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October 2016
Dear Friends, Supporters and Colleagues
Welcome to the SCT October e-bulletin. Please find below a message from our new Chairman, Colin McLean FSAScot LRPS.
I’ve long been an admirer of the work of the Scottish Civic Trust. Perhaps it’s the planner in me (or what’s left of it anyway) but I like the focus on towns rather than just individual buildings. Our towns have been the subject of much study and discussion in recent years, with Malcolm Fraser’s work for the Scottish Government and Cliff Hague’s for BEFS. I have known them both for a long time and highly respect them.
I participated in one of the Town Centre Review workshops, and I was struck by the slightly desperate note of some of the local retailers in the face of shrinking levels of business. “We need to remove all town centre parking restrictions” was their cry. Somehow I think that is not the answer.
One of the workshop participants was Lee Sparks, Professor of Retail Studies at the University of Stirling. He said that whilst the recession was real and significant, we mustn’t let it hide two significant structural changes in the retail economy. One was out of town shopping centres, and the other was internet shopping. It may be that the development pressure for out-of-town is lessening slightly, but the rush to the internet is not. I for one, hardly ever “go shopping” these days, much preferring to do it on my laptop or iPad in the comfort of my own home, backed up with easy access to endless reviews and price competition, and a whole new industry of next-day delivery. My sympathy goes to retailers who face that competition, but it is here to stay and we need to embrace it, finding new reasons to attract people into our town centres.
This is where the civic trust movement can make a contribution; by helping local groups to take pride in their towns, seek new initiatives and partnerships, and to be bold, trying experiments that might not work, but from which we can learn something. Through its award schemes, the Trust can applaud and broadcast good practice from all over Scotland.
I am looking forward to being a part of all this, and working with the very many people and groups that already do so much for our towns.
Colin McLean
Chair, Scottish Civic Trust
Colin McLean was appointed Chair of the Scottish Civic Trust at its quarterly board meeting on 1 September 2016.
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BOOKING OPEN: SCT Annual Conference 2016: Celebrating Civic Pride
10am - 4pm, 15 November 2016, Linlithgow Burgh Halls
The next Scottish Civic Trust annual conference will showcase and celebrate the work of local civic trusts, amenity societies and heritage volunteers. The people that make up these groups work tirelessly to promote and protect local heritage, places and spaces. The conference will provide them with a platform to show what they have achieved, explain why they do it and set out the challenges and difficulties they face.
Along with local groups affiliated to the Scottish Civic Trust the conference will feature representatives from voluntary organisations and practitioners behind some of the projects recognised in the annual Scottish Civic Trust My Place Awards and Scottish Heritage Angel Awards.
Speakers include:
- Rosie Wylie, Historic Environment Scotland
- Veronica Low, Greyfriars Garden
- Norman Bissell, Atlantic Islands Centre
- Martin Crook, Linlithgow Victoria Hall Trust
- Professor John Hume OBE
- ... and more!
Don't forget - local groups affiliated to the Scottish Civic Trust receive a reduced rate of only £40 per delegate, including all refreshments and lunch. Be sure to select the affiliated ticket when making your booking.
We're asking you - what does civic pride mean to you? Share your photos and responses on Twitter @scotcivictrust using hashtag #SCTcivicpride or email gaby.laing@scottishcivictrust.org.uk
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(Above) The 2016 heritage 'Angels' on stage with Vanessa Collingridge, the judges, Colin McLean and John Pelan.
Contribution of volunteers recognised at Scottish Heritage Angel Awards
A project to collect and record bricks, the restoration of a WWI memorial in Orkney, and a television channel run by young people to highlight an archaeological dig, were amongst the winners revealed at the second annual Scottish Heritage Angels Awards, delivered by the Scottish Civic Trust in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland, Archaeology Scotland and the Scottish Government, held in Edinburgh on Tuesday 18 October.
Funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, the Angel Awards culminated in winners being named across five categories at a ceremony hosted by author and broadcaster, Vanessa Collingridge. The evening and awards programme was a celebration of the efforts of remarkable volunteers, or 'Angels' who give up their time to help better understand, appreciate, protect and celebrate Scotland's heritage and history.
The five Scottish Heritage Angel Awards winners are:
• Investigating and Recording: Mark Cranston
• Caring and Protecting: Orkney Heritage Society Kitchener Memorial Working Group
• Sharing and Celebrating: The Friends of Kinneil
• Young Heritage Angel Award: 'Dig TV' Young Volunteer Group
• Lifetime Contribution to the Historic Environment: Brian Watters
Click here to see photos from the ceremony.
You can watch the films of all the shortlisted projects here.
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IHBC launches £2500 fund to help local civic trusts celebrate 50 years of conservation areas
The IHBC has launched a fund allocation of up to £2500 for Civic Trusts in England Scotland and Wales seeking help on local celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the introduction of Conservation Areas, with a prize of a place at the IHBC’s Annual School on offer for the most effective project.
Find out more and APPLY NOW.
The awards are promoted in partnership with the national link civic bodies representing the countries covered by the 1967 Civic Amenities Act (which did not cover Northern Ireland) that gave rise to the first Conservation Areas in England, Scotland and Wales.
John Pelan, Director of the Scottish Civic Trust said: ‘The Scottish Civic Trust is delighted to endorse this excellent initiative by IHBC. The Civic Amenities Act of 1967, which introduced the concept of conservation areas, is directly linked to the establishment of the Trust in the same year.’
‘I am sure that many of our affiliated civic trusts and amenity societies will want to take the opportunity to celebrate the significance of 50 years conservation areas in Scotland with this new fund.’
Applicants must represent their local civic trust, and may apply simply by describing their project ambitions and funding needs using our simple online form. The IHBC will process, allocate and make the funds available as soon as possible and with minimal administrative obligations.
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Voices of Experience - Discussions on Architecture
29 October, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm; free.
Glasgow Women's Library
23 Landressy Street
Glasgow, G40 1BP
Who are some of the significant women that have made important contributions to architecture and the built environment in Scotland in the latter part of the twentieth century?
At this afternoon tea you can listen to short conversations between women architects in relation to their work on sites such as Cumbernauld, Edinburgh’s New Town and North Glasgow. Meet those taking part, hear more about their experiences and join the conversation.
Booking
This workshop is open to all and is free to attend. Please book via the website (you will be taken through the shopping cart but no charge will be made) or you can call us on 0141 550 2267. If you have booked a place and are no longer able to attend please let us know so that we can make your place available to someone else.
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RSA Culture and Heritage: National Essentials
15 November 2016, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm; £5.50
Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
9 Queen Street
Edinburgh EH2 1JQ
This event is a Tribute Lecture to the late Mary Bryden, a former RSA Scotland Committee member and former director of Public Programmes, National Museums of Scotland, who died in May 2016. Mary previously worked for the Museum of Antiquities having, after graduation, first taught at the Royal High School, Edinburgh and then as Head of History at Kelso High School. Mary’s widely acknowledged grace and dignity were the hallmarks of the courage with which she faced inevitably fatal illness after early retirement in 2007 on medical grounds. The title of this event resonates – intentionally - with “Arts & Humanities: National Essentials”, a recent past full house event addressed by RSA Fellows Sir Jonathan Mills and Professor Christopher Breward. It also chimes with aspects of the HLF/RSA “Heritage Index” project, and is timely, given that 2017 is to be the Year of Heritage, History, and Archaeology (YHHA2017).
The MCICH Network is grateful to Loyd Grossman for his immediate acceptance to deliver this lecture. Early booking is very strongly recommended. It is anticipated there will be extensive interest in attendance, Loyd being both Heritage Alliance Chairman and NADFAS President.
Booking
Please book via the website.
The venue has a hearing loop and is wheelchair accessible but please do let us know if you require assistance. Email Ann Packard to arrange help, or for all other queries:
ann.packard@council-rsa.org.uk.
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Kinder Communities: The power of everyday relationships
The Carnegie UK Trust has published its most recent report, by Zoe Ferguson, on its website.
This discussion paper explores the evidence on the impact of everyday relationships and kindness on individual and societal wellbeing, and community empowerment and develops a theory of change. It is very much the start of a process and over the coming months the project aims to test the theory of change with debate and deliberation among stakeholders and the public and experiment with practical mechanisms to encourage kinder communities.
The next stage of the project will take an approach of learning with communities and organisations involved in practical experiments, which explore the role of:
- noticing our connections and behaviour
- permission to engage and boundaries for our relationships;
- the stories of our neighbourhoods and how they inform our behaviour;
- places to gather, particularly outdoors;
- the role of staff between the formal and informal;
- sharing food together; and
- the journey from kindness and fun to community empowerment.
By talking openly about the importance of kindness and sharing learning with our networks hopefully we can encourage behaviours and approaches which improve all our lives. We will be sharing our experiences on our new Facebook page Please ‘like’ us for regular updates on our work.
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Scottish Civic Trust Trustee Updates
As of September 2016, four Trustees have resigned: Alistair Scott, Angus Kerr, Paul Smart and David MacRobert. We thank them for their hard work and dedication to the Trust, and wish them all the best for the future.
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