Scottish Civic Trust Newsletter October 2020
| Dear Friends, Supporters and Colleagues, It’s been a groundbreaking month for the Trust. We’ve put on our first digital Doors Open Days, which saw hundreds of venues from across the country contribute virtual guided tours and webinars so that you can explore Scotland from your armchair. Our very own My Place Mentoring Officer even made an appearance in the programme as part of a panel on how to deliver a historic building project! If you missed out on the festival this year, have no fear – you can still access all of the online tours and talks on our Doors Open Days website. As the doors close on Doors Open Days, we’re filling our diaries with an exciting autumn programme of digital events. Our much-anticipated 2020 My Place Award winners will be announced next week through our social media channels. This year’s shortlisted projects are innovative examples of community-led built environment projects, and include everything from a renovated Galloway cottage that hosts youth groups and a ukulele club to a community museum in a converted Cold War-era bunker. Be sure to tune in on Facebook and Twitter at 2pm on 8th October to celebrate these inspiring projects with us! We are also organising our annual conference, which will address the Scottish heritage sector’s role in perpetuating and combatting racism. We were spurred to make anti-racism in Scottish heritage our theme this year in response to the Black Lives Matter protests that have taken place worldwide. We already employ a Diverse Heritage Officer to co-create heritage programmes with marginalised communities, but it is clear that we and the heritage sector can do more to combat racial inequity. More details on the conference will be forthcoming, so keep an eye on our social media channels in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we’re still hard at work-behind-the scenes providing support and guidance for Scotland’s civic sector. Our staff and interns have been researching topics such as the Climate Crisis, anti-racism and inclusive communications to ensure that we are well-placed to lead the sector’s thinking on the pressing issues of our time. We’ve just released our Climate Crisis response – take a look and see if it can provide some inspiration for you and your organisation. Finally, be sure to look out for a copy of our annual report, which will be posted out in the coming weeks and accessible through our website. I hope you are keeping safe and well and on behalf of the Chair, Trustees and staff, we wish you all the best during this challenging time. Susan O’Connor Director Scottish Civic Trust |
