To mark Challenge Poverty Week and World Mental Health Day Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Adult Learning team joined NHS Western Isles Health Promotion and local organisations on 10 October for a community event in Stornoway Town Hall.
The event was scheduled to take place during Challenge Poverty Week, which is an annual event organised by the Poverty Alliance Scotland to highlight the injustice of poverty in Scotland, and to show that collective action based on justice and compassion can create solutions.
The themes for 2024 were as follows:
- Monday 7th October – Housing
- Tuesday 8th October – Transport
- Wednesday 9th October – Adequate Incomes
- Thursday 10th October – Food
- Friday 11th October – Communities and Volunteers
- Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th October – Weekend of Reflection
The event brought organisations together to offer advice and information to the public in an engaging and interactive format.
Support available on the day included: Advocacy Western Isles, Child Smile, Department of Work and Pensions, Tighean Innse Gall, Third Sector Hebrides, Western Isles Employability, Western Isles Learning Shop, Gaelic Family Learning, Community Fridge, Safe Families, Public Health Protection, Smoking Cessation, Free Church, Catch 23, CNES Early Years, Food Bank and Multiply.
Cllr Angus McCormack, Chair of OH CPP Anti Poverty Group said:
“What we saw in the Town Hall last week was a great example of the collective action that Challenge Poverty Week is all about. By coming together representatives from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, NHS Western Isles, Partner organisations and third sector groups provided members of the public access to the full offer of local support in a safe and accessible environment. I would like to thank all involved for their effort in making the event a success. Following the event I would like to encourage members of the public who are struggling financially or would like access to support and advice to reach out to the mentioned organisations and access the support available to them locally.”
The positive feedback from both agencies and the public indicated a desire for this to become a yearly event in Stornoway with a similar event run in Uist and Barra during the same week.
The event also took the opportunity to showcase examples of food from various cultures living on the Island including Afghan, Ukrainian and Scottish cuisine. This was so well received that planning has now begun to host a cultural evening in 2025, which will focus on food, music and dance.
Examples of feedback from the day were as follows:
“A really useful event. Interesting conversations with fuel poor households and other organisations.”
“Excellent event – very busy and would definitely work as a yearly event.”
“It’s been brilliant! I got so much information and the food was amazing!”
“Hope this happens yearly and maybe more food stalls. It was so interesting to find out where the food came from and it all tasted so nice! “
“Excellent event, but the next time it would be really good to get more youngsters involved, maybe by linking up with the Nicolson. It would be good experience for them and they could perhaps volunteer.”
“Event was excellent, Salvation Army should be invited to the next one.”
“Great networking opportunities! It allowed us to celebrate existing partnerships as well as forging new ones.”
“The time is not ideal as many parents are working and the schools do not finish until tomorrow. I think it would have been mobbed if families could have attended. I know you can’t please everyone, but maybe something could happen in the evening or during the holidays.”