Caf\u00e9 Connect<\/strong> Crafts\/baking<\/strong> <\/p>\n Inkwell celebration<\/strong> Website<\/strong> Community\u00a0Involvement<\/strong> The FVA Community Development team is also going to support the group to become a constituted group \u2013 the \u2018St Monans Abercrombie Community Group\u2019.<\/p>\n Scottish Fishing Museum<\/strong> Reflections<\/strong> What have you learned?<\/strong> What hindered progress?<\/strong> What advice would you give others?<\/strong> What did you not enjoy?<\/strong> “At the second meeting things got better and it was clearer why we were there”<\/p>\n What has changed?<\/strong> What helped?<\/strong> The money was not taken by individuals but has been saved in a separate account, this might be used as a deposit to secure new premises or to seek additional funding \u2013 good to have a starting pot<\/p>\n What surprised you?<\/strong><\/p>\n “All the different people coming in” What have we achieved?<\/strong> What did you enjoy?<\/strong> Next steps<\/strong> Regular social activities<\/strong><\/em> So we were delighted to agree that we had been successful in meeting these outcomes! Congratulations to you all for your hard work over the year. It has been inspiring to see the group emerging and the energy and new ideas that each of you bring. It\u2019s especially exciting to end this project at the very start of new ventures for the St Monans Abercrombie Community Group.<\/p>\n I wish you all good things for the future \u2013 keep up the good work!<\/p>\n Very best wishes<\/p>\n Vivien<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The group met for the last Plan P session\u00a0on 18 January, however this is just the beginning for the ‘St Monans Abercrombie Community Group’! We discussed the group\u2019s activities since our last meeting in October, we then reflected on the experience of being involved with this project over the past year. Charlie from the Scottish … Continue reading Reflections<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.iriss.org.uk\/planp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.iriss.org.uk\/planp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.iriss.org.uk\/planp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.iriss.org.uk\/planp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/71"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.iriss.org.uk\/planp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.iriss.org.uk\/planp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.iriss.org.uk\/planp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.iriss.org.uk\/planp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.iriss.org.uk\/planp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nCaf\u00e9 Connect is now being held once each month on a Tuesday afternoon. The group will book the time in the lounge diary, to make sure it is always available. The new time is proving popular as the \u00a0hotel (next door) \u00a0is shut on a Tuesday, so people looking for some company or a coffee in the afternoon can visit Caf\u00e9 Connect instead. Caf\u00e9s have been well attended with new visitors from the village coming along.
\nRoddy suggested circulating flyers for the caf\u00e9 and Vivien suggested putting a notice in the \u2018Loaves and fishes\u2019. The group hopes to encourage people to come along for advice about using technology e.g. ipads or laptops, as well having people (Eileen, Roddy or Peter) around who can help those who would like to access the internet.<\/p>\n
\nSandra and Margaret continue to create new craft items for sale, they are currently exploring the art of \u2018felting\u2019. Successful stalls were set up at Christmas fairs in St Monans and Pittenweem. Peter, Roddy and Sandra have produced a business card to help publicise their activities and crafts.<\/p>\n![\"business](\"https:\/\/blogs.iriss.org.uk\/planp\/files\/2016\/01\/business-card.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nIn November we held a celebration lunch for all those involved in Inkwell. Rita and Helen from Bield, organised for the four ladies from Elie to join us at the Mayview Puffin Lounge and we enjoyed a glass of bubbly (or an orange juice!) and a sandwich lunch. The portraits were on display and Alan read out his story. Everyone who had been involved was given their own framed portrait to keep. We all thanked Andy for his hard working in making the portraits, everyone who helped to set up the project and all those who agreed to tell their stories and have their portrait created.<\/p>\n
\nRoddy has purchased the website Abercrombiecourt.com. Eileen showed us the front page she has designed and explained how different links and pages could be added. St Monans.org is an existing website with pages for local news and community council minutes, although that website is still being developed we wanted to be sure that the Abercrombie website didn’t duplicate content, rather we could add a link to the St Monans website.<\/p>\n
\nThe group planned to attend the Community Council on the evening of the meeting. In particular there was interest in the vacant property at Station Road being a possible venue for activities, including: the caf\u00e9; other community group meetings; running classes; selling photographs, art and craft work, cards etc.
\nThe Community Council were also interested in the property as a new venue for the heritage centre, however this would require negotiation with \u00a0Fife Council. Through support from Fife Voluntary Action (FVA) Community Development team, the group learned about the Community Empowerment Act<\/a> and the associated rights of community members to be supported to buy and maintain local land or property for the benefit of the community. Roddy was able to pass on this information to the Community Council, who then contacted FVA for further support. This has helped the group to be recognised as an asset to the community and a powerful ally.<\/p>\n
\nCharlie Trzeciak from the Scottish Fishing Museum at Anstruther called in to the meeting in the afternoon. Charlie showed some of the photographs from the collection, and some unusual objects, asking the group to work out the purpose of each item. We enjoyed looking at the resources and some of the group were able to comment on the venues photographed and remembered relatives who and worked in local industries. Charlie told the group about activities that will be happening at the museum and described opportunities to become involved as a volunteer with the museums work.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nWe used a set of cards with questions to reflect on experiences of being involved in this project. Each person picked a card in turn and answered the question. Sometimes others added their thoughts. Below are the questions and the answers:<\/p>\n
\n“That I\u2019ve still got a role to play even though I\u2019m retired –\u00a0All these skills that I spent years honing, I thought they were gone, but I\u2019ve found that I can still be functional’<\/p>\n
\n“Some people didn’t want to come out, it was difficult to make contact with local older people”
\n“Waiting such a long time to get wifi installed”
\n“Some resistance to\u00a0change, seen as ‘bringing outsiders in’
\n“Lounge is too small”<\/p>\n
\n“Everyone has something to bring to the table \u2013 even if they don\u2019t know what”
\n“Respect everyone\u2019s diverse knowledge \u2013 agree on the shared aims”
\n“Stick with it”
\n“Remember that learning goes on all through your life”<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n“Sitting listening”
\n“When it ended!”
\nAt the first meeting people were confused by the many pieces of flip chart paper on the wall. Afterwards they said \u2018what was that all about?\u2019
\n“Perhaps needed more time to build trust at the start”<\/p>\n
\n“We\u2019ve all changed”
\n“We\u2019re more confident”
\n“We\u2019re not so frightened to step on toes”
\n“We have the confidence to start engaging with others”<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n“Listening to other people\u2019s experiences”
\n“Learning from our mistakes”
\n“Humour- helps people to feel relaxed and open up”
\n“Money \u2013 helped, but people were keen to be involved anyway”<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n“I thought I might be bored but I\u2019ve enjoyed it”<\/p>\n
\n“We know what we\u2019re talking about now”
\n“The group has formed and gelled”
\n“We can work well together \u2013 although people come from different backgrounds”
\n“We have grown our ideas”
\n“We are recognised in the wider community”
\n“We have changed perceptions – now seen as a resource”<\/p>\n
\n“Seeing the group change and emerge”
\n“Building confidence”
\n“Inkwell \u2013 reminding everyone about how older people have interesting stories to tell”<\/p>\n
\nAt the end of the meeting we discussed the \u00a0Action Plan 2016<\/a>\u00a0for the group including: \u2018what we bring\u2019; \u2018who we work with\u2019; \u2018what we do\u2019; and \u2018what we want to happen\u2019. The sections completed in Jan 2016 were included and \u00a0the \u2018what we want to happen\u2019 section read:<\/p>\n
\n Sustainable (lasting) change<\/strong><\/em>
\n Create space(s) where people can get together<\/strong><\/em>
\n We will work through a finding out stage ands then plan the next stage<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe new plan has space for the group to add new ideas and activities to help plan for the future.<\/p>\n