Community and neighbourhood issues

Winter Connections is a network of local places and spaces where people can connect with others in their community this winter. 

It encourages people to come together this winter to take part in activities that will improve health and wellbeing, reduce isolation and provide people with advice and support if they need it.

The events and activities are free, in every neighbourhood and everyone is welcome. 

We're also working with people and organisations hosting Winter Connections events and spaces to help people get extra information and support if they need it.

If you’re a local group or organisation who can offer a community venue, run an activity, or would like to open up your existing activity, get in touch with us to become a Winter Connections host. 

What we’ll do for you:

• We'll give you a toolkit with information and materials, including information on local help and support available for residents.
• We'll promote your event or activity as part of the Winter Connections programme.
• We'll offer you support and advice around how to offer inclusive and safe environments.
• We'll connect community venues with groups who can offer activities and connect activities with venues.

We can offer some funding to support the costs.

The fund is open to voluntary and community organisations that have a constitution and a bank account. Funding is not available for applications to support individuals.

Your organisation can apply for projects that support wellbeing and reduce isolation over the winter period of 2025 to 2026.

We want Winter Connections activities to be available in every neighbourhood in Renfrewshire, available at different times and for residents of all ages. This may affect how we decide and allocate the funding.

You can use the grant to develop new projects or to expand existing activities where people can come together.

Examples of projects that can be funded include:

• a new cooking project where ingredients are provided
• projects that bring people from different backgrounds together, such as different cultures or age groups
• tablet or device classes for older people
• projects supporting people living with mental illness
• lunch clubs
• crafting or 'making' activities
• classes with a focus on physical activity
• classes which provide and show how to install simple energy efficiency measures.

The fund can be used towards costs like:

• equipment
• food
• energy costs
• renting a space for the activity
• cleaning
• costs for additional staff for the activities or events.

Projects and activities should be:

• open, free and easy to access (this can be open to all within a particular age or targeted group)
• inclusive, welcoming, respectful and safe
• willing to connect people to other services and support
• able to offer warm drinks, snacks or food along with activities, where possible.

You cannot use it for:

• one-off activities, like an open or fun day
• anything that charges people to take part
• events to raise funds for other charities
• costs for activities that have already taken place
• projects where no activities will take place.

Even though many organisations will be closed over Christmas, we welcome applications that will run activities during the festive period.

We have £75,000 of funding available for the Winter Connections programme. The fund opens on Monday 22 September 2025.

Local community and voluntary organisations based in Renfrewshire can apply for a grant of up to £2,000.

If you’re co-ordinating several events in partnership with a range of local groups (for example, as a bigger community venue), we may be able to offer a larger award. Email Andrena Faulkner at andrena.faulkner@renfrewshire.gov.uk to discuss this.

Your application should describe:

• the specific activity your organisation wants to host
• how it meets the needs of the local community
• how it meets the Winter Connections principles to make sure the programme is inclusive, safe, and stigma-free.

We recommend you apply as soon as you can, as there may be a high demand for this funding.

Conditions of the grant

If you’re awarded funding, you must accept and comply with Renfrewshire Council's standard grant terms and conditions. 

When you’ve used the funding, you'll need to report back to us on the impact the project has had. 

We’ll promote projects which receive funding from us as part of the Renfrewshire Winter Connections programme. When you are promoting your own project or activity, you'll also need to make clear your project is part of the Winter Connections programme.

In addition to complying with the council’s grant terms and conditions, organisations should consider the Scottish Government’s Fair Work First Guidance (gov.scot website). The current guidance stipulates that from 1 July 2023 all organisation receiving public sector grants should be paying staff at least the Real Living Wage and providing effective channels for employee voice.

Apply for the Winter Connections Fund

If you cannot apply online, or if you need a paper copy or support to apply, email Andrena Faulkner at andrena.faulkner@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Winter Connections funding for this year has now closed.

How we decide who gets funding

A panel of staff from Renfrewshire Council, Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and Engage Renfrewshire will review and make a decision on each application. We may get in touch with you for further information about your project before making a decision.

We will award the grants from mid-October. The fund will remain open until all the funding has been allocated.

If you're awarded funding

If you've applied, make sure you have ready:

• a copy of your organisation's constitution
• a recent bank statement and
• a copy of your accounts or an income and expenditure statement.

If your application is successful, we will contact you if we do not already have a recent copy of these documents on file. This means we can process and award the funding promptly.

If you are awarded funding from the grant, you must use it by the end of March 2026.

If you’d like more information on the priorities of Winter Connections or to find out about other funding, email Andrena Faulkner at andrena.faulkner@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Who it's for

Everyone is welcome at our Winter Connections spaces. This includes families with children, young people, adults, over 60s, and everyone in between.

Winter Connections events held during the winter months of 2025 and early 2026 have finished.

Winter Connections is a programme of events and activities across Renfrewshire that are open to everyone.

Winter Connections is built on relationships, places and communities that already exist.

Our spaces are open, free and easy to access. The events and activities are about feeling good and having fun.

Our hosts will provide inclusive, welcoming, respectful, and safe places.

We have separate information available if you'd like to apply for funding to be a Winter Connections host.

Antisocial behaviour is acting or behaving in a way that causes alarm or distress to a person in another household.

It can include:

• noise
• shouting, swearing or fighting
• intimidation, threats or harassment
• abusive behaviour, verbal abuse or name calling
• dumping rubbish
• drug use or drug dealing
• animal problems
• damage to property, vandalism or graffiti.

If the issue is with a neighbour, speaking with them may help resolve the issue without us being involved. Make sure you feel comfortable approaching them and are not putting yourself or them at risk.

You can get advice from Citizens Advice Scotland about resolving neighbour disputes, including noise, antisocial behaviour, boundary and garden disputes or damage and repairs. 

You can also look at getting independent legal advice (Citizens Advice Scotland website).

We also have a free mediation service that can help you resolve difficulties with your neighbours.

Remember to always keep yourself safe. 

Antisocial behaviour in a public place

Contact our community support wardens on 0300 300 0380 (option 1) or contact Police Scotland online or phone 101 to report antisocial behaviour in a public place including:

• an ongoing disturbance
• drug misuse or suspected drug dealing
• other criminal activity.

The Council have no powers to deal with the smell of drugs on a premises.

Call 999 if it's an emergency.

Noise

If you:

• have an issue with noise from a domestic premises, including excessive TV noise, dog barking or persistent DIY.
• are disturbed by burglar alarms or industrial and commercial noise.

Find out what you can do about noise nuisance.

Use of domestic CCTV systems

We don't have any legal enforcement powers in relation to the use of CCTV in a domestic setting. 

You can find out more about the use of domestic CCTV systems (Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) website).

If you're a private homeowner

You can contact our community support wardens on 0300 300 0380 (option 1) or email wardens.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

If you're a council tenant

Report antisocial behaviour in a domestic property to your local housing officer.

Call 0300 300 0222 and choose the option for your local housing team or email:

• johnstone.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• paisley.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• renfrew.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Your local housing officer will try to improve the situation, which may include or speaking with you neighbours. 

You may also be given access to an antisocial behaviour app, to help you log what is happening and when it takes place.

If this doesn't resolve the issue, the local housing officer will escalate it to our Antisocial Behaviour Investigation Team.

Outside of office hours, contact our community support wardens on 0300 300 0380 and select option 1 or email wardens.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk. 

If you're a housing association tenant

If you are a housing association tenant, contact your housing association in the first instance.

If you're a private tenant

You should speak to your landlord.

If your landlord can't help, you can contact our community support wardens on 0300 300 0380 and select option 1 or email wardens.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

We'll investigate your complaint and if we consider it antisocial behaviour, we will work with your neighbour to change their behaviour. 

If other methods, like speaking to the people involved or mediation have not worked or if the person does not change their behaviour, we may take legal action, such as applying for an Antisocial Behaviour Order (ASBO).

You can remain anonymous when reporting antisocial behaviour, but this limits our options to resolve the issue.

Neighbourhood Watch Scotland

Neighbourhood Watch Scotland brings local people together to address crime and other community safety issues.

Neighbourhood Watch groups often liaise with the local police, the local authority and other agencies. 

Find out more about setting up a Neighbourhood Watch, or check if there's already one where you live, on the Neighbourhood Watch Scotland website.

If you don't have a Neighbourhood Watch, you can sign up for email alerts about issues affecting your area. You'll get advice on what to do and a point of contact for reporting the issue.

If you have a problem with domestic noise, you can make a complaint to our Noise Enforcement Team.

If it's noise from children

Everyday noise from play or family life involving children is not antisocial behaviour and is classed as normal living noise.

In certain circumstances involving excessive noise, we may investigate the complaint.

If you have concerns about the welfare of a child or young person you can get more information and advice on our child protection page.

If it's dogs barking

What you can do about dog barking, taking legal action, what happens at a court hearing.

If it's a burglar alarm

Complaints are regularly received about noise from burglar alarms. Let the council and police know who holds a key for your alarm system. 

This can be done by filling out a burglar alarm notification form and sending completed copies to environmental services and Police Scotland. 

This will allow us to contact the key holder and have the alarm checked.

If it's industrial or commercial noise

Noise from industrial or commercial premises, such as construction sites, pubs and clubs or mobile food outlets, is a .

To report noise from an industrial or commercial premises, contact our Environmental Improvements Team.

You can call the Noise Enforcement Team on 077 6898 8186 from:

• 8.45am to 4.45pm, Mondays to Thursdays
• 8.45am to 3.55pm on Fridays.

Outside these hours you can call Police Scotland on 101 about noise complaints.

An officer will investigate your complaint and, where noise is caused by antisocial behaviour and is found to exceed permitted levels, the perpetrator may be issued with a warning notice under the Antisocial Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004.

Failure to comply with a warning notice may result in a £100 fixed penalty notice being issued.

It's not always clear if a vehicle has been abandoned.

Signs it has been abandoned can include:

• flat tyres or missing wheels
• litter or leaves under the vehicle, mould or vegetation growing inside the vehicle - this may mean that it has not moved for some time
• smashed windscreen or windows
• missing number plates
• it contains items of waste such as tyres, old newspapers, or general rubbish
• vehicle parts, like the bumper, seats or radio, have been removed or damaged
• graffiti on the vehicle
• wires hanging from the dashboard because the vehicle has been 'hot-wired' - it has been driven without keys by connecting ignition wires together.

If you find an abandoned vehicle, do not enter or touch the vehicle. 

It could contain hazardous waste, be a fire risk, or have been used in a crime.

If it has been involved in a crime, the police will need to investigate it. 

Tell the police

If the vehicle is a danger to the public or causing an obstruction on a road, footpath, or cycle route, phone 101 to report it to the police.

Check if it's taxed

If it's not taxed, or it's not exempt from tax, report the untaxed vehicle to the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) on GOV.UK.

Only the DVLA can remove untaxed vehicles. The council cannot remove them unless they are a risk to public health.

Some vehicles are exempt from tax if they are registered as off the road - they have a 'Statutory Off-Road Notification' (SORN). For example, they are not in use, are not in a public place or are a historical vehicle.

You can check if a vehicle is taxed on the GOV.UK website. 

You'll need to tell them the vehicle registration number, make, model and colour of the vehicle and the street name, town and postcode where you saw it.

Check with neighbours

Check with your neighbours or local businesses to see if anyone knows who the vehicle belongs to. 

If you still think it's abandoned

If you still think it's abandoned, report it to us. 

Tell us as much information as you can, like:

• what kind of vehicle it is, such as a bike, car, motorbike, van or something else
• the vehicle brand, manufacturer, model or colour
• what condition it's in, like if it's damaged, vandalised or burnt out
• the registration plate number
• how long it has been there
• a nearby address or the nearest street or landmark, and where the vehicle is in this place
• if it's on private land, council-owned land, or you're not sure
  any other information.

You can also upload photos of the vehicle or location if you have them.

If you tell us your name, email address or phone number, we may contact you if we need more information or we can't find anything.

Report an abandoned vehicle

We will try to find the owner, but if we do not, we'll remove the vehicle. 

There may a cost to remove abandoned vehicles from privately owned land or property, depending on how easy or difficult it is to remove it. 

If the vehicle is in a bad condition, it may be destroyed after 24 hours.

Otherwise, we will keep it for a maximum of 7 days. After 7 days, we'll either send it to be scrapped or sell it at auction.

If we trace the owner, they'll have to pay a charge for the removal and storage of the vehicle.

If you've found a discarded needle or syringe in an open area, or anywhere that's a danger to the public, report it to us straightaway.

Do not touch the syringe, or let children or pets near it.

We'll need to know exactly where it is so that we can find it quickly.

It will help if you can tell us the address where you found it. If you don't know the exact address, you can use the map on the online form to pinpoint its location. 

If you can't find it on the map, tell us the nearest street or landmark, and describe where it is in that place - for example, if it's beside a bin or street lamp.

Give us any other details, like how many needles or syringes you found or how dangerous they are. 

You can also upload photos of the needles or syringes or the location if you have them.

Report a discarded needle or syringe

Phone 0300 300 0300 to report a discarded needle or syringe.
 

If you provide us with an email address, we'll send you a confirmation email with a case reference number.

When we receive your report, we will investigate the issue.

We aim to remove discarded needles and syringes within 24 hours.

We may contact you if we can't find anything.

You should not put used needles or syringes in your bins or take them to our household waste recycling centres.

Instead, return used hypodermic needles to your doctor's surgery or health centre for safe disposal.