Tag: Stories of Hope

Celebrate Hope: Book Week Scotland illuminates Edinburgh and the Lothians with inspiring literary events

Scotland’s national celebration of books, Book Week Scotland 2024, returns from 18-24 November to uplift Edinburgh and Lothians with its theme of Hope.

This year’s programme offers unique perspectives on resilience, community, and the landscapes that define the region. Over the years, Book Week Scotland has deepened its impact on Edinburgh and the Lothians, delivering literary events to even the remotest locations and fostering connections in towns and communities.

The 2024 programme spotlights regional authors and local libraries as community cornerstones. 65,000 copies of a new free book, Scotland’s Stories: Hope, will be distributed during the week.

It is made up of real-life stories from people across Scotland, including contributions from people in Edinburgh and Lothians.

Local voices in this year’s Hope book include:

·       “A Wee Pocket of Joy” by Rosemary Henderson, East Lothian

·       “Dancing for Hope” by Georgia Marlborough, Edinburgh

·       “Ribbons and New Socks” by Sheena Mason, Dalkeith

·       “Hope and Consolation” by David Pickering, Edinburgh

·       “It’s The Hope That Kills You” by Julie Drybrough, Edinburgh

·       “Thorin” by Sam Eastop, Edinburgh (also adapted as a comic strip by Mollie Ray)

Each piece reflects the theme of Hope in unique and personal ways, highlighting the power of local stories.

Book Week Scotland event highlights in Edinburgh and the Lothians:

·       Landscapes of Hope and Inspiration, Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, 18 November—This event will bring together visual artist Julie Brook, writer Linda Cracknell, and musician Duncan Chisholm to discuss how Scotland’s landscapes inspire and provide hope. 

·       The Pleasures of Reading with Jackie Kay, Portobello Bookshop, 20 November – Jackie Kay shares the books that have inspired her, joined by Dr Sarah McGeown to explore the benefits of reading for pleasure. 

·       Various Author Events Across Edinburgh and East Lothian – Libraries and regional community centres will host readings, discussions, and family events celebrating the joy of reading. 

The variety of events this year reflects Edinburgh and Lothians’ longstanding engagement with Book Week Scotland, now in its 13th year and supported by Creative Scotland.

Scottish Book Trust invites everyone to join the #BookWeekScotland conversation and find further information and event listings at Book Week Scotland 2024 – Scottish Book Trust .

Extracts:

Rosemary Henderson, Tranent (East Lothian), ‘A Wee Pocket of Joy’

Sheena Mason, Dalkeith (Midlothian), ‘Ribbons and New Socks’

Georgia Marlborough, Edinburgh, ‘Dancing for Hope’

David Pickering, Edinburgh, ‘HOPE AND CONSOLATION’

Julie Drybrough, Edinburgh, ‘It’s The Hope That Kills You’

Sam Eastop, Edinburgh, ‘Thorin’ – story also adapted as a comic strip by Mollie Ray Jennie Tripp, Edinburgh

Scotland’s Stories: Hope

BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND: 18 – 24 NOVEMBER 2024

Without stories, there is no hope. That’s why ‘hope’ is the perfect theme for this year’s Book Week Scotland (18 – 24 November), and the inspiration behind our new edition of Scotland’s Stories.

Comprised of original stories written by the people of Scotland, over 60,000 copies of our new book, Hope. will be sent to every corner of the country.

Look out for your free copy of Hope this November, and explore the Book Week Scotland programme anytime.

https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/book-week-scotland

Editor’s Note: Delighted to announce that I have a story, Hope and Consolation, included in this year’s selection!

Stories of Hope: New report reveals 200,000 individual acts of support during lockdown

A new report has calculated that churches across Scotland have delivered 212,214 acts of support during lockdown.

The Stories of Hope report, which was requested by the Scottish government and produced by the Evangelical Alliance and Serve Scotland, found that these acts were delivered by 3,212 volunteers and impacted 55,671 beneficiaries.

The study details how churches in over 180 locations, often in partnership with others, developed support networks and established projects to support the most vulnerable and isolated in their communities.

Projects were active across the country from the Highlands to the Borders, across the breadth of denominations and in partnership with a number of charities including CAP Scotland, the Bethany Trust, and Glasgow City Mission.

Kieran Turner, Public Policy Officer for the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland said: “2020 has been a year of disruption for all of us and churches, like many other essential services have had to adapt.

“This report has highlighted the significant impact churches up and down the country have had in supporting the most vulnerable in society.”

The report also highlighted the importance of churches partnering with local businesses and other agencies as more than two-thirds of the projects identified were delivered in partnership to provide support to those in need.

Supermarkets, community councils, businesses, NHS boards, housing associations, voluntary support groups, and food banks have all worked with churches on the ground in these projects. In addition, 11 local authorities were identified, sometimes by multiple projects, as providing emergency funding for weekly support costs.

Kieran Turner continued: “Churches have re-purposed existing services and staff and volunteers have been quickly redeployed. New projects have been set up to deliver food, phone the elderly and isolated, support those homeless or claiming asylum, and connect with children and young people who were struggling with their mental health.

“For many, these services were literally a lifeline – often the only contact in a day when all other normal support networks and buildings were closed.”

Case study: MARIE

Marie is a young mum who lives with her partner and four children in a two bedroom flat in a tower block in Aberdeen.

She first connected with Seaton Community Church through the Mums & toddlers group. When lockdown happened as she faced real financial hardship with a young baby she turned to the church’s packed lunch project for help.

The church provided daily meals and also supported the family through this daily connection with mental, emotional and spiritual support. This lifted a huge financial and emotional pressure off her shoulders and Marie has now become part of the wider church community, watching church online as well building deeper friendships with others locally.

The online survey was gathered data from May 2020 to July 2020 by the Evangelical Alliance with the aim of understanding the range and focus of church-based projects taking place across Scotland during the pandemic.

To find out more and download the full report go to https://www.eauk.org/about-us/nations/scotland.