Roslin Village Group

What is the Roslin Village Group (RVG)?

On a cold, wet, windy evening in January, after an open invitation post on the Roslin Share Facebook page, some local residents got together at the Original Roslin Inn. The plan was to find a way of bringing together all the different groups in the village, recognising that Roslin is likely to grow once the new residential developments are completed. The group felt that more could be done to build on the unique heritage of Roslin, and the Chapel, but more importantly, to find ways of involving all residents, young and old, to reinvigorate a sense of local identity.

There are a few things we will not be tackling, as we feel they are best left to other bodies, like the Community Council for example. We will not be actively getting involved in commenting on current planning applications or tackling local concerns on vandalism or antisocial behaviour. That said, bringing people together we hope will encourage residents to make their own voices heard as part of future Council consultations.

This week saw the second meeting of the Roslin Village Group, and after a few weeks to digest the ideas shared at the first meeting, the focus shifted to how to make sure the RVG is as inclusive as possible. Going forward, we will be sharing these updates on www.roslinvillage.com/rvg on a regular basis, and welcome comments, suggestions and volunteers of course to make it all happen!

How to spread the word….

One of the challenges we face is accessing as many local residents as possible. We realise not everyone Is online (although most will be) and do not want any groups to feel excluded. We have however decided that this website will be the main source of information on what is currently available in the village, from local businesses to local events. We felt newsletters were expensive to produce – especially as we do not have access to external funding – and the information quickly becomes out of date.

The dates for future meetings and related events will be posted at the main information points throughout Roslin – the Library, Medical Centre (we hope), Post Office, as well as the local village Facebook communities – Roslin Share, Roslin Families. And we will use other local publications like the Penicuik Town Crier and Midlothian Advertiser, and possibly Crystal FM local radio.

All village residents will be welcome to join future meetings.

What are we up to?

For now we are looking to support the existing calendar of events which already exist in and around Roslin. The ones we are aware of are:

Roslin Fun Day
Tea in the Park – organised by Friends of Roslin Glen
The Roslin Glen Duck Race

We plan to raise awareness of this Roslin Village Group as part of these events. In addition, we are planning some small local events over the next few months to spread the word about our activities and get more ideas on what the people of Roslin feel can be done to get residents together, and build a stronger community spirit, reducing isolation and improving general well being within the village.

What are our plans for the future?

Long Term aspirations:

We would love to take ownership of the Roslin Pavilion in the park and turn it into a well-used, well-loved community hub we can all be proud of.

This would require the creation of a Roslin Village Development Trust.

Short term, we feel the priorities are:

Make more use of existing local venues
- Bowling Club
- Masonic Hall
- British Legion
- Church halls
- The Inn

Make sure we tap into other groups within the village:
- Rotary Club
- School Parents’ association

Encourage people to support events at other venues, not just the ones they are associated with
Encourage more proactive support of the Community Council – this is our official voice to Midlothian District Council, so it needs input and support from the local community if we are to influence future developments to keep them sympathetic to the existing village.
Potentially act as a hub for any projects which need support or funding, promote grant applications and awareness of other sources of support, e.g. large corporate volunteer days to help refurbish existing facilities.

Decide if and when we should set up a Roslin Village Development Trust – for example if we want to try and access funding from larger schemes
Successfully secure funding for small local projects to demonstrate our ability to manage funds and improve local facilities, before moving on to larger projects
Consider hosting some larger cultural or active events in the area to build on the global recognition of Rosslyn Chapel:
- Running, walking, cycling events
- Food-themed events

Some current projects…

The Council has approved plans for a bike pump track to be created in the park, near the children’s play area. This will encourage kids to get out on their bikes in a safe environment, and will be a great place to offer bike skills lessons, before our youngsters head off for more challenging local bike trails. We now have to work on securing funding to make this a reality!
In response to the Council’s decision to charge for Brown bin collections, we are looking for a suitable site to set up a community composting area.

Date of next meeting:

See whats-on.

All welcome, but let us know in advance if you can so we make sure we have enough space for everyone. Please use the contact form below for this or any other queries.