Dear Elected Members
The opportunity provided by the Bonnyrigg community bid to create a new model of partnership working between private, public and community enterprise, must be seized by the local authority. This asset based approach to building community spirit,services and resources is innovative and inspiring.
Play Scotland has campaigned for many years for a national play strategy to support vibrant, child-friendly communities supported by play friendly neighbourhoods where children can : meet friends and play; walk safely in the streets on their own; have green spaces for plants and animals; participate in family , community and social life. Having secured this commitment at a national level it is essential that local authorities deliver at a local level, and this is an opportunity not to be missed.
A strategic and relatively small investment in Bonnyrigg (by handing over/leasing the building and diverting demolition funds to seed funding for this proposed community project), could have a high impact and huge social capital return in this community in these challenging times.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has,” Margaret Mead US Anthropologist.
I would urge you to invest in this project and genuinely empower the local community to deliver many of your high level outcomes in terms of health and wellbeing. In the long run their success will more than likely save money for Midlothian Council. What better motivation to justify your decision?
Kind regards
Marguerite Hunter Blair
Chief Executive
Play Scotland
The opportunity provided by the Bonnyrigg community bid to create a new model of partnership working between private, public and community enterprise, must be seized by the local authority. This asset based approach to building community spirit,services and resources is innovative and inspiring.
Play Scotland has campaigned for many years for a national play strategy to support vibrant, child-friendly communities supported by play friendly neighbourhoods where children can : meet friends and play; walk safely in the streets on their own; have green spaces for plants and animals; participate in family , community and social life. Having secured this commitment at a national level it is essential that local authorities deliver at a local level, and this is an opportunity not to be missed.
A strategic and relatively small investment in Bonnyrigg (by handing over/leasing the building and diverting demolition funds to seed funding for this proposed community project), could have a high impact and huge social capital return in this community in these challenging times.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has,” Margaret Mead US Anthropologist.
I would urge you to invest in this project and genuinely empower the local community to deliver many of your high level outcomes in terms of health and wellbeing. In the long run their success will more than likely save money for Midlothian Council. What better motivation to justify your decision?
Kind regards
Marguerite Hunter Blair
Chief Executive
Play Scotland