This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Top award for East Ayrshire Council
10/02/2003
An apple tree was planted at the Dalmellington Area
Centre today in recognition of its Public Management's
Prize for 2002.
The East Ayrshire Council centre, which provides a range
of local services for community, is the first council to be
given the award in Scotland in its 13-year history, and
only the second council in the whole of the UK.
Minister for Finance and Public Services Andy Kerr
said:
"I am delighted to be invited back to Dalmellington to
see the outstanding work being done to improve local
services for the community.
"The Dalmellington Area Centre has made a considerable
improvement to local people's lives by providing accessible
services that are there when people want to use them.
"This award pays tribute to the hard work of the staff
at the centre who are working to break down barriers
between local agencies to deliver a seamless, one-stop shop
service to the people of Dalmellington."
Mr Kerr also officially opened the Drongan Resource
Centre, which is a smaller scale version of the
Dalmellington Area Centre. It includes health care services
through two GP practices and consulting and treatment
rooms, local authority services and police services.
He said:
"This centre is an excellent example of the benefits
which joined up working can bring to a community. It
provides a resource centre for the community bringing
together health services, social services and police
services.
"I am certain the community of Drongan will feel the
benefits of this project which will bring services together
under one roof making them as accessible and available as
possible."
The Minister also visited Bellsbank Adventure
Playground, health breakfast club. The club was originally
an Urban Aid project aimed specifically at children and
young people in the Doon Valley Area however it now
provides a wide range of activities including healthy
eating initiatives.
The Dalmellington Area Centre also received the NHS
Estates 'Building Better Healthcare Award 2002'. It was the
first time a Scottish project has taken the top honours in
this UK wide scheme.
Dalmellington Area Centre was allocated £1.2 million
from the Scottish Executive's Primary and Community
Premises Modernisation Programme. The total cost for the
project was £2.3 million.