A year into her role as the Chief Executive of ACHA (¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Community Housing Association), Michelle Mundie talks to Pippa in this podcast about the journey to her current role and how ACHA is working to help address the housing emergency in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute.
Pippa's Podcasts
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¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ is full of great people and here I take the opportunity to promote some of the incredible activity that goes on and to make visible some of the efforts that can go unnoticed.
Thank you to everyone who participated and for the difference you are making for ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute.
Pippa Milne
Chief Executive
If you have any ideas about subjects we can cover on any future podcasts please get in touch with us at workingtogether@argyll-bute.gov.uk
At the first anniversary celebration of the official start of work on the Helensburgh Waterfront Development, Pippa spoke with our Regeneration Project Manager, Andrew Collins, and Kevin Farrell, Heron Bros Project Manager, along with three young employees/trainees who are gaining valuable experience from working on the project: Francesca Wilson from our cost consultants RLF, and Daniel Green and Jamie McBride from the project contractors Heron Bros.
On a lovely sunny Summer afternoon, Pippa visited the Maki Pups outdoor nursery, established in 2020 in the Walled Garden at Kilmory, taking the opportunity to speak with the nursery manager Erin Kennedy about their Early Learning activities, and also the janitor Murdo McDonald, who has a family connection with the Kilmory gardens.
Before some of our young people headed off to university, Pippa took time to speak with members of the Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) about their work in helping young people to understand and engage with the Children and Young People’s Service Plan (CYPSP). Joining the conversation were youth members Rosie Sumsion, Vinita Rawani, Megan Day and Eleanor Preece, along with adult members Simone McAdam (acting education manager with ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥), Helen Martin (vulnerable groups nurse with NHS Highland) and Brian Smith from Live ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥â€™s community learning and development service. YAPs are really proud of the work they have progressed in developing an animation that .
It has just been announced that , has secured one of only 20 places on the UK Acumen Fellowship 2021. Pippa congratulates Jayne on this prestigious achievement during this conversation about one of the many aspects of Jayne’s work, the logistics and benefits of providing healthy sustainable school meals across ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute.
With information being more readily available online, and methods of contact being more accessible, scammers are in a better position than ever to engage with us. In this week’s podcast, Pippa speaks with Lee Roberts from our Trading Standards team and PC Laura Evans, Local Authority Liaison Officer for ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute with Police Scotland, about some of the different types of scams and the prevention and education work that is being done to protect people, particularly the vulnerable, from becoming victim to a scam or fraud.
Please see the following useful contacts for more information, or to report a scam:
- Report scams to or call 0808 164 6000
- If you feel threatened or unsafe, contact on 101, or 999 in an emergency
- Sign up to the system to receive localised information and updates
In this week’s podcast, Pippa chats with three female leaders in the health and social care services for ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute about their journeys and experiences as women in leadership: Pam Dudek, Chief Executive of NHS Highland; Fiona Davies, Interim Chief Officer of the Health and Social Care Partnership in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute; and Sarah Compton-Bishop who is Chair of the Integration Joint Board for Health and Social Care in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute.
Pippa delivers her most ambitious podcast yet bringing together three separate recordings on the subject of the hugely ambitious community project to develop a cable car and mountain bike project in the Corlarach forest adjacent to the town of Dunoon. Hear about the sterling efforts by the community to progress this project, my reaction on site from the top of hill looking down on Dunoon and finally the involvement of Dunoon Grammar in supporting this wonderful initiative.
The Council recently held a consultation on our Local Housing Strategy which will be delivered over the next five years, from 2022 to 2027. Joining Pippa in this conversation are two members of our Housing Services Team who were actively involved in the consultation and development of the new strategy: Douglas Whyte, Team Leader Housing Strategy; and Kelly Ferns, Empty Homes Officer.
For additional information on energy efficiency, renewable energy and home energy grant options, please contact Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 or via their .
November is Epilepsy Awareness Month and Pippa chats with Helen Butler from our Web Team about her own personal experience of epilepsy and the creative work that helped in her recovery from brain surgery.
If you want to find out more about epilepsy or have been recently diagnosed you can get support from .