North Berwick Compassionate Community Launch with Series of Events

North Berwick Compassionate Community Launch with Series of Events

In early 2020, the North Berwick Compassionate Community Project Group, a sub-group of North Berwick Coastal Health and Well-being Association, was delighted to be successful in being selected as one of five Truacanta projects across Scotland. The project group had been very encouraged with the community support for our project proposal submission and to have won this status for the North Berwick community, so… we were very disappointed to put our work on hold, in March 2020, due to lockdown. However, despite this set-back, we have rallied and have been busy behind the scenes, preparing to launch the project with a number of events and initiatives set up for 2021, listed below:

Support Thread For Our Compassionate Community Project

We have been in discussions with St Columbas’ Hospice about a partnership with the North Berwick Community. The hospice is setting up a Compassionate Neighbours Project and we are pleased to say that we have a potential agreement to be a pilot community. In March 2021 the plan is that volunteers in North Berwick will be offered approximately six hours training, to become a ‘compassionate neighbour.’ This will be a fantastic development for North Berwick and the Compassionate Community group recognises that support and guidance from the hospice will be invaluable.

Members of Compassionate Community Project plan to undertake the EASE training (End of Life Skills for Everyone) that has been developed by Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care and we will then be able to offer local training next year.

‘Big Conversation’ Thread of our Compassionate Community

We had to put on hold our plans for author events at the 2020 Fringe by the Sea but we are pleased that our plans will be integrated into the 2021 Fringe by the Sea programme. As a lead up to a creative and new Fringe by the Sea, to be held in the Lodge Grounds, in August 2021, we are going to host online ‘Armchair Chats’. The online chats will be on a series of relevant topics, linked to the Compassionate Community initiative, from February to June 2021. The events will be available to be booked via Eventbrite and will be shown on Zoom.

Tuesday February 23rd at 7pm

Music and poetry alongside presentations from:

St Columbas Hospice on the Compassionate Neighbours Project

An update on the Truacanta Project

(book on on Eventbrite HERE)

Tuesday March 30th at 7pm

A presentation from Dorothy Kellas, a local solicitor, on the legal aspects of dying and death.

Tuesday April 27th at 7pm (face to face if possible then)

Soul Midwives Scotland - Jude Meryl on their ‘Tender Loving Care’ Programme for workers and volunteers who support people who are dying.

Tuesday May 25th at 7pm (face to face if possible then)

Kathryn Mannix, a palliative care doctor, with a passion for public health and the author of the excellent book, ‘With the End in Mind,’ (date provisional)

Tuesday June 29th at 7pm (face to face if possible then)

CRUSE bereavement Scotland on managing grief.

We have also supported pARTicipate, a community arts venture, in their devising of an arts installation that reflects the themes and concerns of Compassionate Communities, in the three telephone kiosks at the heart of the town.

More updates to come as we progress our plans, in the meantime if you live in the North Berwick area and would like to get involved please get in touch:

Lorna Sinclair: lorna@northberwickhealthandwellbeing.co.uk

Deborah Ritchie: deborah.ritchie@me.com

Fiona Watt: fiona.watt15@gmail.com