these things have demonstrated that we have commitment and the community has a commitment to the town to take pride in how it looks and its giving it wider recognition.”
There are currently 13 members of the Cambuslang Community Group and they are looking for a further seven members.
Mr Bachtler said: “We’re looking for anybody who has an interest in improving Cambuslang, it doesn’t matter what background they come from, we don’t need a specific set of skills, we just need an interest and a commitment.
“A community council has to reflect the local population, we just want commitment and enthusiasm.
“What’s really great about the community council is the people you meet because through these various projects you get to meet so many different people you wouldn’t otherwise get to know.
"You get to make new friends, you get to make new contacts, you get to learn things about your town that you never knew, it can be really fun in that sense and really enjoyable.”
The community council is looking for members who want to make the town a better place to live, as elections for the 36 community councils across South Lanarkshire are set to take place on October 27.
Nominations close on Wednesday, September 14 at 4pm. Nominees must be aged 16 or over, be registered on the local Electoral Register, they must also live in the following areas of Cambuslang: Eastfield, Holmhills, Kirkhill, Silverbank, Vicarland, Whitlawburn and/or Circuit.
Nomination forms can be found on South Lanarkshire Council’s website, or call 07973 744807 for a copy.
Completed forms should be sent to South Lanarkshire Council, either by post ( Finance and Corporate Resources, Administration and Legal Services, Floor 2, Almada Street, Hamilton, ML3 0AA) or by email to communitycouncils@southlanarkshire.gov.uk
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