Wider News and Events

New Faith in Throughcare (FiT) Volunteer Training Programme in Dundee

Faith in Throughcare are a developing organisation created to offer local community based support to short term prisoners released from HMP Perth. We aim to reduce repeat offending by supporting people to have a more positive experience on return from prison.

·         Do you have an interest in community justice?
·         Do you believe in addressing social inequalities?
·         Do you want relevant experience for further education or training?
·         Do you want to build positively on personal experiences and insights which could contribute to helping other people make a positive return to the community?

We have a new Volunteer Training programme starting in Douglas and Mid Craigie Church of Scotland, Balbeggie Place, Dundee, DD4 8RD at 2pm until 4 pm on 15th May in Douglas. In the subsequent weeks, the training will start at 1:30 pm until 3.30pm. There may be still some places available on this programme – for further information please contact Morag Sievwright on 07788219403 or email morag@faithinthroughcare.org

Mental Health First Aid Courses

Mental Health First Aid Courses are available for people to attend in Dundee and Arbroath, the details are as follows.
Courses in Dundee with availability are:
·         2nd and 8th July, 2014
·         1st and 8th Sept. 2014
·         23rd and 28th Oct. 2014
All the above courses will be held in the Seminar Room, Kings Cross, Clepington Road, Dundee from 9.30am – 4.30pm.
Courses in Arbroath are planned on the following dates:
·         26th and 27th June, 2014;
·         24th and 25th Sept. 2014;
·         27th and 28th Oct. 2014;
·         3rd and 4th Dec. 2014;
All the above courses will be held in Bruce House, Arbroath from 9.15am – 4.15pm

Booking is required and please contact Lorna Webster (SMHFA administrator) on 424086 or email: smhfa.tayside@nhs.net.

Invitation to Jean Kilbourne Talk  on Gender and Media

On Monday, 18 August 2014, leading academic Dr Jean Kilbourne will be in Dundee to discuss the portrayal of women, men and relationships in advertising & the media. She will look at the impact advertising, online pornography and sexting on young people's views and expectation of relationships. Dr Kilbourne has been exploring the connection between advertising, media and public health issues, including violence against women since the 1960s.

The Dundee event will take place at the Contemporary Arts, Nethergate, from 9am onwards. To book a place, please contact June Hepburn on 0141 532 5805 or via violence.reduction@scotland.pnn.police.uk.

Launch of the R & R (Revive and Restore) Café

On Friday May 23rd 2014

From: 6pm- 8pm
Bring the Kids to Meet - Animal Attractions & Have A Photo Taken Or - Face Painting & Party Balloons  
From: 8pm-11pm Live Music For The Big Kids
At: Mark Henderson Centre, Ann Street
All Welcome & It’s FREE

Come Along If You Are Up For A Fun Alcohol & Drug Free Evening Refreshments Provided.

CrossReach have moved to a New Address

CrossReach – Axis Forward Project has moved office. Their new address and contact details are:

The Gatehouse

Strathmore Lodge
31 Ward Road
DUNDEE DD1 1NG
Telephone: - 01382 322397
Fax:- 01382 228170

'Community is the Answer' Conference: Sponsored Places  

The international ‘Community is the answer' conference is taking place here in Glasgow on 9-11th June, 2014 and is organised by the International Association for Community Development (IACD) and the CLD Standards Council for Scotland, with the support of the Scottish Government and other partners (including SCDC, SCDN, CDAS and CLDMS).

Education Scotland are now offering 80 sponsored day places to allow people who would otherwise not be able to attend, such as unwaged or low-income volunteers, to do so. This reduced delegate rate of £35 (otherwise £99 to £125) is inclusive of meals, a conference pack and social events.

To apply individuals are asked to provide a brief statement covering the following:

·         Your current role (especially, for example, as an unwaged or low-income volunteer)
·         The name of any organisation that you are attached to
·         The reason that you are requesting a sponsored place (including what benefit you hope to get for yourself and your community)
·         The day on which you would like to attend (9 June: Health; 10 June: Wealth; 11 June: Power)

Priority will be given to allow as many people as possible to benefit for one day each. But if any places remain, applications for a second day may be considered - if interested please also indicate a second choice of day. 

Please return these to cdas@pdtaylor.com or Community Development Alliance Scotland, 56, Turnberry Road, Glasgow G11 5AP. Applicants will be informed as soon as possible whether they have been allocated a place. Sponsored places will be allocated until all available have been filled.

The conference itself will showcase community-based solutions from Scotland and around the world and allow community members, activists, practitioners, researchers and policymakers to come together and examine what actually matters to people, how to measure it and how to place it at the core of what we do. You can find out more details here.

Exciting Opportunities at Destiny College

Destiny College is introducing an HNC in Counselling, which will run alongside a certificate in Christian Counselling accredited by ACC. This course will run on a part-time (day release) basis with aim to begin in the new academic year, September 2014. The demand for this course is already high but we don’t want you to miss out! Please email our SQA centre at sqa.co@destiny-college.com to express your interest in this course.

Mind Yer Heid Plus Training Session

 

A free training opportunity available through Equally Well - Mind Yer Heid Plus raises awareness of Mental Wellbeing and Health Inequalities, and promotes inequalities sensitive practice amongst a wide variety of partners. It supports participants to make the link between social, environmental and economic factors and how people think, feel and behave. This training will be of relevance to any frontline member of staff who comes into contact with people experiencing health and/or mental health and wellbeing inequalities. Participants may come from a wide range of mainstream and voluntary sector services that impact on the health and wellbeing of Dundee’s citizens, such as housing, social work, health, mental health, leisure, communities, financial inclusion, community safety, criminal justice and many more. The training will also be useful to those responsible for managing staff and services. 

To book a place at these training sessions please request a booking form from Sheila McMahon at sheila.mcmahon@dundeecity.gov.uk  Please note that places are limited, and whilst there is no charge for this training, a £20 administration fee will be incurred if you book a place and do not attend, or if you cancel with fewer than 5 working day’s notice.

 

Training dates 2014

Training session:                                   Booking deadline:          Place confirmed by:

Thursday June 12^th                                                 Monday May 19^th              Friday May 30^th 

Monday September 15^th                                     Monday August 25^th             Friday September 5^th       

Wednesday November 12^th                              Monday October 20^th        Friday October 31^st

Friday December 5^th                                Monday November 10^th    Friday November 21^st

 

The training will be held at Dudhope Castle, Barrack Street, Dundee between 9am – 4.15pm. These training sessions are free and places are limited.  Tea, coffee and a light lunch will be provided. Free parking is available on-site. 

Other News

Nilupul wins Heritage Lottery Fund support

 

Nilupul Foundation, a charity based in the heart of Dundee in Reform St, has received £44,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for WHA’S DUNDEE.  Led by young people, the Wha’s Dundee project will celebrate and preserve the unique and diverse migratory history of Dundee’s ethnic minority population, investigating just what it means to be Dundonian in 2013.

In collaboration with  other local organisations, (The Shore, Hot Chocolate , DEAP, the Macara Youth group at the Dundee international Women’s Centre (DIWC) and the Yusuf Youth initiative (YYI)), local young people are learning film making, and interview skills to help them gather together these fascinating personal histories which will be at the heart of a new documentary film and digital media archive to be showcased on November 9th at the Hannah Maclure Centre, Abertay University during the  5th NEoN Digital Arts Festival running from 2nd-9th November 2013.

 

The ‘Wha’s Dundee’ project will run throughout the summer and young people interested in getting involved can find out more by contacting Julie on 01382 872020. www.facebook.com/whasdundee.

Change Makers – A brand new social enterprise project in Dundee

 

Change Makers is a brand new Dundee social enterprise project which aims to inspire and empower young people, particularly from the Black & Ethnic Minority background to make a difference to their community through campaigns. The idea is to ‘Think Change. Promote Change and Be Change’. Everyone wants to make a difference and resolve the world’s problems, so Change Makers gives young people an opportunity to be heard and to showcase their views to the community. Along with helping to make a difference, Change Makers helps give confidence to young people through personal development. Change Makers helps young people find the right kind of training, volunteering and employment opportunities.
 

At the moment, Change Makers is promoting the One World Week campaign, which although a global initiative, is hoping to inspire the Dundee community and its residents to make a global difference but at a local level. Change Makers hopes to communicate with various different parts of the Dundee community, whether that is charities, youth groups and community centres to hold a series of events and activities which raise awareness on the issues of local and global poverty, environment and global injustice.  One World Week takes place on the 20^th-27^th Oct this year.

NHS Tayside’s first Community Chaplain in Dundee

 

As of the 3rd of June 2013 NHS Tayside Department of Spiritual Care employed their first community Chaplain for Dundee, Alan Gibbon. In Dundee the Community Chaplain has responsibility for Chaplaincy in Mental Health; Children with Complex Needs; Chaplaincy in GP’s Surgery’s under the “Do You Need To Talk?” programme and developing the service of community Chaplaincy in Dundee.

Alan is keen to get to know community projects in Dundee and would welcome the opportunity to come along and introduce himself and to explore the possibility of how you might work together in partnership and collaboration.  Alan can be reached on alangibbon@nhs.net or by calling 07917183773.

A little background - Alan was born and bred in Dundee and after a time working as a welder and in insurance Alan decided to pursue a career in Ministry.  He spent a year at Dundee College in 1996 before studying Theology at the University of St. Andrews graduating in 2000.  He did further training with the Congregational Federation being recognised on their Roll of Ministry in 2002. 

Alan was ordained into Perth Congregational Church in August 2000 where he ministered for 2 years before moving to Knightswood in Glasgow in September 2002 where he ministered for a further nine years.  As of July 2013 Alan has become a minister of the United Reformed Church. During this time Alan developed a keen interest in Chaplaincy through his work with the schools. 

Alan first worked with NHS Tayside as the part-time Chaplin to Blairgowrie Community Hospital in October 2010 before taking up the full-time post as Chaplain at Rachel House Children’s Hospice in Kinross in July 2011.  He has now returned to NHS Tayside as of June 2013.  In 2013 Alan completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Chaplaincy at the University of Glasgow and he is now going on to study for the diploma.

Lord Provost to unveil new Peace Pole for Dundee

 

A weekend of special community activities and events have been planned to celebrate International Peace Day this year. Events will also highlight the success of local community-led initiatives which work to address inequality and suffering in the city. Festivities begin as darkness falls on Saturday 21^st September with a Light Projection in the city square sharing a very unique message of peace.

The highlight of the weekend will be the public unveiling of a new Peace Pole by Dundee’s Lord Provost, Bob Duncan, in the city square at 3 pm on Sunday 22^nd.  The Pole will be a lasting monument to the shared wish for world peace from the people of Dundee. The unveiling will be accompanied by a peaceful reflection led by local Buddhist teacher and interfaith champion Lama Jiga and the celebrations continue with a stunning World Peace Flag Ceremony.   

 

The planting of a Peace Pole in Dundee has long been championed by local Peace Day organisers and community charity, Nilupul Foundation, Dundee Interfaith Association and many other local community organisations and faith groups and the long awaited pole arrives in the city this year with the full support of Dundee City Council. Commenting on this year’s events, Dr Julie Wardrop of Nilupul Foundation said: “We are thrilled to be finally planting a Peace Pole in Dundee and we hope that all of this year’s Peace Day events will be an inspiration.  At a time when Dundee is transforming physically and culturally, these events symbolise fresh hope for the future of the city and its people.  May Peace Prevail On Earth”

IF you would like to volunteer at this year’s event please contact Julie at Nilupul Centre on 01382 872020 or e-mail: info@nilupul.org.

Passage from India and the Priority Areas Committee win EAPN Award

Passage from India and the Priority Areas Committee of the Church of Scotland were one of the three organizations that won the European Anti-Poverty Award (EAPN) 2013 in the NGO category for Transnational Learning & Inspiration. They will be presented the award in a ceremony on September 30, 2013 in Brussels. The Passage from India project started with a visit to India by 13 women from 7 deprived communities from Glasgow where they visited self-reliant groups. Since their return they have formed themselves into Self-Reliant Groups in their home communities.  

Self-reliant groups are autonomous groups based on the principles of self-help, solidarity and collective enterprise. They are usually small groups of women who aspire to change their socio-economic circumstances. They initiate small microfinance schemes to support members of the group. As the groups have grown and extended, a lot of training and mentoring has been part of the approach to develop personal empowerment, self-confidence and economic aspirations of the women. Currently, there are more than 50 such groups across Scotland, involving over 350 women from deprived communities and they have formed an association.

Big Lottery – Support and Connect Fund supports the Council and four local projects in Dundee

There were 59 projects across Scotland funded to the tune of £9M by the Big Lottery Support and Connect Fund recently. 

Dundee City Council has been awarded £339,237, which will be used to address the impacts of Welfare Reform.  In response to growing hardship, the project will create a Task Force of 7 officers, a team of frontline, multi-skilled staff, working in local communities, to address the key issues people face. The aims of the project is to (a) provide early intervention and local support to mitigate impact on existing advice agencies, reducing number of basic enquiries (SNS Level 1) they receive, enabling them to focus on more serious ongoing case work – addressing growing issues of supply not meeting demand and (b) ensure a joined up approach to supporting people through welfare reform, where possible in their communities.

Four other projects in Dundee have also been funded; the detail is as follows -

Transform Community Development - £128,560 - Funded through Support and Connect this group will expand on their current Fareshare project to allow them to deliver food to individuals as they currently only provide to organisations and charities. They will build on relationships with Local Authority Housing and Social Work Departments to ensure they reach hard to reach groups across Dundee.

Dundee North Law Centre - £169,687 - Funded through Support and Connect, with 20 months funding the centre will develop their Fighting for Forgotten Families project, supporting vulnerable families on low incomes affected by welfare reform. Support includes welfare advice, employment tribunals, weekly family support activities and joint working with a range of organisations/agencies. They are talking about supporting over 5,000 families.

Deaf Links - £110, 263 - Funded through Support and Connect this group’s 'Connect Hear Advocacy Project' will provide a dedicated welfare benefit and financial advocacy service to support 100 deaf and deafblind people in the Dundee, Angus and Perth & Kinross local authority areas (Tayside) who are experiencing hardship due to welfare reforms. They will receive specialist support to enable them to have equal access to mainstream support services.

Perth CAB - £288,104 - Funded through Support and Connect this Citizens Advice Bureau will lead a partnership project with Angus and Dundee CABs to expand their welfare advice services, provide outreach clinics and provide home visits. They will also link up with 12 other partner organisations.

Hear about the impact of Welfare cuts through SCVO Welfare Reform Group

 

In recent months, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has been bringing together representatives of a number of different organisations working alongside people experiencing the impact of welfare cuts. The overall picture is, according to many within the Group, ‘pretty grim’. The Group would be very interested in hearing from faith groups working in local neighbourhoods where they are encountering similar or different issues as we try to raise awareness of just how bad things are becoming for some of our very poorest citizens and challenge government – at all levels – to make changes. You can make contact through Martin (e: mjohnstone@cofscotland.org.uk; t 0141 248 2905).

Other News

Yusuf Youth Initiative’s Curry Night

 

The Yusuf Youth Initiative (YYI) is a dynamic, youth-led organization aspiring to nurture leaders of tomorrow. It provides enriching programmess that encourages young people to grow, strive and become change makers in a vibrant and changing society. As part of the ‘Taught by Muhammad’ campaign, the YYI’s young volunteers spent hours cooking a special Indian meal for the staff and service users of the Salvation Army’s Strathmore Lifehouse on April 5, 2013. This campaign is part of a long term programme within YYI to foster improved relations between the Muslim and non-Muslim community, and to show the values which the Prophet Muhammad taught.

Fatima Rehman, one of the volunteers, said 'When we started this project, we asked the young Muslims who their greatest role model was. They all said it was Prophet Muhammad, but aslo acknowledged that he was the most misunderstood person. This project will help us show the World who Muhammad was'. Helping out at the regular Friday evening drop in at Strathmore Lifehouse, Malcolm Page, Salvationist from Dundee Central Corps said, 'This is a fantastic random act of kindness, we are truly humbled when people give up their own time to come and support the homeless community in Dundee. We've had a great evening and learned a little more about each other in a very relaxed way'.  

Revelation - A Discipleship Event

Revelation is a gathering of around 4 or 5 different church youth groups from aound the Dundee city to meet up once a month for a discipleship event consisting of - worship, games, food and a Bible-based message. It is effectively a very informal church service for young people (Primary 7 and upwards) and is aimed primarily at small church youth groups to give them a chance to meet up with other Christians in the city. A total of three Revelation events have been held at Chalmers Ardler Church, Douglas and Mid Craigie Church and Hillbank Evangelical Church with around 25-30 young people in each event, and an additional two events are planned for May 2013.  

Matthew Blakeman

                                                                                                     Hillbank Evangelical Church

Foodbank Dundee has a new Manager

Dave Morris has lived in Dundee for nearly 6 years, and attends City Church Dundee. He moves into crisis food distribution from a couple of years in renewable energy consultancy, and is looking forward to the chance to positively impact Dundee through his day to day work, whilst also undoubtedly experiencing the highs and lows of voluntary sector employment! He's married to Jules, and became dad to Reuben on Christmas Eve 2012!

Dundee Foodbank’s Youth and Poverty Programme

Over 3 000 people have benefited from receiving food parcels from the Dundee Foodbank since April 2012, and of this more than 900 were Dundee children. With central premises in the Hilltown area of Dundee, the food bank lies within the Morgan Academy’s catchment area, and this has sparked an interest amongst the pupils, where 23% of them are eligible for free school meals. Dundee Foodbank is now looking to cooperate with the school through a Youth and Poverty programme and address this issue through the religious and moral education provision within the third year curriculum. The Youth and Poverty programmes can fit in with Curriculum for Excellence which aims to provide a coherent, more flexible and enriched educational experience in Scotland and has four main features: pupils will be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. It is hoped that this involvement with Morgan Academy will be seen as a pilot project before it rolls out amongst other interested secondary schools in Dundee.

In December 2012 a West End Distribution Centre for Dundee Foodbank was set up in Menzieshill Parish Church and the aim was not just to serve the local demand but to engage with and involve that community. It would seem to be a logical extension to investigate the involvement of pupils from Menzieshill High School while undertaking our Youth and Poverty programme. 

            

                                                                                                                              David Martin