Notes of a Special Community Council Meeting held in Acharn on Wednesday 13th August 2025 at 7pm
Purpose
To review and consider responses to the recently completed Kirk survey and agree next steps.
Present
Community Council: Peter Ely (Chair), Colin Morton (Communications), Jon Iddon (Treasurer), Olive Munro Carol May, Lou Oppenheim & Bill Howie.
Community: Willie Lindsey, Kenny McVicar, Robin Menzies, Bill Oppenheim, Mairi McAdam, Shiela Mitchel, Stuart Arnott & Ronnie Munro.
Other: Joan Denton-Thompson, Pat Menzies, Donald Riddle, Neil & Moira Dickenson.
Apologies
Shirley Shearer & Alex Low
Kirk survey
The chair invited Colin Morton to present the results of the completed survey. The chair wished to acknowledge, at this stage, that Colins input had been immense, the backbone of the Community Council efforts over the entire process to date.
Colin reviewed, in detail, the survey document. A copy of the survey and Colins conclusions has been widely circulated and can be found within the Community Council web page.
Issue raised.
Lack of consultation by the Church of Scotland with the Community and the congregation.
After a brief discussion It was agreed that this is not an issue the Community council should be involved in. A congregational group has been formed to deal directly with the Church of Scotland on the issue. (A Community Council timeline of involvement can be found on our Web page)
Open discussion on Strength’s weakness and options took place.
Conclusion
Given the clear community mandate of over 80% in favour of Community Ownership, and that Colin's Survey summary represented the key issues of concerns for the future the meeting agreed that the Community Council should move forward in line with the programme as set out in Colins final paragraph.
Community Councillors present were required to vote, they unanimously agreed.
It was confirmed that Colin would continue to lead the project until a project manager was appointed.