Faith in Older People frequently highlights the often unsung contribution made by the churches to those who are vulnerable in our society. I recently attended the Annual Gathering of the Church of Scotland Guild in Dundee and this was really brought home to me.
Two thousand women and men (what was the Women’s Guild is now the Guild and is inclusive of men) met to celebrate their activities and to hear about the work that is being undertaken across Scotland. Those present represent a membership of 23,000 who take an active interest in their local communities but are also outward looking to the needs of those who are disadvantaged both in Scotland and overseas. For the past three years, six projects have been supported for which Guild Members raised £775,000. Over the past four decades a remarkable £6million has been raised but it is not just about the money.
We talk about ‘assets based approaches’ and ‘co-production’ and these predominantly older members of our communities have shown their commitment with decisiveness and humour and their efforts should be appreciated and applauded for working together and taking action. Without them we would be so much poorer in spirit and in practice.
Maureen O’Neill
7th September 2015