Another Waste Of Money By Aberdeen Council?

 Aberdeen City, Articles, Community, Featured, Information, Opinion  No Responses »
Oct 152010
 

By B&B.

It would appear that once again Aberdeen City Council is wasting a significant amount of tax payers money  introducing ‘CONTROLLED PARKING ZONES’ in quiet residential streets around Old Aberdeen, many of which have no parking problems whatsoever.

An Uncongested Street
Under the plan residents will have to pay up to £120 per vehicle per annum for the privilege of parking in their own street. The Council, however, rejected the claim that this is a money-making scheme, stating that it will indeed be a costly commitment in the long term with the associated expenditure on parking meters, road markings, maintenance, and so on.

In effect admitting that it will be a further drain on scarce resources for years to come.

So, why is the Council introducing this scheme which no-one in the area seems to want? EVERY single written objection by residents has been systematically rejected. (See *2)

The University is building a new library on its existing car park and is funding the implementation of the new controlled parking area, affecting many of the surrounding residential streets, to the tune of £600,000. ( See *1) This action is to ‘compensate’ for its failure to provide adequate parking on its own land.

Could it be that the Uni figured that our cash strapped Council would jump at the offer of a short-term pay-off, and that this would be cheaper than incorporating an underground car park in the design of the building?

Also, should the situation get worse in years to come, that would then be the Council’s and the local residents’ problem. They’re not daft, these University chaps!

The residential streets around the University – such as the one pictured here DURING the University term – are QUIET during the day, because many residents drive to work, leaving plenty of capacity for daytime on-street parking. During the evening, however, the streets become busier with parked cars as naturally, that’s when local residents return from work. Most residents will have no option other than to purchase a parking permit, yet still may not have any guaranteed parking spaces at the very times of day they need them.

roots
Now let us turn our attention to the streets themselves, there are several potholes, the pavements are made unsightly and dangerous with overgrown tree roots. Some of the surrounding streets have been need of repair work for some time.

There is a strong case for the introduction of speed bumps on our street. Many vehicles drive at dangerously excessive speeds near the entrance to the childrens’ play park on Sunnyside Road, despite the street being in a 20mph zone. A serious – potentially fatal – accident is waiting to happen here.

So, is the Council making plans to introduce traffic calming measures and warning signs? No. It is simply pressing on with its plans to erect parking meters, parking restriction signs, road markings etc., none of which will make our streets safer, and none of which is wanted by local residents.

The library building is now well under way. The Uni’s parking capacity, therefore, has long since been reduced.

Yet, with the new term started, there is no evidence of any increase in demand for parking in the new CPZ streets in our area around the Uni nor any evidence of the congestion or disruption predicted by the Council.

*1 Source http://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/Published/C00000140/M00001560/$$ADocPackPublic.pdf page 285

*2 Source http://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/Published/C00000140/M00001560/$$ADocPackPublic.pdf page 307

A Tale Of Two Cities

 Aberdeen City, Articles, Creative Writing, Opinion  No Responses »
Oct 082010
 

rainyday
A Tale Of  Two Cities

By Ahayma Dootz.

It was the best of times,
 it was the worst of times.

Or, anyway, it rained in the morning
 but the sun came out in the afternoon.

In the morning the scene was set
in the city council chambers
where those in the public gallery witnessed
an uncertain, ill-informed, indecisive,
fragmented council debate

on the future of a rare green space
in the city centre. Yes, UTG.

If Union Terrace Gardens were a blank canvas
there would be few problems
but they’re not.

They now come encumbered
with politics, economics, sentiment,
prestige [both civic and personal],
futures, pasts
— they are no longer a park;

they are an Issue.

Up in the gallery,
we were no less guilty of having UTG in our minds
as a disembodied ‘thing’
equally weighted down
with hopes, fears and desires,

sunnyday
as we watched the debate below.

Later, in the afternoon,
in the sunlight,
some of us walked
through the real Gardens

and there were children digging,
planting, laughing, playing,
getting earth under their nails,
on their faces, clothes, everywhere

as grownups stood back
and tried to capture some fragment of their pleasure
with cameras.

Or, anyway, it rained in the morning
but in the afternoon the sun came out.

Old Susannah’s Dictionary No. 7

 Articles, Creative Writing, Opinion, Satire and Humour  No Responses »
Oct 082010
 

dictionary
Old Susannah gets to grips with more tricky terms.

Two bits of good news this week – it seems a possible New Best Friend has been identified for fox batterer Derek Forbe.  Enter Mervyn New, 45, operations director for Marine Subsea UK, reported to prosecutors for shooting baby seagull chicks (too young to fly) from his Aberdeen office window. One was killed, the other suffered in a wounded state until put down.  Perhaps like Forbes it was a case self-defence for New.

It would have come as something of a surprise to find seabirds nesting near the Aberdeen coast, and hopefully Mr New won’t find the media attention too distressing.  After all, office workers are historically known to surf the web, hang around the water cooler and kill things.  No doubt New and Forbes can go ‘clubbing’ together sometime.  My other cheery news is that Donald Trump is considering running for presidency of the United States.  Break out the champagne (but drink responsibly – see below)

RSPB
We wouldn’t have have our poor, hardworking executives falling foul (or is that ‘fowl’?) of silly wildlife laws if it weren’t for organisations like the SSPCA and the RSPB.  The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) is an organisation that exists to stop people like Forbes and New having any fun.   It seems the RSPB has just issued a report saying that the situation is serious for wild birds in Scotland.  Apparently things called ‘loss of habitation’ (like when parks are turned into car parks) and fragmentation of habitation (like when parks are turned into football stadia) are bad for birds and other wildlife.  So there you have it – the less green space, the less wildlife.  Yes, that sounds like a very farfetched conclusion.  But if we keep going the way we are, then the world will be a safer place for Forbes and New.   Birds apparently pollinate wild plants and food crops, and feed off of insects, so they won’t be missed much.

Dine in for Two for £10
Loss of green space and loss of wildlife are as nothing compared to some social ills.  Sometimes a problem is so dreadful the temptation is to sweep it under the carpet.  Therefore we should give thanks to the SNP for its bravery and sense of priorities:  Is it going to tackle pollution?  Crime?  The economic crisis?  Decaying schools and hospitals?  Better:  it is going to stop supermarket offers such as ‘Dine in for Two for £10’ once and for all.  Old Susannah understands they have their best people on this full time (doing field research).  Their backbench MSP, Dr Ian McKee, is going to cure Scotland of its alcohol problems in one go by stopping these meal deals.  Once the deal is gone, we’ll all go teetotal.  There are some people who can handle alcohol, and some who cannot.  If we stop everyone from having a glass of wine with their shrimp cocktail, chicken casserole and profiteroles, we’ll have a better society.

You see them —  couples, pensioners, working people –  racing to grocery stores when these specials are on, behaving like wild animals, grabbing main courses, side dishes, desserts – and a bottle of wine (although non-alcoholic drinks are clearly offered as well).  Don’t be fooled into thinking these people are going to eat any of the food.  It’s the wine they want.  After ‘scoring’, they go home and ‘prepare’ – this ritual might involve plates, cutlery and glasses.  Delirious on the wine, they then go to the town centre, fight, commit crime, get sick in the streets, and so on.  Apparently a kidney charity says that such deals make taking alcohol seem socially acceptable.  You could be forgiven for thinking that 8,000 years’ worth of human civilisation had something to do with the concept that having wine was mainstream, but the SNP says otherwise.  Encouraging people to have a glass of wine alongside a three course meal is just wrong.

Cheers

Freedom of Information Act
A law came into being some years ago giving the public the freedom to ask for information; this law was cleverly called the Freedom of Information Act.  Since then, many government agencies have worked tirelessly to evade complying with it.  Some suspicious people have the nerve not to trust their local governments, and write to request information.  Unfortunately this creates work for the Information Officers (who were put in place to deal with requests).  Kevin Stewart of Aberdeen City Council has said that many of these requests are ‘absurd’.  If anyone knows about absurdity, it may well be Mr Stewart.  Such crazy requests might include questions on what happening to the Common Good Fund, why old buildings are occasionally sold for less than market value, how much money is spent on outside consultants, why the previous promise to leave Loirston Park alone is being ignored and so on.  One question was asked about the Council taking over Marischal College and spending £80 million in the process.  What were the alternatives?  Who suggested this?  Were proper costing’s done and analysed?  After a bit more than the maximum time allowed, the Council replied that the financial data used to select Marischal College as the best way forward was Copyrighted by the consultants who did the study – and could not be released.  The word absurd springs to mind again.

Copyright
A copyright is a form of protection which can be used to secure a creator’s rights over their creation.  The Harry Potter books and films are copyrighted; ‘Led Zepplin IV’ is copyrighted; ‘Gone with the Wind’ is copyrighted.  This stops unauthorised people passing the work off as their own, stealing parts of the work, or making unauthorised use of these creations, particularly for profit.  Old Susannah cannot find any form of copyright that would stop Aberdeen City Council from showing its figures for Marischal College expenditure and alternatives – unless the Council is planning a book or a film that is.  If anyone out there wants to ask the Council for the figures – or an explanation as to how such figures could possibly be copyrighted – please do send the Council a Freedom of Information Request.

Giving Away The Gardens

 Aberdeen City, Articles, Community, Featured, Information, News  No Responses »
Oct 082010
 

The future of Union Terrace Gardens came under intense scrutiny again on Wednesday 6th when a full meeting of the council was asked to vote on a new timetable for they key steps in the project. Although the proposed agenda was described as ‘only indicative’, its adoption would mean that the council were giving the go-ahead to this extremely complex initiative.

The group Friends of Union Terrace Gardens, who are campaigning for a more considered approach towards any development of the site, were allowed to make a submission to the council before the matter was put up for debate. Chairman of the group, Mike Shepherd reports;

gardens-for-sale
I was allowed to give a deputation, which involved giving a ten minute talk to the council. I noted that the City Garden project has already suffered some significant delays. For instance, the item to consult the public on short-listed designs for the square has been delayed by four and a half months and will now start on the 24th August 2011.

One of the results of this is that several key decisions have been placed into the council meeting next April. These include approval of the final funding business case; a statement on the ownership of the gardens; approval of the SPV’s project business plan, approval to lease council land to the SPV and permission for the SPV to take the project forward.  I urged that there is a need for caution on what is a complex financial and legal issue. I argued that to make several key decisions in one day’s council business is far too fast for the council to properly assess the situation and makes it likely that some big mistakes will be made.

The term SPV mentioned above is an acronym for Special Purpose Vehicle. An SPV is a legal entity which is a limited company or a partnership created for a specific purpose separate from the sponsoring organisation (in this case the council). The SPV could be similar to the Aberdeen City Development Company, an organisation currently being formed by the council to act as a joint venture between private enterprise and the council for the purpose of semi-privatising council assets deemed to be ‘market failures’.

A comment was made that having ignored the initial consultation where the public said no to the scheme, we would now be forced to pick the least-worst design

It has been proposed to set up the City Development Company with 12 board members of which only up to four will be from the council. The remaining board members are likely to come from private enterprise and possibly from Scottish Enterprise, a national government organisation.

The SPV would be charged with taking the city square through to completion.

This organisation is not supposed to exist until January 2012, when the council have noted a budget of £900,000 for staffing costs. However, we read in the calendar that the council are now being asked to approve granting the lease for the gardens to the SPV on April 27th 2011, at least a year before a planning submission is likely to be made. We have been told by the Council Executive that the lease would probably be assigned for 125 years. Although the council would nominally own the park, control would pass over to the SPV.

I said the following to the council during my deputation:

“If the lease is assigned early, then what happens if planning permission is not given? Does this mean that the council will have given up control of the park to a third party with no clear idea as to what happens next? How will the council get the lease back; can it get the lease back? What will be the status of UTG as a council-operated park if the lease is assigned 3 years before any construction is anticipated? Will the public be allowed to use the park after April next year?”

I didn’t get any answers to these questions. Surprisingly, the issue of a lease barely come up in the council debate that followed. However, one further controversy arose. Councillor John Stewart, the council leader and supporter of the City Garden Project, was asked if the option to keep the gardens substantially as they are would be one of those given to the public when they were being allowed to comment on the designs for the city square. No was the answer.  A comment was made that having ignored the initial consultation where the public said no to the scheme, we would now be forced to pick the least-worst design.

Councillor John Stewart wrapped up the meeting by supporting what he described as an exciting, new vision for the city centre. He urged the council to approve the calendar going forward as a way to explore a possible future for Aberdeen and to fully assess the risks for the project. The vote went in his favour 21 to 13.

The fate of Union Terrace Gardens will come up again at the full council meeting on the 27th April 2011, a date when control of the gardens could be given away early. By this time, it is likely that that city-centre park will be a major issue in the Scottish parliamentary elections which are to take place eight days later on Thursday 5th May 2011. I have a feeling that the controversy over Union Terrace Gardens will have reached boiling point by then.

Nigg Residents ‘Stand Free’ over Stadium Plan

 Articles, Community, Featured, Information, Opinion, Sport  No Responses »
Oct 082010
 

By Fred Wilkinson.

Residents of the Nigg community to the south of Aberdeen have enjoyed a boost to their campaign in opposition to the proposed Community Stadium at Loirston with around 150 registered objections to the plan being sufficient to warrant a public hearing.

Loirston 050
The plan may well still be on course to deliver the Stadium, but many will view this latest turn of events as a victory for local democracy offering a fresh breeze of optimism for a small community facing an uphill struggle to retain the character, identity and beauty of their local environment.

According to local sources it has not been easy to muster the time and energy, and the levels of commitment, communication, co-ordination and organisation required to oppose the planned development.

Currently, there are at least 4 other proposals for major developments which will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the Nigg/Loirston area.

Redmoss resident of 36 years Gene Abel also tells of a more sinister obstacle to the campaign.

“Back in August, we put up posters throughout the area to promote awareness of the consultation procedure with details of the closing date for objections, and where to send these. This was simply to provide much needed information that the residents could choose whether or not to act upon

“However, over a single night, these all appeared to have been systematically removed – apart from two in my own garden.

“Knowing how and where the posters were placed, I can tell you that someone went to extraordinary lengths to remove them”

Additionally, they have been branded a ‘vocal minority’ and accused of ‘nimbyism’ in the local press and their campaign compared to totally unrelated projects in an apparent attempt to discredit what has been a commendable effort on their part.

many of us wonder who in their right mind would want to destroy such an asset and a precious asset not only for Nigg, but for the whole city

Whatever view one may hold regarding the Community Stadium proposal, surely to accuse the Nigg Community of nimbyism is a cheap shot at an easy target, and takes no account of the fact that those in opposition to the plan have raised valid concerns and reasoned arguments in support of their objections. If such accusations continue to be levelled at the local community, it raises the question, who has a valid and justifiable right to disagree with a particular development?

Should a proposed change affect an area in which you live, work, travel, relax, then it seems your opposition can apparently be dismissed as ‘nimbyism’.

If however you question the same development, despite the fact you and your locality are not affected, simply because you believe that it is wrong or ill conceived, then expect charges from the very same quarters that you are interfering in the affairs of others.

There are numerous recent examples of such detractions – Annie Lennox’s objections to the flawed proposals for UTG and Green MP Caroline Lucas’ support for the Tripping Up Trump campaign being the most prominent examples.

Mr Abel states in response to charges of nimbyism:

“The bottom line is that this is a beautiful area. That is due in no small way to the loch and the open green space which many residents actively enjoy

“Whether this is about a football stadium, or any other kind of development, many of us wonder who in their right mind would want to destroy such an asset and a precious asset not only for Nigg, but for the whole city.

Strong opposition to the Community Stadium (the New Home of Aberdeen F.C.as referred to by the Council) has also come from a less geographically defined source – the Aberdeen FC fans themselves.

According to the results of a consultation convened by the AFC trust in May 2009, out of 1140 responses, 81.2% favoured Kings Links as the location of the new stadium. 62.8% stated they would attend less matches if Loirston was chosen and 84.1% felt that the club should have consulted them about the preferred location.

Resignation, whilst infinitely more manageable than opposition, does not equate with support.

In view of the fact that the total number of responses is the equivalent of around 10% of the average attendance at Pittodrie, this has to be seen to be a significant figure to the degree that it could hardly be doubted as a very good representation of the whole fan base.

The mind boggles as to how any organisation, worthy of being described as a business, can justify a course of action favoured by less than 18% of their regular customers, a business whose very existence relies upon this very group. Few analysts would disagree that alienating this group would have a significantly negative impact on the future prospects of the organisation.

One has to conclude then, if indeed only a vocal minority are pulling the strings, there has surely been a phenomenal shift in the opinion of the fans in a relatively short period.

Or perhaps not. When one considers the psyche of a typical diehard football fan, there is perhaps less change than may be immediately apparent.

To be a committed supporter of Aberdeen FC, or any other club for that matter, is not so much a lifestyle choice as a deep seated biological drive – more an addiction than a mere habit. It is not a matter of choice, but of belief and belonging.

Therefore, love it or loathe it, whether Loirston, the Links, Lumphanan or Laurencekirk, the true fans will be there. Could this be the known factor at the heart of the apparent dismissal of Aberdeen fans’ response to the 2009 consultation?

In any case it appears they are currently not being consulted in any meaningful way and on the evidence of online discussions in fans forums, opposition and resentment over the Loirston proposal has been for the most part given way to a sense of resignation.

This mass resignation may also explain the pitiful response to the “No to Aberdeen FC’s Loirston Loch Community Stadium” petition, and the poor response to the “Don’t Move Aberdeen FC to Loirston Loch” Facebook page

But take note. Resignation, whilst infinitely more manageable than opposition, does not equate with support.

Nevertheless in their determination to ‘stand free’, the residents of Nigg have at least bought some time and an opportunity to have their arguments heard, and perhaps time and opportunity for others to consider how free or compromised is their own stand on the issues.

The question remains whether there is time and scope for an alternative or amended plan which, if it acknowledges the needs and desires of the very people whose lives it impacts upon, may find a more favourable environment in which to progress, and perhaps even gain momentum.

In Aberdeen Voice next week, read the views of Craig Stewart – the editor of the Aberdeen-Mad fans’ website. In the meantime, feel free to add your own view in the comments box below. All comments will be subject to moderation.

Enough Is Enough

 Aberdeen City, Articles, Featured, Opinion  No Responses »
Oct 012010
 

By John Sangster.

Aberdeen Open Day

Well, here we are into the autumn of 2010. The general election is becoming a distant memory and the Scottish elections are homing into view. No doubt we will soon be getting bombarded with the usual plethora of promises as the political parties vie for our vote. It will be “we’ll give you this” and “we’ll give you that” and if “they give you this and that, we’ll give you this, that and something else that we’ll think of nearer the election”.

I am waiting for the ultimate political promise where one party will guarantee reincarnation after death, this being a particularly good one as there’s no way of proving otherwise.

The party manifesto that they spout out during the campaign is the thing that nobody reads – mainly because the parties have the nerve to charge us for it.  During the last election I asked the Labour and Tory candidates in Gordon for a manifesto and was told “I don’t carry them with me when I’m campaigning but, if you go into any party office in Aberdeen, they’ll sell you one”.  The problem is that all these promises can never be kept as there are so many of them in one document that it would take decades to fulfil them all.

I seem to remember in the nineteen eighties that all Aberdeen’s political parties were promising to make Aberdeen the greatest city in the world, the pavements were paved with gold, the oil was overflowing and The Dons were winning everything. If you fast forward to the last Scottish election, the political parties were promising to clean up Aberdeen, to wash the pavements, to make contingency plans after the oil runs out and the Dons were winning absolutely nothing. What went wrong? Answers on a postcard please.

a bus station where, in the winter, passengers have to stand in the blizzard to see if the bus is coming

My own guess is that the standard of politician in this country has plummeted and our towns and cities are no longer run by people with principles who genuinely want to make a difference. As Tony Benn so eloquently put it “We are no longer being governed, we are being managed”.

Today’s politician doesn’t speak to the people anymore, they consult with spivs and speculators and money people whose only interest in the city is where their next buck is coming from.

Aberdeen has many examples from the eighties onwards : the shopping malls , (put there by apparently blind planners) the fact that Union Street was never pedestrianised, and the assorted plans to cover areas all over the city. One plan after another brought to us by useless politicians who now use taxpayers’ time to exchange juvenile insults with each other.

The major building crime of the century as far as city planning goes is Union Square and the new bus station. Whoever gave the go ahead for that should be taken to the city boundary, pointed south and told to never ever come back.

It is the monstrosity of all monstrosities – a bus station where, in the winter, passengers have to stand in the blizzard to see if the bus is coming. Did the politicians do anything about that? No. Will they do anything about saving UTG?, No. Will they clean up the city and restore places like Johnson Gardens? No. However, will they promise you everything at the next election? Yes, yes and yes again, they will be falling over each other (and you) to give you leaflets. Lots of shiny new leaflets run off at your expense.

This is the time to say “NO, we will not put up with this anymore”. I urge the independently minded citizens of Aberdeen to stand at the forthcoming elections and vote out the useless bunch of chancers that occupy the Town House just now.

Old Susannah’s Dictionary Corner No. 5

 Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Articles, Creative Writing, Satire and Humour  No Responses »
Sep 242010
 

Old Susannah gets to grips with those difficult to understand terms.

dictionary
Old Susannah thanks readers who wrote in with money-saving ideas for Aberdeen City Council.  Many of you suggest money could be saved by sending Kate Dean and Kevin Stewart to the upcoming oil event in Houston.  On one-way tickets.

Continue reading »

Scottish Party Leaders Comment On UTG

 Aberdeen City, Articles, Featured, Information, News  No Responses »
Sep 242010
 

Thanks to Mike Shepherd. Introduction by Dave Guthrie.

The helium balloons were popular
Few local issues have caused as much controversy as the role of Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen’s city centre. Everyone has an opinion.

As far back as 1952 there were plans to extend the gardens by covering over the railway line and Denburn Road. Continue reading »

Future Choices – Bonds Unbroken

 Charity, Events, Featured, Information, Opinion  No Responses »
Sep 172010
 

In the last issue, we focussed on events set around the closure of Choices day care centre. With gratitude to carer David Forbes for his contribution, Fred Wilkinson continues his series of articles.

lwchoicespic

Firstly, I must apologise, as due to illness, and a few thorny legal issues, I was unable to finish the article I hoped to present this week. However, from the closure of Choices to the ongoing work of the Future Choices charity, I doubt if we will ever be short of a story.

In the process of gathering information for previous articles, I was offered the opportunity to attend a Future Choices committee meeting. Having had very little contact with Choices’ former users in more than two years, this invitation was most welcome. As well as a chance to catch up with old buddies it was a chance to witness first hand how the group were faring, and what avenues and opportunities were being pursued.

It was an afternoon of mixed emotions. I was made to feel extremely welcome at the home of group chairman Kevin McCahery and greeted warmly by all who arrived. However, as I caught up with their news, I was also updated on behalf of others I would, sadly, never have the chance to meet again.

As they conducted their business, and exchanged humour in between, it was extremely reassuring to realise that their resolve was very much intact, and the friendships between those present were as strong as ever. Also uncompromised by time was the residual anger, which surfaced occasionally. This anger directed towards particular sections and individuals within Aberdeen City Council may yet subside, but it is clear that it will take more than time for their contempt to be replaced by trust. Altogether the uncomfortable subtext was a message – that the closure of Choices, and how it has affected group members, was unforgivable.

I thought it was an awful wind up, but when the news bulletin came on the TV, my heart sank

Present at the meeting was David Forbes. Mr Forbes’ mother previously attended Choices and he clearly remembers the heartbreak experienced by all involved with the Day Centre.

“I’ll never forget in all my life. I got a call from my mum’s Day Centre informing me that Aberdeen City Council had decided to axe it due to their massive cutbacks. How do you tell your disabled mum; who loved going to the centre to keep active, see her friends, and learn new skills, that she could not go anymore?”

Mr Forbes chose to sum up his feelings around that time in two words.

“Emotional Hell.

amr
“Strangely I thought it was an awful wind up, but when the news bulletin came on the TV, my heart sank as I accepted it was very real.

“I was 26, and caring full time for my mum who suffers from memory loss due to severe brain damage following a heart attack.”

The impact of closure affected many in addition to the service users. A secondary function of Choices was, that in providing day care to disabled individuals, their families and carers like Mr Forbes could enjoy periods of respite, enabling them to work or otherwise focus on their own personal needs and interests, and their personal and professional relationships with countless others.

“On the very last day of the Centre closing, it was very difficult personally for me to witness many disabled people, including my mum, crying and comforting each other. It made me realise how vital the service was to the local community.

The hard work was worth it and the fight to press on is bigger than ever!

“My mum and I have built up very good friendships with the people who used the service. We worked as a team and helped the other users to protest against the axing of the centre, with marches, petitions, media interviews, even lobbying Parliament …sadly all failed.”

But rather than just lie down and accept defeat, users and supporters including Mr Forbes pulled together to form Future Choices – a charity whose primary aim is to do what Choices did for the users – helping the local disabled community of Aberdeen live their lives as they should be allowed to do.

As I observed the meeting in progress and contributed where I could, I wondered if in some perverse way the cruel loss of Choices, and the fight to win back that sense of belonging has made the group stronger. They are still some considerable way from having in place what they aim for, but I feel a real sense of momentum in the group and a sense of pride – assets which give the group huge appeal.

Mr Forbes confirms this observation.

“The Charity is now up and running with new members being added regularly, and with loyal supporters and lots of future fundraising events in the pipeline, the future for Future Choices will hopefully be brighter.”

“The Question that I ask myself everyday when I see and do work with the Charity is where would we be now if we didn’t pull together as a strong team?

“And then when I turn to my mum and remind her she can still see her friends these days, it suddenly becomes clear. The hard work was worth it and the fight to press on is bigger than ever!

The meeting rolls on at a pleasant pace. The group are as always glad to be together, so no decisions are hurried, and the hard edges and painful memories are outweighed by the many, shared experiences they still laugh heartily about. Much as I share the desire to stay on and enjoy their fantastic company, I realise an hour has passed since I announced with apologies that I had to be heading home, and so I leave fortified with optimism that Future Choices are moving forward, and I pity anyone who dares to stand in their way.

David Forbes has organised a dinner dance event at the Hilton Treetops, Aberdeen on 13th November.
Tickets are £30 which includes live entertainment, a welcome drink, and a 3 course meal.

Contact David Forbes.
07821700046 / 01224486372
dave_f1982@hotmail.co.uk

All proceeds to Future Choices ( Charity Reg SC040085 )

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