New dementia friendly replacement bench installed in Killearn

Written By Kevin Harrison

As part of OCN, Joanne, our OCN facilitator asked attendees at the Town break meeting, about any dementia-friendly improvements we could make to the area. Killearn has a very active community council, so the only thought Doreen Snaddon, a volunteer at the group, had was to replace a bench that had once been on Drumtian Rd.

Doreen put us in touch with Fiona Rennie, chairperson of the CC. Some of the community council then helped dig out the grass and prepare the ground for the laying of the slabs.

Joanne and her husband Alan worked on mixing the cement and laying the slabs. They then returned to fix and secure the bench in place. Funding came from Stirling Council which enabled to buy & install the bench.

“We had help from Lawrence & Daye Tucker at Carbeth Home Farm, who looked after the bench until it was ready for fitting. We may be placing two half whiskey barrels by the bench, donated by Lawrence & Daye, which Colourful Killearn have offered to tend to. I’m sure it will be a popular resting spot for walkers as the views are amazing.” - Joanne Boyle, OCN Facilitator

Kevin Harrison
Kevin Harrison is the Director of Artlink Central, a charity and social enterprise designing creative experiences in conjunction with artists, public bodies and led by disadvantaged or marginalised people particularly in health, social care or criminal justice contexts. . Kevin joined the organisation five years ago and was previously Arts and Wellbeing Manager with Sense Scotland since 2006, supporting a Scotland-wide participation in the arts for disabled people with communication needs. Kevin managed the development of a range of arts projects including Threads and Found in Translation, projects exploring cultural diversity and disability, and Leaving New Craigs, a life history project in Inverness for people leaving the last long stay hospital in Scotland. He managed a national arts and wellbeing team and supported the establishment of a strong creative programme in the TouchBase, a new inclusive base for people and communities supported by Sense Scotland in the south side of Glasgow. Kevin who has a degree in theatre and film from Roehampton University and who undertook postgraduate studies in Arts Management and Policy at Birkbeck University of London is also a trustee for Scottish Prison Arts Network, chair of Dementia Friendly Forth Valley as part of a Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) programme. Previous posts include freelance editor and administration roles with key national disability arts organisation, Shape Arts and public sector roles in Arts Development and as Business Manager, Creative Academy, Slough Borough Council, supporting a multi-million pound EQUAL creative industries inclusion programme . He also has experience of managing Music 4 Slough, a Youth Music Action Zone.
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