The Autumn edition of Staff Talk has landed and we’re keen to continue shining a spotlight on the council’s Connected Communities team.
Part of North Ayrshire’s Community Planning Partnership, this month we’re shouting-out the dedicated colleagues of the Three Towns Locality team.
Based at the St John’s Primary School Base, the team empower residents of the Three Towns.
Three Towns is a busy locality in North Ayrshire. It consists of the towns of Saltcoats, Stevenston and Ardrossan. The locality has around 32,980 residents and the area is steeped in history with stunning scenery and lovely beaches. The ferry to the Isle of Arran departs from Ardrossan Harbour and plenty of landmarks, shops and restaurants feature throughout the area.
Saltcoats Town Hall is also a hub of activity hosting weddings, community events and business meetings amongst other things. Auchenharvie Leisure Centre and Auchenharvie Golf Club between Stevenston and Saltcoats also provide great opportunities to stay active.
The team’s main goals are to:
- Identify and deliver learning and community development opportunities for all ages
- Engage with communities to strengthen residents voices in decisions about public services
- Prepare and present Community Investment Fund applications for approval by Cabinet
- Work with other CPP partners such as NHS Ayrshire & Arran, Police Scotland, The Ayrshire Community Trust (TACT) and Scottish Fire and Rescue to tackle the issues identified as priorities in the Three Towns Locality Action Plan.
What is the team’s overall mission?
In short, to build a Fairer North Ayrshire for All! The work the team does can be undertaken in two ways:
- Via communities of place – people who live together in the same location
- or with communities who have a shared identity – such as sharing a hobby, common interest or in places likes schools or libraries.
Highlights mentioned in this article are brilliant examples of how the Three Towns Locality team is ensuring the council fulfils its statutory duties in relation to Community Learning and Development (CLD) and the Community Empowerment Act 2015.
Why is our Community Planning Partnership important?
The work practice of North Ayrshire’s Community Planning Partnership is rooted in Locality Planning. This is one of the ways local communities work together with public and third sector organisations to improve residents’ lives and neighbourhoods.
Locality Planning is all about reducing inequalities and enabling communities to participate in decision making at a neighbourhood level.
It is one of the main ways local communities can work together with North Ayrshire Council and other public and third sector organisations to improve resident’s lives and neighbourhoods.
It is all about how our local public services work together with communities, third sector organisations and businesses to plan and deliver services that will improve long term outcomes and tackle inequalities.
Find out more about the team via the NA Community Planning Partnership website.
So, let’s dive in and meet the colleagues behind the team…
First up, is Denise Fraser. Denise (pictured left) has worked in the voluntary sector for the past 25 years. She took up the mantle of Three Towns Locality Officer one year ago and is loving the challenge. Since joining the council in 2019, she has worked across digital learning, youth and community work and as a Capacity and Empowerment Officer. Before the pandemic, Denise then made leap to becoming a mature student with the University of Glasgow, gaining a CLD degree.
Tell us your favourite thing about your profession: Definitely the relationships we are lucky enough to develop across our communities. I have the pleasure of working in a fantastic team too and we all have a positive attitude and the ability to uplift each other on the more challenging days.
The best part about my job is when: I get to work with an amazing team dedicated to supporting individuals and groups in their journey towards empowerment. It’s a privilege to connect with volunteer groups and partners and to help our community groups do what they do best.
Current exciting projects? Yes! Too many to mention. Current highlights would be supporting Ripple Effects Saltcoats through the community asset transfer process to enable them to take on the ownership of the public toilets at Melbourne Park. I’m also working alongside Stevenston North Community Association who have been successful in securing Community Investment Funding to extend the playpark next to Hayocks Community Hall.
Fun fact: I travelled to The Big Apple for my 40th birthday to run the New York Marathon – even though I hadn’t even ran a 5k before. I made it to the finish line – just! My running days are well and truly behind me now!
Colleague Ricky Caig is a Locality Worker in the Three Towns Locality team but CLD hasn’t always been his profession.
Tell us about your CLD journey: I’ve done many jobs over the years and actually spent the first 15 years of employment in construction then developed as a ventilation engineer. I wanted to spend more quality time with my family so my friend and colleague Garry Tait (part of Irvine Locality team) persuaded me to sign up to do some sessional youth work back in 2010 and I’ve worked in Connected Communities ever since…
What do you love about the job: I know a lot of the people in local groups already as I live in the Three Towns but I do often bump into them in my free time so there’s pros and cons to having a job on my home turf ! It’s great though because I can see the impact our team makes. It makes me feel good helping other people and seeing the knock-on effect first hand for the whole community. I’m proud to do my small part…
Current projects: Since working for the council, I have always been involved in running the Professional Development Award in Youth Work SCQF level 6 and have taken colleagues and pupils across every locality through this. I find it really rewarding to upskill the next generation. I have 16 pupils in the latest intake from Auchenharvie and Ardrossan Academy.
Interesting fact about me: I’m well-known in the local youth football scene as I spent 30 years volunteering for North Ayrshire Soccer Association (NASA) and running Ayrshire-wide fundraising events for youth football. I even have a youth football award named after me – the ‘Ricky Caig Fair Play Award’ and won the Hampden Volunteer Award twice, presented by Kenny Dalgleish – not to boast but you did ask 🙂
I love the game and the discipline, resilience and positive impact it can have on young players.
Would you like to raise awareness and spotlight the focus, passion and inspiration of your team? If so, email: communications@north-ayrshire.gov.uk for your chance to be featured next time.
Next up is Community Development Worker, Kimberly O’Neill who’s been involved in youth groups, participation and capacity building in North Ayrshire since she was a teen.
Tell us about your CLD journey: I wanted to be a teacher and explored becoming one at the University of the West of Scotland, however I soon realised this wasn’t quite for me. I wanted a role where I could advocate for others, drive change and support learning opportunities within communities, so I pursued a Community Education Degree at UWS. I’m so glad I did, I’ve worked for North Ayrshire Council for nine years now – starting as a sessional youth worker for two years – and in my current role for seven years and have never looked back!
I know I’m doing a good job when: I am able to engage with the hardest to reach individuals and help them to change their lives for the better.
Current projects: I’m getting so much out of working with individuals in a Criminal Justice collaboration, we’re giving people a second chance to reintegrate back into communities by participating in cookery, personal growth and other life skills sessions. I also love supporting the Over 50 Discovery Award group and Ardrossan Youth Association to step out their comfort zones.
Fun Fact! My claim to fame is being a Panto Dame with the Livingston Players. I love the escapism and elation of being able to perform on stage each year at Stevenston Parish Church!
Now over to Graham Hunter, who is also a Community Development Worker.
He has recently joined the Three Towns team after working for for four years in CLD. He has spent the past few years driving Capacity and Empowerment across North Ayrshire, namely in sheltered housing engagement hubs of Vennel Gardens, Montgomerie Court and Cumbrae Gardens where he has spearheaded the work of the Older People’s Voice Network and the council’s Older People’s Participation Strategy.
Tell us your favourite thing about CLD: It is definitely meeting people where they are, at that point in their lives, then working with them to provide the stepping stones needed to get them to where they want to be. No two days are ever the same and that’s what keeps things interesting.
Current projects you are excited by: Definitely my ongoing work with Hayocks Community Association.
The group there have been successful in gaining almost £20k lottery funding to continue a free weekly youth group and community café with hot meals for the next two years.
I’m glad to say that the youth club is now thriving and it feels really good to help the dedicated volunteers there and take the pressure off. The hot meals are so important especially during the Cost of Living crisis and I look forward to seeing the young people each week and developing their skills and relationships through the power of sports and youth work. The work is so rewarding.
Interesting fact about you: I have represented Scotland in 2024’s Tri Nations Basketball tournament and I play with Irvine Sharks – a basketball team based at Greenwood Academy.
This past year has been a victorious one for us as we have remained unbeaten for our past 18 matches and we’ve ended the season on a high making Strathclyde League Basketball Association’s (SLBA) Second Division.
And last but by no means least, we have Karen Frew who also works in the team as a Locality Worker.
Your journey with NAC: I was fortunate enough to join the council as part of the Skills for Life programme and started out working in a Business Support role for HR. I’ve since progressed from supporting the locality teams with admin to becoming a Locality Worker myself in 2024.
What you love most about the role: I’ve volunteered in youth work since the age of 16 so I really enjoy the aspects of the job where I get to work with young people and also the impact of intergenerational learning too.
Current projects: The most recent was working alongside Ardeer Community Association on Ardeer Gala Day where we were unveiled a time capsule from the Stevenston Past and Present project – a video made by residents and Auchenharvie pupils back in 2005. The digital snapshot provides fond memories of the local landmarks, history of the area and nostalgia of the dance halls loved by older residents.
As a team, we also felt emotional watching it as it was a chance to remember our late colleague Shirley Morgan who featured in one of the interviews when she started out in the Three Towns as a youth worker. You can watch the video at the end of this article, however it is a 15-minute watch though so definitely one to view on your lunchbreak!
Fun fact: I’m a qualified dance teacher. It’s been a while but if the team ended up on the dance floor, I will ALWAYS win a dance battle haha!