Gathering the Green Forms

The team has now completed the distribution of questionnaires to all households in Balmedie and has also made door to door collections across the village, making contact with many of you along the way. We are busy now extracting the information and ideas you have given us in your responses, but we still need more of your green forms returned! You can still drop in your completed green forms to the various boxes in the village at -

* Balmedie Fish & Chip Shop
* Balmdie Library
* Balmedie Convenience Store
* Balmedie Primary School
* Balmedie Co-op

It's your village - What's your view? .... Make sure you let us know!


A big thank you for your responses and time so far,

Becka, Barbara, Fiona

Photography by Diane Whyte

Out and About in Balmedie!

The action researchers are making good headway with the distribution of questionnaire around the village. We are pleased to have had the chance to make contact with many of you on our travels "out and about". Most areas within Balmedie have now been visited, and researchers will be visiting the more outlying households on Monday 8th June.

We are very keen to get back as many of your completed questionnaires as possible, a collection of these will be made door to door but if you miss us please ensure your views are still included by making use of the drop-off boxes at Balmedie Chip Shop; Balmedie Primary School; Balmedie Library; Balmedie Co-op and Balmedie Convenience Store.

Please remember we are here to help with any information you require about the project and we can offer additional help with completing questionnaires if it's needed.

You can reach us on the Balmedie Views project number on -
07789 654 273 or by email balmedie@hotmail.co.uk

Please look out for news around the village about our "World Cafe" event which will follow our questionnaire research - this will give you a further opportunity to contribute to the future shaping of our community.

Many thanks for your ideas and feedback so far - the graffiti boards have been very busy! Please keep them coming.

This week the action researchers put up graffiti walls in Balmedie school in the dining hall and in the playgroup entrance room. There has been a tremendous response already and these, together with comments from drop in sessions at the leisure centre 7-9pm on Tuesdays and at the library, 10-12 on Thursdays plus the other public graffiti board in Tarts and Crafts have been helping the researchers design the questionnaire and continue to plan the what comes after.

This includes plans for a “World Café” they plan to hold after the questionnaires have been returned. All the villagers will be invited to come and discuss the important issues facing Balmedie today and develop solutions for them.

Keep checking the notice boards and this web page for confirmation of where and when it will be!

The team have been busy so far getting feedback and ideas from residents of all ages at their drop in sessions. This has led to the production of a bulletin about their project which also included information on community groups and events. This has been delivered door to door in Balmedie village and spare copies are available to pick up in the Library, Leisure Centre and Tarts and Crafts. It has been well received and there is interest in planning a regular newsletter, if you would like to be involved please get in touch!

For everyone that’s interested in having their say about the new bus service there will be an open meeting with Stagecoach at The Station Hotel in Ellon on Thursday 14th May at 7.30pm. There will be a free bus running from Balmedie Leisure Centre to the venue.

We look forward to meeting with you all soon when we will be carrying out our door to door questionnaire.

PRESS RELEASE
This week sees the beginning of an exciting new project in Balmedie. Three local people have been employed to act as Community Action Researchers. Their aim is to empower local people to have a voice and input into the future of Balmedie.
The team who will be working together over the next few months are:
Becka Gauld who runs Balmedie’s popular café Tarts & Crafts, Barbara Davies who has been involved in many community activities with her children and Fiona Clark who was formerly co-ordinator for Adult Education in the village.
The aims of the project are to re-establish a sense of community and to clearly identify the issues, needs and aspirations of the people of Balmedie. There will be lots of different ways for local people to become involved and have their say. Over the next few months the team will be coming to meet with individuals, groups and are available at weekly drop-in sessions as detailed below:
Tuesdays 7-9pm Leisure Centre - Barbara
Wednesdays 1-3pm Tarts & Crafts - Becka
Thursdays 10-12noon Balmedie Library – Fiona
Alternatively you can email them at balmedie@hotmail.co.uk or mobile contact number 07789654273.