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Stevie Gibb exhibition in The Cockburn Gallery. Gordon Cockburn first heard of Stevie Gibb's work from a friend, the renowned artist Merlin Currie, about 18 months ago when she brought a selection of his works to the gallery. Gordon was suitably impressed and invited her to bring Stevie along with more of his studies. Stevie Gibb served in Northern Ireland, The Gulf and Belize. and suffers from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder, undoubtedly related to his military experiences.

He has been helped to address issues affecting himself and was given an array of support by Hollybush House and also the Gardening Leave Project, a UK wide organisation offering ex-military men and women therapeutic support via a variety of media, horticulture and arts projects alongside the day -today practical help and assistance.

After some persuasion, Stevie did visit the gallery about a year ago and took with him additional works. Gordon has always been keen to encourage and support up and coming artists and suggested that Stevie work towards a solo exhibition and offered him gallery space in the Cockburn Gallery. With some persuasion, Stevie agreed to this and, almost a year to the day, his first exhibition was held on October 4, sponsored by the Garnett Foundation, another UK organisation which works with private and corporate businesses again using the medium of the arts.

Gordon hopes that this exhibition for Stevie gives acknowledgment to his art and will be a springboard into the art world but also raise his confidence and sense of worth and purpose in himself as a person. Gordon has agreed to provide ongoing support and advice to Stevie, as well as other young artists, and he will be welcomed back to the gallery and the use of facilities in the future. Stevie has decided that any monies made via the sale of his works from this exhibition will be donated back to Gardening Leave. Gordon exhibited one of his works "The Soldiers War" inlayed with an authentic Falklands medal and a percentage of the achieved sale again will be donated to Gardening Leave. 

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A cheque for £275 was presented to Breast Cancer Care Scotland last week in Crosshill. For the past three years members of Crosshill Bowling Club have been supporting the charity in memory of Elaine McVittie, daughter of local bowlers Jack and Margaret Hutchison. Tragically, Elaine died aged 37 and that year the club raised £450 and last year the total was £200. Elaine’s daughter, Jamie-Lee, and Margaret presented this year’s cheque to Lorna Simpson, of Breast Cancer Care Scotland who thanked the family and bowling club members for their generosity. The charity’s office in Glasgow offers support for anyone affected by breast cancer in Scotland and they run events in various locations throughout the year. Services available in Scotland include younger women's forums, information sessions, coping with hair loss, lingerie evenings, living with secondary breast cancer sessions, breast health promotion and one to one support.

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A team of S4 pupils from Carrick Academy in Maybole has reached the final of the SQA Big Experiment competition. They are one of only three teams in the final from all the schools in Scotland who were invited to enter. The winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony on November 5 at the Glasgow Science Centre. Three teams worked on this project throughout the course of last year, both in class and in their own time. Unfortunately, only one team per school could enter and after much deliberation it was decided that “The Space cadets” would represent Carrick at this prestigious national competition. Emily Douglas, Eilidh Herron, Emily Scobie and Daniel Smith are understandably very excited about reaching the final and will attend next month’s event with family members and project mentor Mr Murray. Head teacher Mr Webster is delighted with this recognition for the pupils and Mr Murray, adding, “I am very pleased that Carrick Academy is being recognised nationally for the academic achievements of its pupils.”

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Maria Sledmere, from Carrick Academy in Maybole, was one of the four highest achieving candidates in the 2010 Higher Modern Studies SQA examination. To recognise the S6 pupil’s achievement, Maria and members of her family have been invited to the Modern Studies Association Conference which is being held in the Scottish Parliament on Saturday November 6 when she will be presented with the Higher Modern Trophy. Mr Webster, head teacher, told us, “Maria achieved 100% in the examination; a marvellous achievement which reflects very well on Maria herself, her teacher Mr Brown and Carrick Academy as a whole.”

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Carrick Academy held its annual P7 Leadership Challenge Day on last Thursday, October 21. Around 100 pupils came together for the first time in a series of physical team challenges within the PE department with tasks such as Bucket Head, Hockey Dribble and Helium Stick. The pupils competed in teams with Group 8 coming out the eventual winners. The event was organised by Mr Dunsmuir, Mr Brown, Mr Rusk and Miss McBain with the help of over 30 senior pupils. Deputy Head Mr Rusk said: It was clear from the expressions on the P7s’ faces just how much effort, teamwork and enthusiasm they were putting in to all of the challenges. The day was a great success and we look forward to seeing the pupils again in June when they come for their three day visit to Carrick Academy.

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Did you know the word “faith” is spelled “R-I-S-K?”

These are the words of the Rev. Brian Hendrie who was inducted as the new minister for Crosshill and Maybole Parish Churches on Tuesday 28th September in a service at Maybole Baptist Church.

Rev Hendrie, his wife Yvonne, (also a Church of Scotland minister) and daughter Chloe were welcomed in a warm reception at Maybole Town Hall after the induction service. Both Brian and Yvonne spoke, the choirs of Crosshill and Maybole sang together, and Jim Stevens performed a rapturous rendition of “Granny Fraser's Flitting” in recognition that the Hendrie family has moved back to the area from their last residence in Banff.

In his speech, Mr. Hendrie also said, “You can take the man out of Ayrshire, but you can’t take Ayrshire out of the man!” He was referring to the fact that he was born and bred in Ayr, attending Braehead Primary and Ayr Academy. He worked as a travel agent at Scottish Express International in Ayr after leaving school, and was based for a while at Prestwick Airport. In 1985, he began studying theology at Glasgow University.

While there, he met his wife, Yvonne, who was born in Stranraer, and they married in Portpatrick in 1989. They began married life in a mobile home in Crofthead Caravan Park, during the final year of their studies. Their first posts were in Hawick, where Mr. Hendrie was minister of Wilton and Teviothead parish churches, and Mrs. Hendrie was part-time pastor at the local Congregational Church until the birth of their daughter, Chloe, who is now 13.

For the last few years, the Hendries have lived in Whitehills near Banff. Brian was called to two local churches there in 2005, while Yvonne was inducted as minister of three churches further along the coast at the beginning of 2009, having served as a healthcare chaplain while raising Chloe. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with the debilitating condition fibromyalgia a few months ago, and coming on top of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, which she developed at a young age, it was the final blow to her career. However, as Mr. Hendrie said at the induction social, it means that they have been able to move back to Ayrshire, closer to family and life-long friends.

Rev. Hendrie says he read about the plan for the new church centre in Maybole earlier this year, and just couldn’t get it out of his head. He has always firmly believed that there should be no barriers between church and community, and that’s what made the new project so appealing to him. In some respects, the project is a huge risk to take, but, as far as the congregation is concerned, it’s a giant leap of faith – hence Rev Hendrie’s comment that the word “faith” ought to be spelt R.I.S.K!

Just days after the induction, on Monday 4th October, work began on the new Maybole Parish church building on Culzean Road, within yards of Maybole Railway Station. This new building will be the first major investment in Maybole in over 100 years, driven by the congregation of the Church.

At a time when Church membership is decreasing significantly across the UK, the congregation in Maybole believes that the Church must be active in the community, and ‘walk its talk’ to be credible now and in the future.

Maybole Parish took a leap of faith, loaded with risk, and took on a project of Biblical proportions that has taken 10 years to come to fruition. It sold two of its old church buildings, and raised funds to pay for a new church building that will better meet the needs of the whole community.

Open all day, every day to the entire community, Maybole’s new building will bring together current Church and community activities under one roof, and welcome the disadvantaged and socially excluded. Rev Hendrie, 48, said of this innovative approach to community and Church involvement, “It’s a bit like in the Martini advert – any time, any place, anywhere.”

There is scope for providing activities from crèches to conferences, cinema, local history and genealogy. There will also be an integrated, purpose built youth centre to provide activities for the young people of the town.

The Church of Scotland will own the building which will house the Church sanctuary, several multi-purpose halls of different sizes, a café and bookshop, day centre, soft play area and an information centre.

A management company called the Carrick Centre Ltd. will rent the building from the Church and manage its day-to-day administration.

Designed by the architect for Bankfoot Church in Perthshire, the building incorporates many of the same ecological concepts. See more at www.bankfootchurch.org.uk. It will be heated by burning wood pellets which can be sourced locally and the structure is built using almost all renewable sourced or recycled construction materials.

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