Fun and games at Camelon community safety event

A community safety group is organising a day of fun and games for youngsters in an area which has become associated with anti-social behaviour – including a deliberate fire which damaged property there.
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Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill’s Gather and Play event, which takes place from 11am to 4pm on Friday, October 15, will be held in the car park of Camelon Juniors FC, in Fairlie Street.

Community safety engager John Hosie said: “Camelon Juniors FC’s car park and its immediate environs have historically been viewed as a problematic area for the local community, with a longstanding high incidence of anti-social behaviour.

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"The situation was exacerbated last year when a fire badly damaged a container within the football ground which was being used as a temporary changing room facility due to the COVID pandemic.

A fire at Camelon Juniors FC destroyed new changing rooms and a food bank facility last yearA fire at Camelon Juniors FC destroyed new changing rooms and a food bank facility last year
A fire at Camelon Juniors FC destroyed new changing rooms and a food bank facility last year

"This concern for the location and the security of the football club were consistent themes raised through the local community safety consultations that took place

throughout 2020 and early 2021.

"In response to these specific community safety concerns, a multi-agency group was convened by Falkirk Council to look at strategic solutions for both the security of

the football club and improving the location for the benefit of the wider community.”

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A tenants survey took place at the start of the year and confirmed local tenants would like to see the area transformed through creative and green projects and the

football club were supportive of this approach.

Mr Hosie said: “In particular they were keen to see the perimeter wall of the football ground upgraded in a creative way and to encourage the wider community to

participate with that process.”

Some ideas on how to redevelop the area included using it for children’s street games, with an ongoing commitment from the Tidy, Clean and Green Group and the

Forth Valley Recovery Community to keep the area cleared of litter and dog mess.

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Falkirk Council has facilitated the installation of temporary CCTV and the clearance of the overgrown area next to the canal towpath.

Mr Hosie said: “The sustainable long-term solution to this area will see a collaborative approach, with the involvement and commitment of the Camelon Arts Project,

along with Our Place Camelon and Tamfourhill, the Tidy, Clean and Green group and community artist Mark Bleakley’s All Games Allowed Project.

"The next phase of this engagement process will take place on Friday, October 15 with the Gather and Play event.”

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“It will be a day of drop-in creative workshops and games, cleaning and greening, and temporary interventions held in the Camelon Juniors FC car park. This is a bit of

a ‘taste and try’ day where local people can come and experience some of the ideas that have already been suggested to improve the car park and its surrounding

area."

The event will include workshops on art, tote bag printing and mural painting and free food and drink will be available.

Mr Hosie said: “Hopefully the Gather and Play approach will inspire more local people to get directly involved with that community development process.”

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