Tag: Community

The vicar of Drylaw!

Drylaw’s White Church welcomes new Minister

miniDrylaw Parish Church has been without their own for over a year so they were delighted to welcome new Minster Jayne Scott last month. Jane brings considerable community experience to Drylaw and she’s quickly settling in to her new surroundings.

Jayne, who was born in Stockport and brought up in Port Seton, has been an ordained Minister for 26 years but she has worked in a number of roles – she’s been Principal of a theological college, chief executive of Safe Space, a Fife charity that supports victims of sexual abuse and the Director of Community Development Network. She was also parish minister at Culross and Torryburn in Fife. That wide experience will be valuable as Drylaw church faces an uncertain future.

“I have a great interest in community learning and exploring possibilities for communities to get better and stronger. The threshold between church and community should be an easy one to cross – church shouldn’t feel like an alien environment”, she said. “I have been appointed as transitional Minister for five years. It’s fair to say the future of this church is very uncertain – clearly, it’s an open-ended future and my role is to uncover the potential we have here. Our church is right at the heart of the community and communities need facilities that can bring people together. Church, when it is done well, is where you have that intergenerational intersection.”

“Drylaw only has three public buildings – the church, the school and the neighbourhood centre – and what happens in those three buildings is key to helping Drylaw thrive. I have already had very positive discussions at Ferryhill and look forward to meeting Roy Douglas, the manager at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. I hope the connections we can make will benefit the local population as a whole: initial conversations suggest there is a lot of scope to look at working in a collaborative way.”

welcomeJayne has made some changes already – the church sanctuary (above) has been reorganised to become a more welcoming space – the regimented rows of pews have gone, replaced by a warmer, more informal circular seating arrangement, and a ‘junk room’ is being cleaned out, painted and converted into an office. You get the distinct impression that this won’t be the last of the changes to life at Drylaw Parish Church.

“I’ve been here a month now and that’s really been getting to know folk and settling in, but I have a lot of plans and ideas. I’m very much looking forward to my time here,” Jayne continued. “We have a number of activities planned in the run up to Christmas (see below) and I’ve arrived at a very busy time, which is really good. I’m looking forward to meeting more people: offering support when life is difficult and welcoming people to Drylaw church – a safe and welcoming place”.

Good luck, Jayne – and Pepper the dog!

Coming up at Drylaw Church:

Sunday 7 December

Vigil time in the Sanctuary from 4 – 5pm. A quiet time to reflect and remember loved ones.

Sunday 7 and Sunday 14 December

How would you like to sing in the church choir on 21 December? Now’s your chance – practice and rehearse from 10 – 10.30am for the performance during 11am Sunday service on 21 December. Open to all!

Tuesday 23 December

Christingle from 11 – 11.30am

Christmas Eve – Wednesday 24 December

Watch Night Service 11.30pm. All welcome.

Christmas Day – Thursday 25 December

Morning Service 10.30am. All welcome.

 

Letter: Muirhouse & Salvesen CC supports the NEN

Dear Dave,

Members of the Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council wish to convey a vote of thanks on behalf of members of the community on the latest issue of the NEN.

The local people’s newspaper has been much missed over the past few years in keeping people in touch with happening in their local community, especially for older people of the community and those who find it hard to get out. Great to see it coming through our letter boxes once again.

We look forward to your December issue which is sure to be filled with local happenings and interesting articles.

We wish the team all the best and are looking forward to more regular issues into the New Year.

Our Community Council support the NEN in its venture and would be happy to assist in any way it can.

Roy Douglas

Chairperson, Muirhouse & Salvesen Community Council

#StrongerNorth – the movie!

Click on the link below to see a short film about last weekend’s West Pilton cleanup: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYQPlJ4y9oQ (Preview)

And for more information about the #StrongerNorth initiative, follow:

https://www.facebook.com/edinburghcouncil?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/Edinburgh_CC

stronger-north

Cheers! Local MP votes for fair deal for publicans

Lazarowicz supports clause to protect community pubs

drink[1]Mark Lazarowicz MP has voted to protect local publicans from the predatory practices of large pub owning companies (known as pubcos) by backing a new cross-party clause to the Small Business Bill earlier this week.

Following a report into the industry by the cross-party Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee in 2010, Labour has campaigned alongside a broad coalition of groups in the industry – including the Federation of Small Businesses, the Forum of Private Business, CAMRA, FairPint and the GMB and UNITE trade unions – to call for greater protection for local pubs and put a stop to unfair treatment and restrictive practices by pubcos.

The government’s provisions to regulate pubcos in the Small Business Bill, debated in Parliament this week, but these fell some way short of Labour’s plans and campaigners’ demands. Labour therefore supported a cross-party clause to strengthen the Bill. The government opposed this change but were defeated by 284 votes to 269.

The North & Leith MP said: “27 pubs close every week and 57% of landlords who are tied to a large pubco earn less than £10,000 a year. These are scandals which must be addressed, and so I was proud to support the new clause which gives licensees the option of going free of tie – so that they can buy their beers on the open market – whenever they negotiate a new contract.

“This is the best way to ensure that large pub companies offer fair terms to their licensees and to finally address the scandal of so many valued community pubs shutting. The cooperation of the Scottish government will now be required for the proposals to be fully implemented in Scotland, and I hope that they will do this.”

 

Sun sets on St Paul’s

‘That on 12 October 2014 the Parish of St Paul’s, Muirhouse will be completely SUPPRESSED’

3Campaigners have lost the battle to save their beloved St Paul’s church in Muirhouse. Parishioners must now move to other churches as their spiritual home of over 45 years will be closed and sold.

A small band gathered to stage a candlelit vigil before the final Friday evening Mass at the Muirhouse Avenue church, one final protest. They were quiet, they were dignified, they were peaceful and they made their point – but ultimately, their efforts were in vain.

13Church authorities had already made the decision to close the church and the Decree passed to that effect was pinned to a noticeboard – which ironically heralds ‘Welcome’ – inside the church doors (below).

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The Decree, which is signed by Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh Leo Cushley and Chancellor Rev Scott Deeley, states:

1. That on 12 October 2014 the Parish of St Paul’s, Muirhouse will be completely SUPPRESSED;

2. That on 12 October 2014 the territory of the former Parish of St Paul’s Muirhouse will become part of the parish of St Margaret’s, Davidsons Mains;

3. The faithful domiciled in the former territory of the parish of St Paul’s Muirhouse will become parishioners of St Margaret’s, Davidsons Mains;

4. That on Sunday 12 October 2014 the church of St Paul’s Muirhouse will no longer be used for the Liturgy pending relegation to profane but not sordid use;

The Decree goes on to say that all assets and the parish registers will be transferred from St Paul’s to St Margaret’s.

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So the battle’s over and the campaigners many questions – among them, just how did the church’s debt mushroom to £284,000 and why was it allowed to spiral out of control? – will go unanswered.

Children from St David’s RC Primary School in West Pilton will now have to find their way to St Margaret’s in Davidson’s Mains for their church services – a considerable distance on busy roads. And the stalwarts of St Paul’s’ men’s club – who have met socially at the church for over forty years, but were not even informed of the intention to close the church – what future for them? Where do they go?

5Churches are not about buildings, of course. Churches are the people, the people are the church. The church authorities have cited falling congregations as one of the reasons for Muirhouse closure, but Muirhouse and Pennywell is an area undergoing a major regeneration. Thousands have left the area as their homes were knocked down, but thousands more will return as new homes are built. Many of the families making their homes in Muirhouse will be Eastern European, many of whom are Catholic.

So as I watched worshippers going in to church on Friday as the sun went down, I did wonder: where will these people go? Yes, they’ll have nice new homes – but no spiritual home at the heart of their new community?

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Good news from Muirhouse Community Centre

Muirhouse Community Centre goes from strength to strength

MMC-1

Once again it has been a busy time for this popular Centre and I have to congratulate the Board, staff and the many volunteers who make the Centre the popular and friendly place it is. 

With record numbers using the facilities for meetings, clubs, keep fit and socialising in the café not to mention all the parties, organised events and being used as a polling station for the Independence Referendum it is thanks to the staff and volunteers that the Centre is able to offer the variety of events and programmes.

So far, from October last year to the end of August, the total number of people who have used the Centre is 17,235 and we are on course for another record breaking year!

This shows that this Centre is the busiest in North Edinburgh and the numbers will only increase with the additional new housing coming online (both now and in the future) from Muirhouse Housing Association and the Council.

With more and more people using the Centre on a daily basis the Board, staff and volunteers are committed to providing the best service possible for our community and beyond.   To do this we have produced an Autumn Programme of activities, continuing to build on the Centre’s many successful achievements and working to complete the aims of the Business Plan within the planned timescales.

We continue to work in close partnership with other groups and organisations (and entering into new partnerships) that will ensure the sustainability of the services and the maintenance of the building for future generations and they continue to look forward and strive to plan future activities, programming and events which take into account the needs and aspirations of the community they serve.

So I would like to thank publicly the staff and volunteers who put so much of their time, loyalty and commitment into making Muirhouse Community Centre a great place to be part of.

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John Davidson (Chairperson)

For more information check the website:

muirhousecommunitycentre.co.uk

Building vibrant communities: time for new thinking

Ian Cooke (pictured below) was manager of local community regeneration agency The Pilton Partnership/North Edinburgh Trust before moving on to become Director of Development Trusts Association Scotland. He shared his thoughts on community development at a national conference last month:

Ian-Cooke“Over the last few years we have seen the term ‘community’ increasingly move to the centre of the policy agenda in Scotland – community-led regeneration, community ownership, community renewable energies, community enterprise and a proposed key role for communities within the re-provisioning of public services.

“While this is both welcome and exciting, it does raise an important question about how we build capacity in communities, if they are to successfully rise to this challenge, and respond positively to these new opportunities. The development of enterprising, asset owning communities, who can lead regeneration processes and play a key role in future public sector delivery, invariably requires the development of an expanded knowledge base and skill set within communities, and requires us to re-think how we do community capacity building.

“Historically, community capacity building had been largely done ‘to’ communities, from outside agencies such as local authority services, Third Sector Interfaces (formerly CVS’s), consultants and other specialist voluntary agencies. Will this support continue to be available in the future, and are existing community capacity building services and agencies really up to the task of responding to this new agenda?

“Discussions about community capacity building have often been dominated by community development professionals. But much of the fore-mentioned policy development has been influenced by largely organic, bottom-up activity, as community after community has responded to threats and opportunities. In doing so they have drawn inspiration and support from a wide range of sources. Is it now time to reflect on this experience, and listen to communities themselves about what kind of capacity building they require?

“As Director of the Development Trusts Association Scotland, I have had the privilege of working with, and representing, some of the most dynamic community organisations in Scotland over the last few years, and it has been fascinating to discuss this issue with many of them. So here are a few thoughts to kick off this much needed debate about future capacity building provision in Scotland.

“Firstly, there seems to be a lack of clarity about what we mean by community capacity building – whose capacity is being built and for what purpose? My own experience suggests the need to focus on building the capacity of community anchor organisations as a pre-requisite for any wider community capacity building.

“Secondly communities need to be inspired, not patronised! The most effective (and cost effective) single intervention in the early development of community organisations is the opportunity to visit another community to find out what can be achieved and to learn how to go about it. This requires small grants of a few hundred pounds. So why do so few funders want to provide these?

“Thirdly, rather than funding capacity building activity as something done to communities, let’s recognise that the opportunity to employ their own staff is the most effective way to create a step change in capacity, and start investing directly in the core costs of community anchor organisations.

“Finally, let’s recognise the wealth of knowledge and experience which already exists within the Scottish community sector, and start to tap into this much more effectively and systematically by developing Peer Support Programmes.”

With the Community Empowerment Bill now before the Scottish Parliament, what can be done to support communities to influence the decisions that affect them? Let us know you thoughts