An Angus voice has been added to a charities consortium pressing for a radical rethink of how community health and wellbeing organisations can be given a long-term future.
Kirriemuir Connections dementia hub is already one of almost 80 bodies across the country represented by Scottish Communities for Health and Wellbeing (SCHW).
The internationally-known Angus set-up has recently moved into a new permanent home in the heart of Kirrie.
It has coincided with Kirrie Connections chief officer Graham Galloway being invited to join the board of SCHW.
The alliance is behind a blueprint being delivered to the Scottish Government of a new vision on how long-term support can be offered to the lifeline community organisations.
Mr Galloway said the pandemic had served to highlight the true value of community groups throughout Scotland – and they constant struggle on the funding treadmill.
Although face-to-face group activities at Kirrie Connections were halted when the pandemic struck, the organisation quickly responded with new ways to keep in touch with members.
Zoom sessions
It included regular Zoom meetings of the popular memories and activities groups developed since the body’s formation in 2015.
And Kirrie Connections continues to deliver more than 1,000 printed sheets of activities and information each week.
Vital funding from stalwart support organisations including the Life Changes Trust has helped with the move to the large permanent premises in Kirrie’s Roods.
New home sparks new ambition for Kirrie Connections dementia project
The Life Changes Trust was set up with a National Lottery Community Fund endowment of £50 million to improve the lives of people living with dementia, unpaid carers of people living with dementia and young people with care experience.
Mr Galloway said: “The organisations represented by SCHW deliver, in creative and responsive ways, to over 300,000 people who are experiencing difficulties that give rise to serious health and wellbeing challenges and who want to bring about major improvements in their lives.
“The past year has really shown how vital community organisations like this have been.
“They have responded quickly and with precision to support the communities they are embedded within, co-ordinating volunteers and using local knowledge to make sure no one slipped through the gaps.
“Many of these groups rely on the merry-go-round of grant funding, chasing ever-smaller pots of money.
“This can make it very difficult for new organisations to get up a head of steam, and for existing ones, it means they are always fighting to stay afloat.”
The SCHW ‘Blueprint for a Healthier Scotland’ is asking the Scottish Government to properly invest in these essential community groups.
Complex equation
SCHW chairman John Cassidy said: “Demands are incessant, evolution of delivery models is restrained, financial resources finite.
“Solutions to this complex equation call for vision and imagination.
“When we first met the Scottish Government in 2009, we were a group of 26 healthy living centres.
“Our tripled growth underlines the success we have had in enabling local people to help themselves.
“But the survival and potential growth of our sector rests on the shakiest of financial foundations.
“As a nation we still have some way to go to reduce inequalities and establish a healthier and fairer society.”