Two projects run by Inverclyde Council have been honoured in the 2010 COSLA Excellence Awards for outstanding service to the public.
‘New Horizons’ and the Inverclyde Local Energy Savings Scheme (LESS INVERCLYDE) both received Silver Medals at a ceremony in St Andrews last week.
The Inverclyde Local Energy Savings Scheme was introduced in November 2008 and is a partnership project aimed at tackling fuel poverty through improving home thermal insulation, promoting sustainable energy use and maximising household income by reducing heating bills and ensuring benefit take-up. The project is delivered jointly by Inverclyde Council, SOLAS Scotland Ltd, Scottish Hydro Electric and The Pension Service at a neighbourhood level to ensure maximum contact with households. It provides an easily accessible, one-stop resource for the residents of Inverclyde, which can deliver a free home energy report, free insulation measures and referral to other relevant organisations and services.
New Horizons is a diversionary and disciplinary programme for young people aged 14-17, with a history of low level offending / anti-social behaviour. The aim of the programme is to re-educate the young people by explaining the full impact of anti-social behaviour and its consequences. Visits are made to the local prison and discussion sessions take place with prisoners and prison staff. The course benefits from input from recovering drug users and knife crime victims, including family members.The programme also aims to assist young people to develop a more appropriate pattern of behaviour and to aid their personal development. The young people take part in workshops and site visits. They find out about employment and further education opportunities and they participate in activities relating to sport, music and health. The programme lasts two weeks and is held 4 times a year to enable as many young people as possible to take part. A total of 48 young people have taken part in the programme so far and 93% completed it. A number of young people have applied to enlist with the Army as a result of taking part in the course and several young people have started night classes at the local college after finding courses of interest to them through New Horizons.
I would like to congratulate everyone involved with these two projects for their success. Both provide an excellent service and reflect the imagination and dedication that we actively encourage in Inverclyde.
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