About Blacklands
We began working alongside the community of Blacklands in November, 2016. This work centres around four key themes:
Knowledge
Research and understanding the history of the community.
Connections
Connecting with local spaces, places, services, and people.
New activities
Supporting development of a chair based exercise group, a parent and toddler group, and a participatory budgeting process led by the community.
Convening
Convening a group of people to form a Systems Changers group, examining local systems and how to bring about change to benefit local people.
Stories from the community in Blacklands
Blacklands Annual Updates 2018-2022
School Costs: A community pulls together
Space, the essential ingredient
Blacklands Community Map
In this interactive map, you can explore the area of Blacklands and some of the areas important to the commmunity.
Nethermains Community Centre
Almswall Park
Blacklands Primary School
Kilwinning Library
Blacklands Community Hub
Blacklands
Annual Update 2023 Snapshot
Written March 2024
Chair Based Exercise – Kilwinning Library
The weekly Chair Based Exercise Group in Kilwinning Library has increased attendance, thanks largely to connections made at Coffee, Cake and Chat. There are an average of 15 people attending weekly.
Parent and Toddler Group – Newmains Community Centre
The Newmains Community Centre hosts a Parent & Toddler group, welcoming families with children from birth to four years old. Group members have embraced a collaborative approach, sharing responsibilities, and organising engaging activities for their children. This fosters a supportive and enriching environment for both adults and children
System Changers
The Kilwinning Systems Changers group have continued to meet throughout the year, looking at ways they could do things a little differently, trying out ideas and supporting one another to make changes in their own lives and communities. Significantly, a new Systems Changers group has now started in Dumbarton. The Kilwinning System Changers played a valuable role in the early sessions, sharing their insights and experiences with potential participants from Dumbarton.
Coffee, Cake and Chat – Kilwinning Library
Coffee, Cake and Chat continues to operate every third Saturday of the month in Kilwinning Library. The group is attended by an average of 25-30 people, with a wide mix of people and backgrounds. This group has proved a great platform for people to make connections with one another, learn about what other groups are happening and then go along with someone they met at Coffee, Cake and Chat.
The Cooking Group – Corsehill area of Kilwinning
The Cooking Group is primarily looking at reducing stigma around food insecurity and the use of Food Larders, how can we deliver this message and share how to make the most of the food available. This year, sessions were held in the Corsehill area of Kilwinning and a total of 6 families attended the seven-week block. The sessions consisted of basic cooking skills only using ingredients available at local larders. Participants were provided with ingredients on the day as well as some to take home and make again. Links were made with The Wee Shoap Food Larder in Woodwynd, and vouchers were provided to everyone attending to come and try The Wee Shoap.
Read the full Blacklands 2023 Report here to learn about all these updates in more detail.
What we’re planning
We hope to develop the Systems Changers group to include more participants. This includes developing and delivering training to welcome new participants to the group. Some of the current activity groups will be developed to become community-led and sustainable. We will continue to work with local partners on a deeper level within the Systems Changers group and support ideas and projects to bring about local Systems Change.
Working alongside the community, and in partnership with other organisations, we will continue to support Blacklands with new ideas, to fulfil current projects and offer support to allow sustainable community activity.