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Our story so far
When in spring 2005 Midlothian Council unexpectedly announced it was withdrawing its offices and the Registrar from the Cowan Institute (Town Hall) in the centre of Penicuik, hundreds of townspeople attended two public meetings and formed the Trust to secure the future of the building as a focus for the town's community development. We had help at our meetings from the Development Trust Association Scotland, a grant was awarded by Scotland Unlimited to help develop a weekly open house, community training and displays, and we received help from Senscot, the Midlothian Social Enterprise Network, community architect Richard Atkins, and Laura Norris of the Association of Preservation Trusts. Above all we have had generous support of donations from the many in Penicuik who have subscribed as Friends of the Cowan Institute, and from visitors and wellwishers around the world. Thanks to all of this we've been able to hire the Town Hall on Saturdays from 10 to 2 throughout the year to give Penicuik a meeting place and contact point for local groups and information, with a well-attended cafe displays and events.
For example, we've recently featured silent films with Graham Macdonald's piano accompaniment, live portrait painting by Aine Divine (who recently created the memorable image of Mo Mowlam), Penicuik First Responders (the new team of volunteers trained to bring rapid first aid and defibrillation in local cardiac cases), the Youth Silver Band, Penicuik's Salvation Army years, Doreen Cullen's tapestry, spinning with Marjorie Johnston and slide shows from Jimmy Baird. Earlier in the year we ran guided walks of Penicuik for visitors and residents.
Our evening events packed the Town Hall in 2 big multi-band nights: Whalestock and Halloween, and we've also had a well-attended Ceilidh, John Kenny's Carnyx with London DJ Chris Wheeler, and Australia's powerful Colcannon folk group.
With these events we aim to build on the already-healthy programmes of other organisations here in the town, and our Saturday mornings are a good way to make contacts and get information across to people with displays, tasty coffee and cakes in a friendly atmosphere. We didn't want Penicuik to miss the chance to apply last summer to the WREN Fund for Town and Village Hall Improvements. Our architect Richard Atkins had already drawn up proposals and estimates for a lift and other improvements to the Town Hall's access and usability by local groups. As current owners of the building, Midlothian Council were at first unwilling to bid until they had completed a review of all their properties. We asked the Directors of the WREN Trust to agree that the Council could apply in their own right and passed our application to Midlothian, pointing out the opportunity to apply for £1/4M for the community with an outlay of £52k and without the need to first decide to transfer ownership. The Council agreed to submit the application. This application to WREN on Penicuik's behalf progressed to the next round, but at this later stage the Council declined to involve the community and the application thereby failed. As news was being published of Midlothian Council's plans to close
down the centres at Ladywood, Queensway and Jackson Street, the Town
Hall was filling on 27 April for the Trust's Annual General Meeting.
The message was loud and clear, the Trust and its members are
determined to save Penicuik's community facilities. We outlined the
Trusts next steps, including the Cowan Institute proposals we've
presented to Midlothian Council. We elected a strong new steering
committee of volunteers to stand for Penicuik and its future and we
agreed our revised constitution. Joining the committee were Pauline
Archibald, Margaret Connon, Barbara Dalgleish, Bill Fearnley, Colin
McCall and Jane Mackintosh. Some of them are active in working for
community facilities at Ladywood and Jackson Street. The current committee includes Roger Kelly as chair, Jack McGowan as vice
chair, Brian Miller as treasurer and Roger Hipkin as secretary.
Julian Hall continues to manage the website at
www.PenicuikCDT.org.uk. Earlier in the year our enthusiastic supporters delivered more than five and a half thousand copies of the Trust's Annual Report to households in Penicuik. A big thank you to all who helped with the delivery and to all the people who expressed their appreciation of the Trust as we made our rounds. On 28 June 2006 Midlothian Council announced that Penicuik Town Hall will be refurbished to provide office accommodation for the Council and secure its long-term future for community use. The Council's Cabinet decided to relocate 40 staff from the Community Services Sport and Leisure Division to Penicuik, and to upgrade the Town Hall to ensure compliance under the Disability Discrimination Act. The Trust warmly welcomes the support pledged for the Town Hall's community use and access, but is very concerned at the implications for Penicuik of Midlothian Council's proposals, which include some closures and land disposals as part of the package.
The Council's future commitment to the building is very good news, and we have been told the two halls and the marriage room will be available for public use. There are drawbacks in that some community space will be lost, and the Trust's proposals for a true community, visitor and heritage centre in the building are still a long way off. Lift design is vital to the long-term future of this building. Last year the Trust's architect Richard Atkins showed how an affordable lift could serve the very large basement and the mezzanine areas as well as the two main floors. Anything less would be a missed opportunity and fail the test of full disabled access. The Council have said the Town Hall will close to the public for around 4 months from mid November. Many of us disagree strongly with the large-scale disposal of community assets around the town. Good access to conveniently placed community facilities in all parts of Penicuik is vital to the town's health and well-being. It would be crazy to throw that away. Trust volunteers have been out doing things for Penicuik in our first year. We've had the vision, drawn up practical plans and proposals, pressed the politicians and officials for facts and explanations. Many of us are active in working for Jackson Street and Ladywood, and in other organisations around the town. Whatever the promises, we know we can take nothing for granted. We've been working for Penicuik here and now, opening the Town Hall throughout the year on Saturdays, with a central place to meet, refreshments, showcase events and exhibitions, and a range of postcards on sale in the shops. We see this pride in Penicuik and confidence in our ability as citizens to make a difference as the best basis to grow new opportunities for work and prosperity. Nothing will be quick and easy. As in so many other parts of the country, we see a positive role for a community development trust to focus local imagination and enthusiasm to develop Penicuik's assets and identity. If we succeed, it will be by working together. Let's do just that.
The Trust's Saturday exhibitions and events continued at the Town Hall through the autumn, winter, spring, and summer with more films, more music, veterans and Robert Burns commemorations, and exhibitions on Inspired by Horses (with the Midlothian Riding for Disabled Group), Penicuik scientists, the Clydesdale Bank closure, Edinburgh Water Supply and a Postcard For Penicuik competition with nearly 100 entries.
It's now over a year since we began our Open House programme every Saturday from 10 to 2 in the Town Hall, bringing a whole series of events and exhibitions to the town centre. In May we ran "Something in the Air", and a History Month with Penicuik Historical Society. In June we had more about visiting Penicuik, with history and wildflowers, and the competition-winning Penicuik postcards came on sale.
We continued the Visit Penicuik theme in July and presented the National Library of Scotlands's exhibition on Ian Hamilton Finlay, the artist-poet who transformed his remote Pentlands hillside home - Little Sparta - into an internationally famous sculpture garden.
Ian Hamilton Finlay (28 OCTOBER 1925 - 27 MARCH 2006) Our website has a new feature on the Pentlands, too. In August in the Town Hall we presented "Land of Smiles", supporting a Penicuik High School student on a voluntary placement with children in Thailand, and our exhibition of the life and work of Penicuik's James Niven -a pioneering plant hunter commissioned by the Empress Josephine and a Penicuik Arts Trail on 26 August - Street Fair day. We were looking forward to a Societies Fair later in August, the Africa Convention in September and were keen to secure a local recognition of Penicuik's world famous photographer Albert Watson. Sadly, our Town Hall Open Saturdays were brought to a halt when the Council broke the terms of our lease, terminating it without due notice or valid reason. We have been unable to restore it so far. We are organising a second Postcard for Penicuik competition togive a chance to share summer and autumn images and add to the winter and spring ones our judges chose last April. Some people have pictures already and these can be handed in at Penicuik Craft Fair in the Town Hall on 11 November. It's not too late, there will be other handing in opportunities to be announced later and entries will close very early in the new year. As before we are looking for 6"x8" colour prints. Entry Forms are in Penicuik Arts Centre and details from Roger Kelly. In one of our Saturdy open house sessions in the Town Hall this summer it was suggested that we encourage a series of self-help groups for people with particular disabilities and conditions in the town to share helpful information, ideas and support. We are putting together a Fair for these community self-help groups soon: contact Jack McGowan. Meanwhile we are progressing publication of books, booklets and reprints of historical interest to Penicuik, starting with "Glimpses of Travel throughout the North American Continent" by Provost Andrew Garvie Wilson. While the Town Hall is closed for refurbishment we shall be holding some open house Saturdays in other venues where you can come in for coffee and home baking and find out more about the Community Development Trust's work to promote Penicuik's people, facilities, and future potential. | ||
