Levengrove Work Connect

How the project achieved the sections of the award

Plan:

The Community Greenspace Officer worked with the clients as a team and individuals to develop a plan on what areas within West Dunbarton. The project included a general assessment by the group of how the Vale of Leven (VOL) developed as a community. Each client also produced a display board on a chosen subject.

The Levengrove Heritage Hero with their certificates at Levengrove Park Dumbarton

Investigate:

The group found out about the built heritage and social heritage in the area such as the Argyll Car Works / Torpedo Factory, the Turkey Red Dye Works and the development of the town from the industrial revolution till post WW2.  They also visited the heritage section on the Alexandria and Dumbarton Libraries and conduct project work with the help of Arts and Heritage Services and conducted a desktop study on the various subjects that were chosen for their posters.

Engage:

The group visited and explored local sites and photograph things of interest. They supported each other in undertaking web searches fore information, and through group discussions to look for ideas and swap information. Clients explored the local area and spoke to local people to collect stories.

Group discussion and personal research in the Dumbarton Library Heritage Section

Inspire:

The group held discussions within the group and developed a presentation we can share with others. They also liaised with Art and Heritage Services in order to set up a display in the VOL library.

Reflect:

After finishing their project, the group conducted a group evaluation and debrief on their performance during the project. They identified a number of skills they had developed including communication, teamwork and research and investigation.

Sean and Stevie, Catrina and Michela looking at the interpretation panels
in the Alexandria Library Heritage Section

Highlights:

The Work Connect group was a mixture of clients from the groups that use the Adult Training Centre at Levengrove Park in West Dunbarton. The centre uses gardening and independent living as the baseline subjects for the clients. The youngest group member was in their early twenty’s with the oldest in their mid-sixty’s. Two of the participants were father and daughter.

The enthusiasm of the group and their willingness to try something different was evident from the start. The mixture of clients meant that members of the group were able to bring family anecdotes and local stories into the conversations. Younger members being more tech savvy supported the older participants with IT skills and importing images onto social media and presentation slides.

The support from the different council departments was essential to the success of the project. HSCP and Greenspace staff  led the project and provided admin support. The visits to the Heritage Sections at the libraries added a real buzz for both the participants and the staff within the libraries.

Field trip to the discuss the different uses of the same building. The Argyll Car Works / Torpedo Factory / Shopping Outlet in Alexandria

The benefit of using the Heritage Hero Awards:

The participants had different issues but bringing them together gave them a chance to meet new people who they did not  normally engage with. Many of the group socialise away from the training centre and had discussions on social media about the project. They were able to make use of several local heritage pages on social media.  I would say that the confidence levels and communication skills of the group has improved during the course.

The award ceremony brought together participants, support staff and families to celebrate their achievements. The project was well received by all, with several parents stating they were very proud of their family members for completing the award.

Participants Comments:

“I really enjoyed the project; I loved learning more about the local area and working together to put together a presentation to help others learn more too” Michela McConnachie

“Working through the Heritage Heroes Awards was an interesting and engaging experience. I learned a lot about my chosen subject as well as from the other projects by the group. Overall, I’ve ended with a newfound respect for the history of the area, having previously overlooked many interesting things and I am keen to learn more on my own.”   Andrew Caldwell

“Great course, much better than I expected. I learned a lot about the local area and its people, it opened our heritage to me and showed me that we don’t celebrate our heritage and history enough.  Andy has a way of putting it across to make you want to investigate our heritage more. The other good thing was everybody helping each other and the staff in the libraries and heritage centres couldn’t do enough to help us” Stevie Mc Connachie

Partners Comments:

“The partnership work to enable our clients to be involved in the heritage hero’s award process was wonderful. Facilitated by Andy and supported through our library and heritage staff, this support and guidance were invaluable to our client’s success. It was lovely to see their hard work showcased at the certificate presentation and hear the stories from our local community which were presented. Looking forward to the next group stating their local adventure into the past and hearing the stories”. Georgina Reilly Senior Employment Support Worker

“I thoroughly enjoyed helping your group explore their heritage and the ceremony was a lovely and uplifting experience”.  Mary Frances McGlynn, Dumbarton Library Heritage Centre

“Thanks again for the invite to the award ceremony yesterday, you’ve done great work with the group. I hope we can work together again soon and share our local history and archive resources further in the future”. William Henderson, Dumbarton Library Heritage Centre

“Well done to all! They worked so hard. We were saying there was some info in those presentations that we didn’t know!  WDC Arts and Heritage will pop something up on social media recognising their enthusiasm and achievement!”  Maeve Dixon, Arts Development Officer

Participants from the WDC Arts and Heritage Quilt Makers Project planting dye plants grown by the Levengrove Heritage Heroes at the Alexandria Library Community Garden.

Case study compiled by:

Andy Devine, West Dunbarton Council, Community Greenspace Officer

With thanks to:

Levengrove Work Connect Staff

WDC Greenspace Staff

WDC Library Services Alexandria and Dumbarton

WDC Arts and Heritage Team

Vale of Leven History Project

Archaeology Scotland