Sunday, 28th October 2012: Murieston Autumn Clean Up
Murieston Community Council is holding a clean up and litter pick of the Murieston area on the 28th October, and would like to invite local residents to join us in restoring the local area to its natural, litter free state. This is the third time that the local community has come together to help maintain this beautiful part of Livingston, and hopefully we can make it the best yet! To take part, come along to the Murieston Village Hall on the 28th from 11am-1pm. Refreshments will be provided at the end, and no equipment is required – West Lothian Council’s Neighbourhood Environmental Team will be there to help, and will provide pickers and rubbish bags.
Sunday, 3rd June 2012: Jubilee Gala Day
Community Turns out for Jubilee and to Support MEG and LCC to raise funds
Residents from Murieston, Bankton, Bellsquarry and further afield came out in their hundreds to attend the MEGs first fundraising event. The event took months to plan and arrange but last minute nerves by the MEG team proved to be unecessary – the rain and wind disappeared and everyone had a ball.
Lucy, from the Lamond Vetinary Practice arrived, pen and clipboard in hand to judge the fun dog show; and what fun it was too. Just look at the proud owners and the many admiring faces looking on.
Porsche of Edinburgh donated an amazing Porsche driving experience day, which raised £100 at a silent auction. Two beautiful jubilee themed cakes were donated by Truly Scruptious Designer Cakes & Pam Jefferson of Create a Cake.
We also had other fantastic raffle prizes donated by M & Ds Theme Park, Bannantynes, Lemon Tree Life flowers, Brucefield Farm, Zaikas indian restaurant, The New You, 5 Sisters Zoo tickets, Vue Cinema, JDFitness, a fruit basket from Mark Murphy, Mark Brown hairdressing voucher and many other gifts kindly donated by others.
Thanks also go to Bright Horizons who donated all the money they raised by doing face painting. We also had our girl guides make a donation to us by selling their cakes and fruit cocktails.
Lothian and Borders Police arrived to join in and definitely add to the fun by showing children and their families around their vehicle and equipment. L&B Fire Brigade also helped with the day by providing an appliance. The children very much enjoyed being part of the emergency services for the day.
The day took a lot of organising with months of work in advance by dedicated members of the community who give up their time for free to make things better and to build a sense of community in Murieston and the surrounding areas. Those people include: Jonathan Louis (MEG – built and desined MEG tent and info) and his family who could be found in the MEG Tent all day, Vicky Walker (Guides); Joyce Morrison (MEG, baking, serving, running about, leaflets) and Elise; Sian, Bill (designed and ran treasure hunt) and June Keddie (Community Council and MEG – too much work to mention); Davidson McQuarrie (Community Council and Videographer for the day); David Cooper (Community Council and Photographer); Jenny Anderson (Livingston Cricket Club); Kim Vance (Community Council and MEG – too much work to mention); Jamie Hay & Andrew Gordon (helped to build gazebos and stayed all day to help); Beverley Meek (arranged the dog show, delivered hundreds of leaflets and lots of other stuff); Chief Inspector Kevin Kerr (provided help on the day and valuable advice on licenses etc); Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick (helped to organise the leaflets and deliver a substantial number, some decorations and arranged the band from JYHS); Robb Halliday (photos on the day); the rest of the Community Council (and families) who delivered leaflets (total leaflets delivered by volunteers 2700).
The James Young High School Brass Band welcomed guests and visitors to the day with a some rousing and excellently performed music. There were so many positive comments about the band throughout the day. The young people were a very welcome addition to the day and we hope, very much, that they will join us at our next summer event.
Sunday, 3rd June 2012: Jubilee Gala Day planned
This Sunday sees the first fundraising event for MEG. We have joined forces with the Cricket Club. Please come along and spend the day in the park with your family and friends. The cricket club is on Murieston Valley and you can walk from Livingston South Train Station. There is also a bus, all the way to the Club from Livingston Bus Station – 406.
We need funds to continue, so your support would be greatly appreciated. During the survey that I did in February, one of the requests was for the return of a community gala. We have used the Jubilee as a reason to celebrate. A couple of people have said to me that they are not interested “in all that Royal stuff”. That’s ok, nobody will change your mind about that, it’s just a party, with a bar, emergency vehicles, tombola, cake and fruit cocktail cafe, FUN DOG SHOW, treasure hunt for children, raffle, the MEG stand will be there so that you can see what we are doing and what we plan to do. The cricket club has also arranged lots of stuff for families to do.
You can bring a picnic blanket and eat your burgers, jubilee cakes and any other food on offer whilst enjoying the sunshine and party atmosphere. One family is bring a table, some chairs and are celebrating a birthday – that’s a great idea!
Did I say that there’s a silent auction? Want to know what the top item is? A Porsche experience day! Interested now?
SEE YOU ALL THERE – I FOR ONE CAN’T WAIT!
Saturday, 19th May 2012
We asked Residents and users of the park to help us to finish the path and they did not disappoint. Twenty-nine volunteers from 5 year old Callum and his dad, Terry from Dedridge to Alec Hendry aged 81 came and helped us to wheelbarrow the remaining several tonnes of top-trek along the 300m path. An array of tools and implements were used to forward the project and even parts of the path that were not planned to be finished were finally given a top-coat of new surface material. A fantastic community effort by all involved. Joyce Morrison and daughter Elise spent the morning cooking up a veritable feast of vegetable soup, pancakes, fairy cakes, fruit cake, real hot chocolate and even came backwards and forwards with hot kettles for tea and coffee. June Keddie (MEG Treasurer and wheelbarrower extrodinaire) brought chocolate brownies by popular request, a regular now at these events.
The 9th Livingston Scouts have been ever-present at these events turned out again and helped to shovel the large pile into the wheelbarrows and to rake it into place. The boys and several girls where cheerful and enthusiastic throughout and where rightly, very pleased with their efforts. We will be seeing a lot more of the Scouts as this project progresses.
Kim Vance, Chair of MEG, said, “We were delighted to see so many people attend and work very hard for the good of their community. There was a real buzz on the day and everyone was very excited to see the path finally being completed”.
Joyce and Elise were so impressed with the spirit that they picked up shovels when the food had been served.
It was especially nice to see the return of two young men (Jamie and Andrew) from James Young High School come to the event after being recruited for the litter pick earlier in the month. They were not only very hard workers but they said that they enjoyed being part of the project.
Sunday, 22nd April 2012
Wow! What a turn out for the 2nd Murieston Litter Pick (Murieston Spring Clean). A total of 57 residents and friends of Murieston gave put their heart and soul into restoring the local area to its natural, litter free state. A big thank you to the Livingston Cricket Club who provided free accommodation for the event and supplied some staff, Graeme Morrice, MP for the lovely donated cake, Meta Matthews for the scrummy home-made cakes, Audrey Campion for supplying biscuits and chocolates, Betty Owenson, Irene Mustard and Gillian Jack for making the delicious sandwiches and for cleaning up after the event. A special thank you to Lawrence Fitzpatrick and Davidson McQuarrie who are in the middle of election campaigning for taking the time to spend the morning litter picking – it’s much appreciated both of you.
The result was the removal of the following from the Murieston Environment, which will only be of benefit to wildlife and water quality in the area:
- 110 full rubbish bags
- 1 Asda trolley
- 2 Gas Canisters
- 1 garden seat
- 4 cones
- 1 Pedal bin
- 1 Scooter
- 1 Car Wheel and Tyre
Sunday, 31st March 2012
A third day of path restoration was attended by nine friends of MEG. With fewer than normal volunteers we felt the pain this time – it’s a very long path from the car park of Campbridge Pond to the far end of the top path. We also had fewer wheelbarrows and so three of us where employed with digging out some of the path towards the “fisherman’s” boardwalk. The rest of the group diligently ferried barrowloads of ‘Top-Trek’ grey aggregate along the path and raked it out.
If you are wondering why it’s taking so long, it is because it all has to be done by hand so as not to destroy what is already there. We are lucky to have found some good quality type 1 hardcore beneath the old wood chippings. If we had used a mechanical digger we could have dug up and damaged the sub-surface and also the side bunding – which is made up of quite fragile wood. For the same reason, the aggegate has to be barrowed along and not replaced using a mini-dumper. So, as you can see, it’s all labour intensive.
It is worth it though, it is starting to look very good and the result will be a more accessible path.
If you support what we are doing, please show us by coming along on Saturday , 19th May 2012 at 9am. You can stay for an hour or more but we will all finish at 1pm. All help is very gratefully received. The more people who come along, the quicker that we can finish and get on with oranising fund raising events (which we need apply for funding).
Also, you can show your support by leaving us a quote on the visitor’s page, helping us with the Jubilee Gala Day at the Cricket Club (please come and support us at the Gala Day anyway) or by donating some money (not just yet as we are waiting for a charity number).
Check out this week’s West Lothian Courier for photos and info about the work so far.
Sunday, 24th March 2012: Path restoration
The second part of the path restoration took place on 24th March. The 9th Livingston Scouts came out again in force with some members of the Murieston Community. It was hard work but everyone is very excited with the results, so far. We have to come back again, this Saturday to, hopefully complete the aggregate.
A group of young people who are very friendly when approached and who promise to take their rubbish wtih them have, for a second time, burned the jetty by setting a fire upon it and also left all their cans in the pond. Our strategy is to keep on with our plan and to keep talking in the hope that the environmental message will excite all sections of the community.
The positive thing is that young people enjoy the pond, fishing and being in the outdoors where they are not disturbed. We plan to engage with all sections of the community and to encourage responsibility and an awareness of environmental issues caused by litter and fires that are lit in the wrong place. Any young people who are interested in joiing the group are encouraged to contact us via the email address on the home page, or via the guest form – we’d love to hear your ideas about what you would like to see at Campbridge Pond.
Sunday, 10th March 2012: The first event took place, 9am – 1pm
The 9th Livingston Scouts, two Scout Leaders and some members of MEG and the Community Council came along to help dig out the old, rotten bark from the top path. This will improve accessibility and reduce the amount of mud on the path. When visitors are able to walk on the new path, the sides will have a chance to recover and grow again.
It was very hard work but the boys and girls took on the work with much enthusiasm and by the end of the morning, a full 100 metres of pathway had been stripped back to the hardcore. They were keen not to stop for too long for breaks and showed a wonderful work ethic. If Scotland wants responsible citizens and confident individuals for the future, these young people demonstrated those qualities in abundance.
They will be awarded their ‘Community’ badges as a result of completing this work.
June Keddie of MEG made some lovely cakes for the children (and the adults) to enjoy, which were very much appreciated. Kim Vance picked up four bags of litter from around the pond and a suitcase and bucket.
June, Kim and some of the older boys helped to removed some of the larger logs that have been dumped in the pond.
West Lothian Council asked Greame Bennie to drop off some road scalpings – about 50 tonnes. Thanks to a fantastic donation from WLC and the free delivery from Graeme Bennie of Bennie Contracts (Bathgate), we will soon be able to back-fill the path with the scalpings to make a fairly solid path.
The second event will take part at 9am – 1pm on Saturday 24th March. Now that the children of Murieston have led the way, MEG is now asking for as many members of the community as possible to come out with their spades, shovels, rakes, hoes, wheelbarrows, wellies and gloves and help us to complete the whole task of removing the remaining 200 metres of bark and back-filling it with the road scalpings. More events will take place, over the coming months, including ones that don’t involve work, so please watch this space and come and help wherever you can.