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Meetings are held monthly (currently on the last Thursday of the month), are open to the public and are regularly attended by locally elected councillors and Grampian Police. All agendas/minutes are freely available in Cullen Library and the Deskford Jubilee Hall/Community Centre. Suggestion boxes are sited in the same venues, plus the Cullen Post Office (also the location of the Events Diary).
** Unstinting Service to Community Honoured - January 2012 **
Three Cullen residents who have made outstanding contributions to the town have been recognised for their dedicated work. The Community Council presented Certificates of Achievement to Mary Brown, Bill Findlay and Joe Mowat at their January meeting. Mary Brown moved to Cullen in 1984, and has been involved with a number of groups. She has been Secretary of the Community Council and instrumental in establishing and running the Lunch Club, the 50+ Ramblers Group, Exercise Classes, the Christmas Lights Group, and has been a Meals on Wheels Co-ordinator for 14 years. Bill Findlay and Joe Mowat have been an entertainment duo for 15 years, but their individual contributions go back much further. Accordion and keyboard player, Bill Findlay has entertained the Cullen Senior Citizens for 50 years. Now retired, he is extremely busy and his musical talents are much in demand. Joe Mowat's musical background is in rock, starting as a vocalist in the very successful 1960s group "Apaches" which won the North of Scotland rock band competition at Aberdeen Beach Ballroom. His guitar playing and singing, interspersed with the odd story or two, remain very popular. The duo first played together in Cullen Town Hall in 1997 helping to raise funds for Cullen Tennis Club and their services have been constantly in demand since and have helped groups in Cullen and further afield to raise money. Of particular mention is their ability to organise and motivate youngsters through the "Cullen Has Talent" events in the Town Hall, in conjunction with Moyra Hendry and the Cullen Primary School - packed events which are a delight for the youngsters and audience alike.
** Cullen & Deskford Calendar 2013 - Photo Competition - Closing Date 14th April 2012 **
With the first month of the year having already disappeared, the Cullen & Deskford Community Council is reminding photographers both near and far that the closing date for the Photo Competition is 14th April 2012. The Photo Competition last year proved to be a resounding success, with the 2012 Calendar containing high-quality photos from local photographers which show off this bit of Scotland to its very best. Residents, visitors and fans of Cullen and Deskford are invited to send in their personal photographs of the local area for the chance to be included in the 2013 calendar. Eminent national photographic adjudicator and Cullen expat Malcolm McBeath will be judging the entries within three categories: Primary School age, Secondary School age and Adults. Each month will feature a winning photograph. In addition, local businesses, clubs and groups can also have their own little bit of immortality by sponsoring a month. Sales of the 2012 Calendar surpassed by a mile either of the two previous years. In total, over 700 calendars have been sold - both locally and for posting to countries around the world. In addition to raising a significant amount of money for community projects, the calendar also serves as a fantastic way to promote the Cullen and Deskford area to regular or potential visitors and to bring back memories for the area's aficionados.
Click here for a copy of the Competition Poster; click here for a copy of the Entry Form and Rules. Please e-mail community@discovercullen.com or phone 01542 840314 for any further information. Entry forms are also available in the Cullen Paper Shop and Cullen Corner Shop. The closing date for entries is 14th April 2012. Please spread the word - and encourage all your friends, family and visitors to enter the competition.
** Cullen Dirt Cycle Track - A Fundraising Weekend to Remember **
Cullen was the venue for two very successful fundraising events during the last weekend of October, raising £2,405.97 for the Kids of Cullen Dirt Cycle Track. A Soup and Sweet held at the Cullen Bowling and Tennis Club raised £1,775.23, and a Sponsored Bike Ride from Cullen to Findochty raised £630.74. Joint first prize for raising the most sponsorship money went to James Donn and Cameron Bruce, with Alexander Flett following close behind; all 3 received a t-shirt and trophy for their efforts. In addition, 2 prizes of bike lights were given for the best fancy dress.
The Group is also indebted to the Cullen Pensioners Club, the Cullen Bowling and Tennis Club, Jack and Helen Mackie, Stephen Findlay, other individual contributors and all those who have generated funds through their own fund-raising activities, including the raffle of an I-Pad which raised an amazing £470. All these generous contributions, combined with the money raised from the Welfare Committee of the Alba Platform, the Cullen Common Good Fund, Buckie Rotary, the Mary Salmond Trust and the Grampian Police Community Initiative Fund, amount to £8,500.
Weather permitting, work will commence on the construction of the Track in February 2012.
Click here to see photos of the fundraising weekend. Click here to see the first fund-raising cheque officially handed over.
** Continuation of Path to the Crannoch Hill **
The Community Council is delighted to advise that all the necessary funds were obtained to create a much-needed path from the southern end of Cullen to the Crannoch Hill Walk, and the work is now complete.
** Ensuring the Cullen Community and Residential Centre remains open **
Following the Budget Consultation in 2010, Moray Council issued a Press Release (20th December 2010) indicating that, for the financial year ahead, they do not propose to close or reduce the operating hours of any libraries, any swimming pools, any community centres, any public halls or any museums across Moray. The administration group remains committed to the establishment of trust status for all of the council's leisure facilities; however, there may be other mechanisms to ensure that the Cullen Centre remains open, including a possible transfer of the Centre to the community. Having received overwhelming support at the public consultation meeting held in Cullen in 2010, the Community Council is actively pursuing discussions with Moray Council Officers to explore the possibilities. Watch this space for more information as it becomes available.
** Repairs to the Salmon Bothy Path completed - a job well done! **
This was a great example of community and team working - with several community groups working together and volunteers giving up their time and contributing the use of heavy machinery to get a job done - not forgetting a holidaymaker who, on hearing about the project, volunteered to help. Thanks are also due to Moray Council for providing the materials, to Cullen Bay Holiday Park for allowing use of their toilet facilities, to Emma from Light Bites for contributing refreshments and to Elizabeth Douglas for those fantastic cakes! Click here to see some photos of the day's work!
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