News

Dunblane Annual Windfarm awards 2016

Local Dunblane groups celebrated receiving funding from the Braes of Doune Windfarm Community Benefit scheme at the Braeport Centre in Dunblane on Friday 18th November. The Windfarm is owned jointly by Greencoat Capital Wind and a fund managed by Hermes GPE LLP and the scheme is open to all local groups. Applications are assessed by a committee of local residents nominated by the Community Council and Dunblane Development Trust. 

Now in its 10th year, the scheme has donated to numerous organisations, many on several occasions, and this year a total of 13 groups received a share of £14,945.   
A wide range of activities will now be carried out with the assistance of these monies across diverse community groups, both young and old. Recipients this year include Dunblane Preschool Play Association, Dunblane Fling, Dunblane in Bloom, Dunblane Midweek Group, The Dunblane Centre, local athletes from Forth Valley Disability Sports & Dunblane Bowling Club.

The Windfarm Fund Administrators, Dunblane Development Trust, would like to thank the Committee of volunteers for once again devoting time and energy to selecting the winners. The Trust would also like to thank the army of volunteers within these groups who contribute so much to the Dunblane community and without whom a lot of activities just wouldn’t be possible.

Dunblane Bowling Club

Dunblane Cathedral Arts Guild

Dunblane Community Council

Dunblane Development Trust

Dunblane Development Trust - Dunblane in Bloom

Dunblane Development Trust-  Midweek Group

Dunblane Fling

Dunblane High School Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

Dunblane Preschool Play Association

Dunblane Youth and Sports Centre Trust

Forth Valley Disability Sport

Society of Friends of Dunblane Cathedral

St Mary's Sustainability Squad

On 20 Sunday November Andy Murray won the ATP World Tour Finals to end 2016 as the world number one tennis player.

Link to BBC website

Jamie Murray and his partner Bruno Soares end 2016 as the world number one doubles team

Link to BBC website

Jamie

Flashback to Monday 7 November 2016 when Andy Murray became the UK's first world number one tennis player.

andu one

He also won the Paris Masters!

View the rankings on 07.11.2016

Read more  and more  and more

Children from local schools have been involved in creating artwork for Dunblane's town centre under the theme of ‘Dunblane’s Nature.’  Dunblane Primary, Newton Primary, St Mary’s Episcopal Primary, Dunblane High and Queen Victoria School were all involved

Artists Elspeth Bennie and Jane Marriot worked with pupils to create two signposts and 12 mosaic panels, which can be found on the Allan Water Bridge. The initiative has seen Stirling Council, Sustrans Scotland and the Dunblane community working together.

The art project complements the upgrade of the rail bridge at Dunblane Station, improvements to access to the area between Dunblane's railway station and the High Street and the strengthening works to the Allan Water Bridge.

Dunblane's Xmas Extravaganza is to be held on Thursday 24 November between 5.00pm and 9.00pm

Find out more on the Discover Dunblane Facebook page

 

This article is based on an article found in the Scotsman newspaper on 13 October 2016.

A 13th century chapel in Dunblane that lay hidden beneath mud and undergrowth for many years has been painstakingly restored and has opened as a visitor attraction.

Its trappings and church items, from books of worship to communion vessels, had surrendered to time, the identity of the body buried beneath a table alter similarly lost.

The chapel has been brought into the light, and has now opened as a visitor attraction, place of contemplation and even marriage venue.

It’s situated within the grounds of Old Churches House and has been painstakingly restored over a number of years by its owner, Alex McKie.

Volunteers stumbled across the building, then covered in mud and ivy, back in 1961 and while its original purpose was unknown they are said to have referred to it as a chapel.

They erected a wooden cross on the platform outside – which still stands today – and investigated the building further in the months that followed.

Those investigations revealed that a body had been buried in an east west position under the table alter, a position favoured ecclesiastically and one that pointed to the structure’s use for worship and burial.

Other clues were a well at the left hand side of the chapel, sufficient enough to provide a small bowl of water for communion, and small cupboards at the back, thought to have once held communion vessels and prayer books.

Rebecca Foster from Old Churches House said: “This small and charming chapel is, in many ways, a secret chapel, as it lay undiscovered for so long and has a fascinating story behind it.

“It was visited by the Queen in 1967 and Pope John Paul II gifted a unique spinning wheel in 1982, which we still have on display.

“When Alex took over Old Churches House – which was known as Scottish Churches House and used by church groups of all denominations for holidays, respite and meetings – the chapel was in a state of disrepair.

“We carried out a full renovation, installed new lighting and seating as well as fitting a reclaimed font from a Church in Selkirk.

Entry to the chapel is free and Mr McKie hopes it will join the list of Dunblane’s best known visitor attractions, including the 12th Century Cathedral, Dunblane Museum, the Leighton Library – Scotland’s oldest private library – and Andy Murray’s gold postbox.

He said: “There are always tourists teaming round Andy’s postbox and the cathedral is a huge draw.

“It’s all very accessible and so many visitors come to the area to learn more about Dunblane.

“We are very fortunate to have such a rich history here and we are delighted to be sharing it with the public.”

MAD Group at Dunblane High School

Within Dunblane High School there is a group of s6 pupils, lead by Pamela Kurilla a Religious and moral education teacher, called the MAD (Make a Difference) group who raise money in various ways for charities such as Macmillan cancer.

As group members, we do things such as coming up with new ideas for fundraising, contacting companies about donations, organising fundraisers and much more.

On Friday the 30th the Macmillan coffee morning is held in order to raise money for cancer patients. In Dunblane High School a coffee morning, a bake sale and raffle will be held to help in aid for this worthy charity.

With 2.5million people in the UK alone living with cancer at the moment meaning it is more than likely to affect most people sometime throughout their lives, making this a very worthy and relevant cause. Macmillan try to make sure no one faces cancer alone providing options for medical, emotional and financial aid as well as campaigning for better cancer care. This is a great charity who’ve have changed the lives of those with cancer and the family and friends surrounding them.

More about Macmillan

Gladman owns the site at Barbush that has plannig permission for a supermarket and offices. They are now considering submitting a planning application for housing to be built on the site instead. They held a pre application consultation on 20 September at Dunblane Social Club.

Gladman's presentation starts off by saying 'Gladman Developments is preparing an application for Planning Permission in Principle for a proposed residential development with associated infrastructure and landscaping on land north of Barbush, Dunblane. The total site area comprises approximately 7.7 acres (3.12 hectares). The site is proposed as a housing land allocation in the Stirling Local Development Plan (Proposed Plan currently out for consultation) for 80 units (ref. H138 Barbush)'.

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Read the Stirling Observer article

Read the Housing Press

 Bogside photo

Members of the Project Team including Terence O'Byrne from the Community Council and David Prescott from Holmehill Community Buyout.

Jamie Murray won his second Grand Slam title of the year at the US Open on Saturday with his partner Bruno Soares. He now holds 3 grand slam titles, the same as Andy!

Read more below.

BBC Sport article

The Telegraph article

The Guardian article

 

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