Sally Page, Chair
As a Councillor on West Dunbartonshire Council I learned how valued Balloch Castle Country Park is to those who use it, and to Balloch. I learned that the Park costs West Dunbartonshire Council a great deal in upkeep (especially the Castle) with no return on capital invested.
The facilities within the Park are inadequate for the number of visitors; the Park would benefit from a higher level of maintenance than the Council can afford.
A Woodland Management Plan that was drawn-up in 2014 with West Dunbartonshire Council, National Tree Collections of Scotland and Loch Lomond and Trossachs Countryside Trust working together. This is a well prepared document that now requires to be updated and acted upon when the funding is secured.
As a group we have reached out to all parts of the community and stakeholders for support to improve the natural and built environment within the Park. The response has been positive, nature restoration will benefit the biodiversity within the Park, the waters of the River Leven and Loch Lomond.
The Park is a huge resource available to all through excellent transport links and good infrastructure within the Park but an upgrade all round is much needed to equip the Park for the enjoyment of future generations.
Audrey Baird, Vice Chair
The Park has given me so much happiness over the years but it desperately need help. I hope to use any experience and capacity I have to give something back.
Whenever I visit the Park my spirits are lifted when I see a red squirrel, or a bird of prey, or swans, a magnificent oak, wildflowers, wonderful views, happy dogs, children playing. It’s a life giving habitat for the best of Scotland and it needs us to learn how to look after it and give our time and energy to regenerate it for the benefit of current and future generations of biodiversity.
I bring more than 30 years of experience in journalism and broadcasting, community development, project management and marketing. The unconditional love I have for the natural world along with gratitude for this life Planet Earth has given me are the foundations for a strong, constructive drive to work in partnership with others by focussing on shared objectives and principles, rather than on personalities and differences.
My greatest hope for the Park is that we can seize the moment, overcome all obstacles and focus our full and constructive efforts on restoring the natural and built environment to its full and glorious best. The whole community, and visitors, will reap the benefits for decades to come if we are successful.
Gillian Clark, Secretary
I was a Community Councillor for the Balloch and Haldane area for six years, a role which I enjoyed very much. I have lived in Balloch most of my life, grew up in the park, played there as a child, took my children and walked my dogs there.
I know how much people love the Park, how lucky we are to have it and we need to preserve and improve it. However, it needs some help to reach its full potential and I wish to be part of that.
Karn Bianco, Web Developer
Hi, I’m Karn (he/they), I’m a jack of various trades, park user, and I help build and run the BCCPRG website . You can learn more about me on my website, but in brief:
🍩 I’m the Digital Platform Lead at Doughnut Economics Action Lab which helps create economies that are regenerative and distributive by design.
🎮 I’m a video game and web developer; I worked in the games industry for many years before switching gears to focus on the climate crisis.
🌎 I’m a climate activist, contributing to initiatives such as the Divest Parliament campaign.
✍ I’m a writer. I write about games, the climate crisis, technology, and more.
🚵♀️ I’m an outdoorsy person (when I’m not indoors, which is.. often). I love hiking, hillwalking, cycling, cycle touring, camping, wild swimming, etc.