LOCAL PEOPLE ENCOURAGED TO HAVE THEIR SAY ON THE FUTURE OF WALLACETOWN

The people of Wallacetown in Ayr are being asked to help shape the future of the area.

Across the region everyone from teachers and fire officers to youth workers and police officers are hitting the streets to gather views from residents and those with connections to the area.

The ‘Street Weeks’ sessions will run throughout June with the teams going door-to-door to speak with local people and capture their views in a short survey which has been designed by the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, who work to create healthier and safer communities around the country.

Inspector Jason Peter, project lead with the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, who is based in the area said, “This is the start of a conversation. We want to hear from all those connected with the Wallacetown area of Ayr.  We have developed a short survey that looks at the positives, captures the negatives and asks people to help set our priorities for the future.

“This isn’t just another survey, it is a real opportunity for service providers in Wallacetown to get out and about, to chap doors, to speak with residents in the community and listen to them. For residents it is an opportunity to influence how services are delivered in the area and to let us know what they would like to see in the area and how they would like to get involved.

“The survey results will be used to help shape the future of Wallacetown. After every session we have been connecting residents with organisations they are keen to speak with and ensuring a response to concerns is raised.  The feedback from everyone involved so far has been great and we will report back as soon as we can on what action is being taken with further opportunities for residents to drive change in the area.”

The survey can also be filled out online here.

Douglas Hutchison, South Ayrshire Council’s Depute Chief Executive and Director – People, who has joined the Street Weeks sessions added, “We have recently reinforced our commitment to Wallacetown with a focus at an executive and community planning level to look at how we can best work with residents and our partners to make it a better place to live.

“It was great to join the team recently and a privilege meeting people face-to-face on their door steps and listen to them describe good neighbours, speak of supporting each other and talk about the challenges.  This made the area more about real people – it’s not about numbers or issues.  I look forward to supporting the work in Wallacetown and speaking directly with residents again in the near future.”

Niven Rennie

Director

Telephone: 01786 896785          Email: violence.reduction@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Niven has more than 30 years of operational policing experience in the United Kingdom. He joined Strathclyde Police in 1985 serving throughout the west of Scotland in a variety of ranks and positions before progressing to the rank of Chief Superintendent. Niven previously held the role of President of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents where he represented the interests of the operational leaders of policing in Scotland.

On leaving Police Scotland in 2016 Niven took up the position of Chief Executive Officer of South Ayrshire Escape from Homelessness (SeAscape).

Niven was appointed director of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit in July 2018.