Aberdeenshire Council's budget woes sees it turn to older residents for help
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Aberdeenshire Council is calling on its older residents to become community champions by taking on jobs that have been hit by budget cuts.
While setting the local authority’s budget for the year ahead, leader Gillian Owen stated that community empowerment was “key”.
She praised the “huge contribution” that the region’s fit and healthy older residents make in supporting communities to be “resilient and prosperous”.
During her speech, she noted that Aberdeenshire was expecting one of Scotland’s largest increases in people aged over 65.
But while the aging population would bring some challenges, she believes they could provide relief to under pressure services.
But what do some of the region’s older residents think about this?
After being impressed by the Friends of Turriff Cemetery in 2018, the councillor set out to establish a similar group in Ellon.
An initial meeting to gauge interest was held at the town’s academy, attracting around 40 people.
But currently there are just seven “hardcore” Friends of Ellon Cemetery who assemble at the graveyard on Monday afternoons.
However, Mrs Owen is not one of them.
The council leader explained that while her own time is limited, her husband Steve tends to his dad’s section when he can.
She added: “Our nephew is also buried in the cemetery and when I was elected for the first time, I promised my sister-in-law I would work to make the cemetery a more pleasant environment.”
Mrs Owen praised the Friends in her recent speech, saying its members come together to give the site “that little bit more tender loving care”.
“It took a while but I am very proud of the Friends achievements and I know the town is forever grateful,” Mrs Owen stated.
“I wanted to showcase this in my speech to highlight how communities can come together to enhance where they live.
“Community empowerment is a very strong tool.”
Most of the Friends of Ellon Cemetery volunteers are retired, just one member still works.
But what do they think about filling the gaps left by local authority budget cuts?
Treasurer Muriel Smith believes it is “fine” but said the council needs to support its residents “a little bit more”.
While chairman Bill Gibb revealed that the group takes on tasks that are currently allocated to local authority staff.
He explained: “We maintain the borders, that’s a job for the council landscapers, but we do it every month or so and I cut down all the bushes at the end of the year.
“Nobody from the council comes and says ‘thanks for doing that, that’s released the guys to go and do something else’ which is the idea of it.
“We don’t mind doing that, it’s great because they are pushed, but no-one from the council has said thank you.”
However, Bill says the public are appreciative and makes the work they do “worthwhile”.
Volunteer Hilda Benzie believes the council could be “a bit more helpful” by carrying out jobs such as taking up the cut grass.
While fellow Friend Margaret Keith said: “I feel I do my bit coming along here.”
While the Friends of Ellon Cemetery are happy to maintain the graveyard, they do think there is a lack of support from the council.
Muriel explained: “Gillian Owen is right enough in saying they want to encourage community groups, but when you get down to the nitty gritty it really is a struggle.”
She feels Aberdeenshire Council has not been overly forthcoming with help.
“They are not averse to us asking, it just takes a little bit of time to get anything,” Murial stated.
While Bill told me that getting an extra bin for the graveyard was a “struggle” due to council restrictions.
The volunteers also highlighted the grass cutting “fiasco”, something that is still a “sore point” for the group.
Two members used to cut the whole cemetery but council chiefs told them to stop due to health and safety protocols.
Murial added: “It’s great to think they’d like to encourage these groups but when it comes down the crunch, there is a lot of ‘oh, you can’t do that”.
Once the Friends of Ellon Cemetery was established, its volunteers got to work and started from scratch.
The first project they completed was creating the cemetery’s baby memorial for families to grieve their lost little ones.
Its benches were donated and Aberdeen-based miscarriage support service MISS generously gave the group four rose bushes.
Stones were later added for parents to write the names of their lost babies on to allow them to create their own special memorial.
The volunteers maintain 19 planters across the site, which were built by Pitmedden Wood Recyclability.
The planters themselves need repainted every year and feature a variety of flowers which add a splash of colour to the graveyard.
Members walk around the site and lift any dead flowers, and even replaced artificial flowers on 48 graves that had started to look faded.
Volunteers also rake up the cut grass left behind by the council as Murial explained: “They cut it but they don’t lift it because of the costs.”
The Friends have since bought a new sign for the cemetery and have been busy repainting the railings around the site – but that is still a work in progress.
Volunteers added a touch of gold to the railings in 2022 as it tied in with the late Queen’s platinum jubilee.
“We said if it was good enough for Buckingham Palace, it’s good enough for Ellon Cemetery,” Bill said with a smile.
The Friends regularly update their Facebook page to let everyone know what they are up to.
People also use the page to show their appreciation for the volunteers and the tireless work they do.
But to the Friends’ surprise, they have supporters across the globe.
Murial explained: “We’ve had some messages from folk who aren’t local, one was from Canada but their family is here.
“We’ve also met the odd person that are up visiting family and say it’s good knowing that there’s somebody looking after the cemetery.”
Bill went on to say that the positive responses they get on their social media page is “just magical”.
He added: “It’s like any voluntary work, you aren’t getting paid for it so a thank you goes a long way.”
But the group, like the council, would like to see more residents of all ages and abilities get involved and lend a helping hand.
Murial said: “We keep saying it’s a bit like a free gym, folk don’t have to be really fit to do it.
“An hour, even just half an hour, anything helps.”
