Church helping Scotland's poorest communities thrive

The Church of Scotland has launched a radical new regeneration programme to boost some of the poorest parts of the country.

The Chance to Thrive project will work with eight communities on development initiatives over the next five years.

The Church says the onus of the project will be on the hopes of the people, rather than buildings.

It wants to support local people in bringing about long-term change through their own ideas rather than "having ideas imposed from outside".

Communities will be supported by a panel of volunteers with relevant experience as entrepreneurs, community workers, business planners, artists and architects.

It is hoped that the projects will lead to the development of major new and sustainable church-based community facilities.

The Rt Rev David Arnott, Moderator of the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly, said: “Despite the massive public investment of recent years, many of our poorest communities a generation ago tragically remain our poorest communities today. Particularly in the current economic climate a different approach is needed.

“Over the last decade the Church of Scotland has doubled its commitment to Scotland’s poorest neighbourhoods.

“Through Chance to Thrive we are well placed to play our part in the transformation of a number of these areas. We are committed to doing that with others, particularly with local people.”

The Rev Dr Martin Johnstone, who coordinates the Kirk’s work in areas of deprivation, said: “In many of the post war housing schemes, churches provided the first community facilities, helping to create and support the community, and the churches are committed to remaining there even when others walk away.

“Over the last 10 years we have learnt some critical lessons including the importance of starting small and focusing on the local. We also know that real change comes about when people who live in local communities are really listened to and supported to become the architects of change.

“This is not primarily about buildings – it is about people and their aspirations for the places where they live. It is about a model of regeneration which recognises the importance of inter-dependence, that in order to build places where we all want to live everyone needs to be involved.”

Participating churches are based in Glasgow, Larkhall, Stirling and Dundee. They include Drumchapel St Mark's, which hosts a boxing club on its premises.

A boxing ring was set up in the church hall to support Argo Boxing Club after it was left homeless when Glasgow City Council demolished the Argo Centre. The church is looking to expand its support to the community amid public sector cutbacks.

St Mark’s minister Rev Audrey Jamieson said the church had been preparing to demolish the church hall when the boxing club offered to work with them in renovating the building.

She explains how the partnership was mutually beneficial.

"I can see that the trainers teach the young boys, and a few girls, fitness and focus and give them role models, as well as giving them a positive outlook and aspirations for the future," she said.

“The boxing club has totally transformed our church hall, and sorted out the plumbing, electrics as well as giving it a lick of paint.

“This demonstrates to us the talents and possibilities in Drumchapel when we all come together to meet the needs of our community, and we hope the Chance to Thrive project will help us take a huge step forward with this.”

Chance to Thrive will be launched at the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday with a celebration hosted by Alex Neil MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment.

If the five-year pilot is successful, the Church plans to roll the model out across other parts of Scotland.