This year has been a busy one so far, and we appreciate that not everyone will have had a chance to watch the latest video updates from around the Council.
Remember, if you want to keep up to date with our latest video content, you can watch our highlights over on the Take Two video blog.
And, if you aren’t already, follow the Council’s corporate YouTube channel: the official channel of North Ayrshire Council, providing videos on our latest news, information and events…
From mentoring success stories and the demolition of Irvine’s high flats to a series of newly created video content from our #SustainableNA social media campaign, 2024 has been packed full of engaging content where we are demonstrating how we are delivering on the Council Plan 2023-28.
Watch our roundup of new video content below!
Could you Adopt-A-Spot?
The new ‘Adopt-A-Spot’ initiative supports litter picking in North Ayrshire.
Volunteers are being encouraged to help improve litter blackspots and make our streets, parks and beaches better for everyone.
Littering creates an unnecessary mess in towns and villages, and North Ayrshire Council’s Adopt-A-Spot scheme has been set up to tackle eyesore sites.
To find out more and register for Adopt-A-Spot, go online to the Voluntary Litter Picking webpage.
Fostering Friendly Employer
We are delighted to announce that North Ayrshire Council has been recognised as a Fostering Friendly Employer.
The Council has updated its Special Leave Scheme to give greater flexibility to staff for exploring fostering opportunities. Employees who are foster carers (or who are exploring becoming foster carers), as well as kinship carers, can now benefit from the time off detailed below:
- Assessment and initial training prior to approval as a foster carer – maximum three days
- Attendance at panel for approval – maximum one day
- Child review meetings, annual foster carer review meeting and training – up to five days
We are currently seeking foster carers, with a range of options available including Short Break Care (watch the video to hear about Laura’s journey), Supported Care, Interim Fostering and longer-term support for young people. If you’d like some more information on fostering or the Council’s Fostering Friendly status, please email the team.
Adult support and protection
Adult Support and Protection Day took place on 20 February and we used the day to encourage members of the public to act on any concerns they may have about vulnerable adults who could be at risk from harm. Read more info in the Latest News article.
The video created for this year’s Health and Social Care Partnership campaign is about sextortion.
Sextortion scams are on the rise, with criminals targeting both men and women on social media sites, dating apps and live streaming sites. If someone is threatening to share explicit images of you, don’t panic and NEVER pay them. Contact the Police who will treat your case seriously and in confidence. Watch the video to explain more…
Housing Development progress
Going…going… gone!
Demolition works at Irvine’s high flats are now complete, with all five towers dismantled and the site fully cleared. Now we can look forward to the next stage of the regeneration of a key town centre location. Watch our time lapse video to see the demolition in action…
Stay tuned to the Council’s Latest News for the latest developments and for more on the Council’s ambitious house building strategy, visit the website: Local housing developments (north-ayrshire.gov.uk)
Meet the Council’s Biodiversity Officer
In his video, the Council’s Biodiversity Officer – Neal Lochrie, explains the importance of biodiversity and the North Ayrshire Nature Network 
Based in Cunninghame House, Neal is an integral part of the Council’s Energy and Sustainability team. Working all over North Ayrshire, he is passionate about restoring Scotland’s natural heritage.
Stay tuned to our social media channels for more #SustainableNA content and help us to spread the message far and wide.
Turning waste into energy
Another example of our recent #SustainableNA content is this informative video created in partnership with our four partnering councils – East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire – as we collectively turn waste into energy as part of the Clyde Valley Residual Waste Contract.
We closed our Irvine landfill site in 2018 and now 99.2% of our residual waste is dealt with in more sustainable ways; which includes reusing, recycling and creating renewable energy in the form of heat and electricity.
Waste from your grey bins is firstly sent to a Materials Recovery Facility to recover plastics and metals, and the remaining non-recyclable waste is then sent to an Energy from Waste plant to produce renewable energy. Find out more about the journey in our video…
Staff volunteering with MCR Pathways
National mentoring charity MCR Pathways is seeking volunteers who can ‘Share an Hour’ and provide more young people with a mentor who’s there just for them. The charity’s school-based mentoring programme supports young people to find, grow and use their talents…
Check out the Take Two videos for Auchenharvie and Irvine Royal Academy to find out more about how pupils and mentors have benefitted.
If you’re interested in finding out more about becoming a mentor in North Ayrshire, visit the MCR Pathways website.
Did you know?
You can use the Council’s allowance of hours from our Volunteering Policy (Employees will be granted paid time to attend all types of volunteering events up to a maximum of 14 hours per employee per calendar year). More info on our NAC Volunteering Policy is on Connects – to do this volunteering however, our Volunteering Policy will cover the duration of the training only therefore, if you are giving young people an hour of your week each week, you would need to make use of FLEXI/TOIL.