CEDAR COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER – JULY

INFLATABLES, FRIES AND
FIRE ENGINES: VILLAGE FUN
DAY DELIVERS

This year’s Summer Fun Day was a fantastic celebration of community spirit, bringing families, friends and neighbours together for a fun-filled day in the village.
A big thank you goes to local resident Andrew from 1806 Hospitality and Events, who provided the food and helped keep everyone well fed throughout the day. We are also very grateful to our local firefighters, who came along with the fire engine and gave the children the chance to learn more about their work, explore the engine and even try using the hose.
Thank you also to MacDonald Motors for kindly donating a raffle prize of a free MOT. Congratulations to our lucky winner, Andrew Grant.
We were also delighted to welcome Ronnie the Greyhound and local resident Tracy, who came along to teach us about Greyhound Trust West Scotland and raise money to support greyhounds looking for new homes after retiring from racing.

Thanks must also go to the team who organised the day, and to everyone who donated items for the tombola. Your generosity helped raise funds towards next year’s event.
Looking ahead, we would love to hear from residents about their ideas and suggestions for next year’s Summer Fun Day. Are there budding musicians or bands who would like to entertain us? Local dance groups who would like to show off their routine? Or talented individuals with something they would love to share with the community?
The Summer Fun Day belongs to everyone, and with your ideas, support and involvement, we can make next year’s event even bigger and better.

DANCE 4 EXERCISE

Looking for a fun way to get moving, meet others and enjoy some music?
Our new Dance 4 Exercise classes take place every Thursday from 1pm to 2pm in Crawford Village Hall.
The classes are free to attend and open to anyone who would like to improve their fitness, boost their mood and enjoy gentle movement in a relaxed, friendly space. No dance experience is needed — just come along, join in and move at your own pace.
Whether you want to keep active, try something new or simply enjoy an hour out of the house, we’d love to see you there.

CELEBRATING A YEAR OF SUCCESS AT THE CEDAR BOOK FAIR

On 27th June 2026, CEDAR will host its 12th Book Fair at Crawford Village Hall, marking a full year since the very first event was launched on 26th July 2025. 
What began as a three-month trial has grown into a popular and valued community event, bringing people together through a shared love of books, conversation, and community spirit. 
The original aim of the Book Fair was simple: to create a local event where donated books and other items could be sold at low cost to members of the community, or swapped with the use of tokens. Encouraging the donation and re-use of books not only helps extend their lifespan and reduce waste, but also provides opportunities for learning, discovery, and enjoyment. 
Books have a unique ability to spark conversation. Time and again, the Book Fair has demonstrated how a shared interest in reading can break the ice between people who may not otherwise know each other.

These connections, along with the satisfaction of finding a new read or sharing a favourite book with someone else, contribute to positive mental health and wellbeing. 
The success of the project is due in no small part to the dedication of our volunteers. Each month, a committed team works hard to set up the hall, organise the displays, welcome visitors, serve refreshments, and pack everything away at the end of the day. Their efforts create the warm and friendly atmosphere that has become a hallmark of the event. 
Initial funding for the Book Fair was secured through the VASLan Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, covering the costs of hall hire and helping to establish the project. Thanks to its success and positive impact on the community, funding has now been successfully received for another year. 
The Book Fair has enjoyed consistently good footfall throughout its first year. The popular token and swap system has been particularly well received, with some regular visitors even building up a “tab” of tokens for future purchases.

Just as important as the books themselves are the conversations that take place around the refreshment table, where visitors often stay for a cuppa, a cake or biscuit, and plenty of good-natured banter. 

As we celebrate twelve successful events and look ahead to the future, we would like to thank everyone who has donated books, volunteered their time, attended the fairs, or simply stopped by for a chat.  Here’s to another 12 months of books, community, friendship, and wellbeing at Crawford Village Hall! 

CEDAR is looking to start a new gardening group for anyone with an interest in plants, gardening, outdoor spaces or simply making our villages look their best.

The group will focus on improving communal areas across Crawford, Elvanfoot and the surrounding area. This could include planting flowers, tidying shared spaces, improving planters, and helping make the villages more colourful, welcoming and cared for.

You may already have seen Shannon helping to look after some of the village planters, and we are very grateful for the work she has done so far. However, this is only the start, and keeping our shared spaces looking their best is something that will need more people to get involved.

We are also keen to hear from residents who may be interested in “adopting a pot” in the village. This would involve taking responsibility for one of the village planters, helping to water it, weed it and keep it looking good throughout the year.

Another idea we would like to explore is a village clean-up day, bringing residents together to tackle areas that need attention, such as overgrown verges, hedges, litter and shared spaces.

You do not need to be an expert gardener. If you are interested in joining the group, adopting a pot, or helping with a clean-up day, please get in touch with CEDAR or speak to Shannon.

CEDAR COMMUNITY TRANSPORT

CEDAR is looking for volunteer drivers to support our Community Transport project and help local residents get to appointments, activities and essential services.
Volunteer drivers must be over 21 and hold a full driving licence. The process is straightforward: we will have an initial chat with anyone interested, ask to see proof of their driving licence, and talk through any insurance requirements. We will then show volunteers around the vehicle and take them on a short test drive so they can get a feel for how it handles and feel confident before getting started.
Once approved, volunteer drivers will be added to a WhatsApp group for booking requests. When CEDAR receives a request for transport, a message will be posted in the group with the details of the journey. If a driver is available and happy to help, they can reply to accept the booking. If they are busy or unable to commit, they can simply ignore the message — there is no pressure to respond.
Drivers may be asked to help residents attend medical appointments, community activities, shopping trips or other local journeys where transport is a barrier. Volunteers will not be expected to commit to set days or fixed hours, and they will never be asked to take on more than they are comfortable with. Any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred while volunteering will be reimbursed, so volunteers are not left out of pocket for helping
This service exists to benefit the whole community, but it can only succeed if people who are able to help are willing to play a part.

For many residents, a lack of transport can mean missing important appointments, becoming isolated from friends and activities, or struggling to access everyday services. Every volunteer driver makes a real difference, and even occasional support can help ensure that someone in our community is not left behind. If you have the time and ability to help, we would encourage you to consider getting involved.
CEDAR will provide guidance, support and clear information on how the service works. Volunteers will not be left to figure things out on their own — the team will be there to answer questions, provide practical help and make sure drivers feel confident and supported.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer driver is encouraged to get in touch with CEDAR to find out more.

The Clyde Catchment Habitat Recovery Group has been established as a community-led initiative dedicated to restoring, protecting, and enhancing natural habitats throughout the local Clyde catchment region.
The group aims to improve biodiversity, strengthen ecosystem resilience and support the long-term health of waterways, wetlands, and upland environments across the catchment by bringing together local landholders, conservation volunteers, community organisations, and environmental professionals.
This will be achieved by delivering environmental monitoring, restoration projects and community engagement activities, which will seek to address key environmental challenges, including habitat and species loss, invasive species, soil erosion, and declining water quality.
For more information about the Clyde Catchment Habitat Recovery Group, upcoming projects, or opportunities to get involved, community members are encouraged to contact the group directly via the Facebook page.

A new family-led nature photography class is being planned in the local community, led by a friendly local photographer.
The relaxed, hands-on sessions will be suitable for both adults and children to enjoy together, with a focus on nature, wildlife, creativity and learning more about the outdoors around us.

The first session will take place on Wednesday 15 July 2026, from 1pm to 2pm. A second anf third session will be confirmed with participants and may include a nature trail, depending on accessibility.
Activities may include a short indoor workshop on Scottish wildlife, guidance on what can be spotted locally, how to photograph it, and how to approach wildlife safely.
There may also be outdoor nature walks, bird spotting, recognising bird songs, looking for tracks, and using binoculars, a scope or live camera demonstrations.
Families may also get the chance to build a bird or bug hotel, practise photography using a phone or camera, and take part in a friendly photo challenge.
The sessions are open to families, parents, carers and children. No experience is needed — just curiosity and an interest in the outdoors.