New voluntary arts ambassador for Argyll & Bute, Nicola Jones
BUTE resident Nicola Jones has been announced Argyll & Bute’s new voluntary arts ambassador by Voluntary Arts Scotland.
VAScotland aims to promote personal development, social regeneration, community cohesion and fun by supporting the voluntary arts sector. The organisation offers training, advice and representation for Scotland’s arts and crafts groups.
The voluntary arts ambassador’s role is to work with arts and crafts groups at a local level and be their collective voice in community planning.
“The voluntary arts ambassador scheme aims to recruit a volunteer in each Scottish local authority,” Jones said. “Those volunteers will then work with local people, local authority arts officers, voluntary sector agencies and community planning partnerships to help promote amateur arts activity in their area.”
“With so many layers of bureaucracy lying between ordinary people and the decision makers, we all need somebody to speak up for us. Now those participating in the arts and crafts in Argyll & Bute have a designated person they can talk to about their hopes and concerns for the area, who will then feedback those concerns to people in a position to do something about it.”
Part of the Voluntary Arts Network (VAN), VAScotland also promotes arts and crafts as being a force for fun and mental well-being within communities. Jones said: “Taking part in the arts and crafts has so many benefits for individuals and the communities they live in, from improved mental health to crime reduction. It’s also a lot of fun, which is why we want to get the message across to as many people as possible who can help the arts and crafts flourish.”
Jones, an artist and tutor in Bute’s Argyll College, was appointed arts ambassador after a successful interview with VAScotland and has received training from the organisation. The 37-year-old, who lives in Port Bannatyne with her two children, is excited to be involved and believes it is important that arts and crafts are represented in community planning.
“Community planning is a coming together of organisations with an interest in improving life in, and providing services to, the local community. Community planning partnerships are managed by the local authority and include representatives from the police, health service, fire brigade, local business and many more. Given how important the arts and crafts can be to local communities, we want to make sure they have a voice there, too.”
Jones is encouraging all those with an in interest in the arts and crafts sector to contact her at vaa-argyllandbute@vascotland.org.uk or via the Facebook page, and to visit the VAScotland website for more information on the organisation.
By Angela Haggerty
Tags: Angela Haggerty, Argyll & Bute, Bute, Community Planning, Nicola Jones, Port Bannatyne, VAScotland, Voluntary Arts Ambassador, Voluntary Arts Network, Voluntary Arts Scotland
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