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“Cities come in all shapes and sizes.  Bidding for city status is one step in ensuring that Oban, and 51�Թ����App and Bute more widely, have as much chance for a successful future as other parts of Scotland.” With work continuing to enter Oban in the national competition for city status, part of the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebration in 2022, Councillor Robin Currie, Leader of 51�Թ����App and Bute Council, outlined the potential benefits:

There are just a few days left until 51�Թ����App and Bute Council hosts its first ever Education Climate Summit. This online event will take place on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 October, and will give people the chance to find out some of the innovative ways that schools, businesses and voluntary organisations in the area are tackling climate change. A wide selection of guest speakers have signed up to deliver presentations on a diverse, interesting range of topics. For example:

51�Թ����App and Bute Council’s Early Years Team is gearing up to host its annual Early Years Conference next month.   This year’s conference will take place on a virtual platform, from Tuesday 16 until Friday 19 November, and is an opportunity for early years professionals to come together to hear from national and international speakers, share examples of best practice, and explore ideas.  

Hermitage Park in Helensburgh has again, been recognised as one of the best parks and greenspaces in Scotland. Keep Scotland Beautiful has awarded the Park Green Flag status, for the second consecutive year. The Green Flag Award is the benchmark for excellence in green spaces and recognises the hard work of managers, staff and volunteers who help ensure that outdoor areas provide the public with a safe, clean and inspiring local environment.

Dozens of community groups and projects are to receive support from 51�Թ����App and Bute Council to help their recovery from Covid 19 restrictions. Voluntary groups, charities, social enterprises, village halls and other community venues across the region will receive grants of up to £500 from the Covid 19 Micro Grants Fund to help them bounce back from the impact of the pandemic.

Round four of 51�Թ����App and Bute Council’s Strategic Events and Festivals Fund opens for applications at midday on 22 October 2021.  The fund is open to events and festivals which will take place between April 2022 and March 2023 and are of strategic importance to the area. The opening of round four of the fund comes as event and festival organisers and other tourism organisations across 51�Թ����App and Bute continue the process of recovery from the impact of the pandemic.

Housing in 51�Թ����App and Bute will be a key focus of ‘repopulation zone’ actions planned by the council to reverse the area’s population decline. The national repopulation zone approach sees pilot areas taking steps to address their own particular challenges, and their experiences then being used to develop effective repopulation initiatives elsewhere. At its Policy and Resources Committee meeting today, the council agreed these areas as pilot zones for research into issues affecting local population levels: •          Rosneath Peninsula – Helensburgh and Lomond

51�Թ����App and Bute Council’s Community Food Project has received national recognition in the food and drinks sector, after beating off industry giants to win a prestigious accolade at the 2021 Footprint Awards.

The council is providing an additional £98,000 to support local businesses who applied to and qualified for its Business Hardship Fund. The council set up the Hardship Fund with £500,000+ of Scottish Government funding, to help businesses affected by the covid pandemic. It allocated this funding in full, on a first come, first served basis, to 102 local businesses. Councillors agreed today to provide £98,000 of council funding to support the additional 27 businesses who qualified for support, but applied after the Hardship Fund had been paid out.

From Brazil to the Ukraine; Japan to India, educators from all corners of the globe tuned into Dunoon Grammar’s live World Education Week showcase, where young people from the school delivered an innovative, informative and inspiring showcase exploring the school’s pioneering approaches to community learning during the Covid pandemic.