Dear members and friends,
Because my cottage is near the M9, Stirling is only half an hour up the road – fifteen minutes later, I can be lunching in the Trossachs. Twice weekly I head off – alone, music playing – a few good fish and chip restaurants where they ken me. Last week – ‘preparing for the worst’ – brought home how important these wee trips are to me: to be able to just ‘hit the road’. I’m so relieved not to have lost this freedom, that I feel some ‘survivor’s guilt’.
The 80-year-old psyche/soul flips between wanting to live forever – and reconciling its own ending; our appetite to ‘hang around’, will depend on health, curiosity, involvement etc; ‘wheels’ will help keep me ‘in the game’. I heard myself telling a young woman recently that life gets easier in old age – had to examine later what I meant. Obviously, our bodies don’t get easier – rather become an increasing burden; but the human soul/psyche often finds a new ‘composure’ to compensate; glimpses of ‘equanimity’: good word.
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Well, that’s the most radical manifesto any of us have ever seen; dozens of bold pledges; hardly any I don’t support. Taken together, this Labour Manifesto describes a different type of society: attuned to the needs of ordinary people – rather than ‘the few’ who control everything. It now comes down to ‘credibility’; the ‘establishment’, who control most of the media, don’t want this transformation – will say it can’t be done; over the next three weeks, the British public will make their choice. Whether or not this manifesto carries the day – we can only admire its breath-taking ambition – its boldness – and ‘boldness has genius, power and magic in it.’ I’ve already made up my mind. Viva la revolucion!
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When Big Society Capital (BSC) was launched, to capitalise the third sector, in 2012, Steve Wyler, then Director of Locality, wrote this cautionary note. It warns that, if BSC set interest rates too high, its investment would get diverted to ‘private-profit enterprises’, with vague social credentials; of course, that’s exactly what happened! Senscot challenged this ‘mission drift’ for years (our bulletin archive has 548 BSC references) – but eventually we gave up. Much encouraged by some new recognition of BSC’s failure to reach social and community enterprises; e.g. Richard Litchfield’s well-researched call for radical change. Maybe a new Labour Govt will return BSC to the third sector – its original mission.
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The ‘future Scotland’ I envisage will have no royal family; there is no intelligent justification for such nonsense. Prince Andrew’s noxious interview with the forensic Emily Maitlis, exposes a ‘loose cannon’, living at ‘an elevated remove from the common people’. It becomes embarrassing. See New Yorker piece.
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The Labour promise of universal free broadband – the furious Tory reaction – two different visions for our society: universal provision, funded by progressive taxation or free market capitalism. I visit a site called ‘Prime’- economic solutions based on social democratic principles: some progressive scoping.
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BBC 4 on Monday – enjoyed ‘The Worlds of Ursula le Guin’; reminded of her National Book Awards acceptance speech 2014 – where she took a pop at the over commercialised USA publishing industry.
“Books aren’t just commodities; the profit motive is often in conflict with the aims of art. We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable – but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art. Very often in our art, the art of words… We who live by writing and publishing want and should demand our fair share of the proceeds; but the name of our beautiful reward isn’t profit. Its name is freedom.”
Goodreads has assembled over 2000 le Guin quotes.
Our Conference takes place at the Westerwood Hotel on Monday and Tuesday. Over 140 delegates have signed up for the event that is jointly hosted by Senscot, Social Firms Scotland and Scottish Community Alliance. The theme of the Conference is ‘Community Wealth Building – the Role for Community and Social Enterprise’. In addition to looking specifically at the model of community wealth building, there will be a series of workshop; our usual Dragons’ Den – plus sessions on the Pockets and Prospects Programme and the new SE Action Plan – due out in April 2020. Over and above the specific content, this event is as much about bring together people engaged with frontline social enterprise to share their experiences and to build new connections. This is the 14th running of this event since its was first held at New Lanark back in 2005. The SE landscape in Scotland has clearly gone through considerable change since then and it’s great to welcome so many new faces but, equally important, to welcome back so many of the ‘old guard’.
NOTICES: We can’t flag all notices here, but more jobs, events and tenders available on our website.
Over recent months, Senscot, Social Firms Scotland and Scottish Community Alliance have been facilitating, with local partners, a series of local consultations with a view to informing and shaping the next SE Action Plan. By the end of this month, 15 events will have taken place – involving over 500 participants. See some Emerging Themes. In addition to these local consultations, Social Value Lab, on behalf of Scottish Govt, has circulated this survey – seeking the views of our SE community. Closing date is next Friday – 29th Nov.
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CommonHealth was a five-year research project – led by the Yunus Centre at Glasgow Caley – which sought to develop methods to evaluate new pathways to health creation and health inequalities reduction arising from community-based social enterprises in Scotland. This Study in Health Promotion International ,by Dr Fiona Henderson of Glasgow Caley, is part of CommonHealth’s ongoing work – and highlights the impact of numerous SEN members on older people’s health and wellbeing.
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Last week’s Community Resources Network Scotland (CRNS) Conference saw the publication of their new report, “Local Solutions to the Global Climate Emergency”. The report highlights how CRNS members are providing important local responses to the urgent climate emergency – not just environmentally but also through social, economic and community benefits as well. They have also shared four videos spotlighting the work of their members.
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Frontline News: Bookdonors’ crowd-funding campaign – Save Bookdonors CIC – continues and they have now launched this short video to support their campaign. Your help would be greatly appreciated:
CFINE – SE of the Year 2019 – yesterday launched its ‘Best Start and Smile Community Food Pantry’ -providing access to fresh and healthy food – with a particular focus on improving oral health;
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This week’s bulletin profile one of the largest, award winning community arts organisations in Scotland based in North Lanarkshire. SoundSational Community Music was established in 2010 with the aim of bringing people together through music, creating community cohesion and keeping costs low, making music accessible to all. In addition to its award-winning choir, SoundSational also provides subsidised 1-2-1 music tuition and a specialised music and well- being programme delivered across education, the NHS and corporate fields. Whilst their door is open to anyone – they are also looking to perform to a high standard. This has been reflected in regular performances on radio and television.
