We are thrilled to announce the launch of “Picture Not Perfect,” a unique intergenerational photography project that aims to bring together two diverse age groups—16 to 21-year-olds and individuals over 50. Scheduled to commence on July 25th and running for six weeks, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, this project promises to be a journey of creativity, learning, and meaningful connections.

Equipment needed: smartphone only

What is “Picture Not Perfect”?

“Picture Not Perfect” is not just about capturing images; it’s about capturing moments, perspectives, and stories across generations. This project is designed to foster mutual understanding, bridge the gap between different age groups, and celebrate the beauty of imperfection in photography.

Why Join Us?

Whether you’re a teenager/young adult passionate about exploring the art of photography or someone over 50 looking to rediscover your creative side, “Picture Not Perfect” offers a welcoming environment for everyone. Participants will have the opportunity to:

1. Learn Together: Engage in collaborative learning sessions where younger participants can learn from the experience and wisdom of older participants, and vice versa. E
2. Capture Stories: Use photography as a medium to capture stories, moments, and perspectives that reflect both individual experiences and collective narratives spanning generations.
3. Create Meaningful Connections: Build friendships and mentorship relationships that transcend age barriers, fostering a sense of community and mutual respect through shared creativity.
4. Explore Creativity: Experiment with photography in a supportive environment that encourages exploration and embraces the idea that every photograph tells a unique story, regardless of technical perfection.
5. Celebrate Diversity: Celebrate the diversity of perspectives and life experiences within the group, encouraging participants to embrace the beauty of imperfection and individuality in their photographic expressions.
6. Showcase Work: Exhibit the culmination of their work in a final showcase, sharing their creative journey and the stories they’ve captured with the wider community.
7. Gain Confidence: Develop confidence in their photographic skills and creative abilities through constructive feedback and encouragement from peers and mentors.

“Picture Not Perfect” is not just about taking pictures; it’s about fostering connections, nurturing creativity, and celebrating the richness of life through the lens of a camera. Join us on this six-week journey starting July 25th, where every click of the shutter captures a moment in time.

Join Us/Sign Up

[ninja_form id=41]

Are you passionate about storytelling, sharing your knowledge, or connecting with others? Have you ever dreamed of starting your own podcast but didn’t know where to begin? Look no further! We’re thrilled to announce our upcoming 6-week podcasting workshop designed to guide you through every step of creating your very own podcast.

Why Podcasting?

Podcasting is a powerful medium that allows you to share your voice with the world. Whether you’re looking to entertain, educate, or inspire, a podcast provides a unique platform to reach a global audience. With the podcasting industry booming, there’s never been a better time to dive in and start your own show.

What You’ll Learn:

Our workshop is designed for beginners and covers everything you need to know to launch a successful podcast (with no special equipment necessary, just your phone to start with), you’ll learn:

• • Finding Your Niche: Identify your unique voice and target audience.
  • Content Creation: Learn how to plan, script, and structure engaging episodes.
  • Technical Skills: Get hands-on experience with recording equipment and editing software.
  • Interviewing Techniques: Master the art of interviewing guests and keeping conversations flowing.
  • Distribution and Marketing: How to reach the people that want to hear your Podcast

Workshop Details:

Duration: 6 weeks
Start Date: 25th July 2024
Sessions: Weekly on Thursday’s 6:30 – 8PM
Location: Gorebridge Beacon, Hunterfield Road, Gorebridge, EH23 4TT
Cost:  Free (donations always welcome)
Registration Deadline: 23rd July

Why Join Our Workshop?

• Professional Instructor: Learn from experienced podcasters who have successfully built and grown their own shows.
• Community Support: Join a supportive community of like-minded individuals who share your passion for podcasting and learning.
• Practical Experience: Gain hands-on experience and receive personalised feedback to improve your skills.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with potential collaborators, guests, and mentors.

How to Sign Up:

Ready to embark on your podcasting journey? Sign up today by completing the form below or contacting us Derek at the Beacon on 01875 816320. Spaces are limited, so be sure to reserve your spot soon!

Don’t miss this opportunity to turn your podcasting dreams into reality. Join us and discover the power of your voice!

Sign up! Please complete the form below.

[ninja_form id=39]

What is a warm space? 

They are are all a little different. The Warm Space at the Beacon offers you somewhere to be comfortable and warm with no judgement, free WI-FI, and tea and coffee.

Why a warm space?

Because of the massive increase in costs and inflation or what we have come to know as the cost-of-living crisis emergency. We know many of us are facing really hard choices and decisions at the moment. We have just came out of a global pandemic, and are now faced with massive hikes in fuel, food and energy. Some are facing horrific questions such as ‘heat or eat’? A warm space can help.

Who is it for? 

Everyone. Anyone. All of us. It’s for all the community. A place to meet.

How much will it cost me?

Nothing. It’s free to use.

Can I donate?

Yes, if you would like to support the warm space at the Beacon, you can do so here (JustGiving), or, if you can afford to, bring in some vegetables so we can make soup or a packet of biscuits we can share.

Warm Spaces at the Beacon are: 

• Monday 9AM – 2PM*
• Tues and Wed 2:30PM – 4:30PM*
• Thursday 2:30PM – 9PM (Families)

Community Cafe

Is also open 9AM-2PM Tuesday to Saturday. All welcome. If you would like a bowl of soup (free) please say ‘Robert Sent You’ when you order.

Our Winter Craft Fair will take place on November 20th. We are looking for stall holders. Please read all the details below and complete the booking form. Completing the form does not guarantee a space, we will let you know if you have been successful by or on the 14th October 2022. 

Please share, we would like all local makers and crafters to apply, and not miss out this year.

Can I bring my own table? 

No, we have the space all measured out for own tables. Tables are 5ft long. And are supplied as part of the hire price.

How much is a table?

£25 per day.

Can I choose my own space?

Your space/table will be allocated to you. This is to ensure that there is a spread of different goods, and no similar sellers are side by side.

Will you be charging an entrance fee?

Yes, £1 for adults and children under 12 free.

How will you be marketing the event?

We will be using our social media channels, networks, partners, our website, flyers and noticeboards. We will also create posts and pictures for you to share. We don’t want you to have a slow day, however we aren’t responsible for income made and potential footfall.

Will you be sifting/raffling spaces?

Yes, we will. We will be accepting local makers, crafters and artists. That means we expect your products to have been made locally. We are looking for quality, fair priced, and a wide range of products with no duplications.

Is priority given to makers/artists/crafters in Gorebridge and surrounding district?

As this is a local event, yes. We will take this into account when sifting.

What can I sell?

We are strictly looking for handmade goods from local makers, crafters and artists who are based/or goods are based in Midlothian.

How many crafters/stall holders will be there?

20 – 25

When will I know I have a table? 

No later than the 14th October 2022.

We/I sell food goods, can we book? 

You will be asked to send us your Food Hygiene certificate if you make your own goods. All food goods have to be labelled with allergens, BBE dates etc.

I am interested, what do I need to do?

Please complete the form below, giving as much detail as you can. We will be in touch and ask you to send us pictures of your products and ask for more details if needed.

Warmest,

Gorebridge Community Development Trust

Interested? Fill in the form below and we will be back in touch. 

[ninja_form id=35]

• 21st July 12-1:30PM Booked, call to see if any spaces come up 01875 816320
• 28th July 12-1:30PM
• 4th August 12-1:30PM
• 10th August 12-1:30PM
• 11th August 12-1:30PM

We would love you to come. Bring yourself, your family and a blanket to sit on. Maybe a game or two. We will provide the picnic, and Play Midlothian will be offering play sessions.

To book:

1. Please complete the form below
2. We will confirm your booking via email
3. Turn up on the day

Can you book more than one picnic? Of course, however we will ensure that spaces are fairly allocated. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Be lovely to see you.

[ninja_form id=’30’]

Dear Crafters/Artists/Makers,

We are in the throws of planning for WinterFest 2021 (6th to 12th December) at the Gorebridge Beacon (loads more details soon) think of it as a week of wonderful wintery events and gatherings.

But first, and urgently …

What we know for certain is the WinterFest Craft Fair will take place over 2 days on the 11th and 12th of December. Would you like to be here selling your work? You can register your interest/booking at the bottom of this post.

We know you need to be planned, so we are getting this out super early (well, not really, it’s only 4 months away). If you are thinking about taking a stall at this fundraising event, here’s a few FAQ’s you may need to know:

Can I bring my own table? 

No, we have the space all measured out for own tables. Tables are 5ft long. And are supplied as part of the hire price.

How much is a table?

£25 per day.

Can I choose my own space?

Your space/table will be allocated to you. We will send you details/map before the Craft Fair. This is to ensure that there is a spread of different goods, and no similar sellers are side by side.

Will you be charging an entrance fee?

Yes, £1 for adults and children under 12 free.

How will you be marketing the event?

We will be using our social media channels, networks, partners, our website, flyers and noticeboards. We will also create posts and pictures for you to share. We don’t want you to have a slow day, however we aren’t responsible for income made and potential footfall.

Will you be sifting/raffling spaces?

Yes we will. We will be accepting local makers, crafters and artists. That means we expect your products to have been made locally. We are looking for quality, fair priced, and a wide range of products with no duplications. We hope to have completed this by the end of October 2021.

Is priority given to makers/artists/crafters in Gorebridge and surrounding district?

As this is a local event we would love to offer spaces to local business owners first. However, we will take into account quality, price, and no duplications.

What can I sell?

We are strictly looking for handmade goods from local makers, crafters and artists who are based/or goods are based in Midlothian.

This is part of WinterFest 2021, what does it really mean?

We are a social enterprise activity. We want to offer activities and events during WinterFest that may be funded: we are applying. But, the Craft Fair on the 11/12th Dec is not part of this plan. It is a fundraising activity. What does that mean? Any income made from the Craft Fair will go back into the Trust/Beacon as unrestricted funding so we can deeper and reach our charitable aims.

Who is the craft fair for? 

In 2019 (t was so good), many local people came to the Craft Fair, and from wider Midlothian. We are looking for quality but not excessively expensive goods and products. You know your market the best. What we learned from 2019 is that people are looking for unique, bespoke, handmade, lovely goods they simply cannot get elsewhere. Is that you?

How many crafters/stall holders will be there?

20 each day of the fair.

Can you book the 2 days?

You can request it, but it may not be possible to offer both so that we can offer fair allocation of space.

When will I know I have a table? 

The latest will be the end of October 2021, we hope earlier.

What about Covid? Restrictions? Guidelines?

Since March 2020 we have been following restrictions and determining what we can and cannot do. Obviously government guidelines have to be followed. When we know who is attending (you, maybe?) we will create a private Facebook or Whatsapp group for sellers etc. so we can keep you up to speed should there be any changes as we approach the date. We know how hard last year was for you, so we will always be transparent and share. We are thinking that we will have to operate a one-way system, and we will have to be super vigilant of numbers in the ‘craft fair’ at any one time.

Will you be using outside? 

It depends. We obviously aren’t out of Covid yet. And we have learned that things can change quickly (read: overnight). At time of writing we will be using the inside hall at the Beacon and other areas. We may/may not have to operate a booking system for attendees. But, as of right now, we know we will have a one way system.

We/I sell food goods, can we book? 

This is a fundraising event for the Trust/Beacon. We will however ask you for your FH certificates if you make your own goods. All food goods have to be labelled with allergens, BBE dates etc.

I am interested, what do I need to do?

Please complete the form below, giving as much detail as you can. We will be in touch and ask you to send us pictures of your products and ask for more details if needed.

Warmest,

Gorebridge Community Development Trust

Interested? Fill in the form below. We WILL be in touch. Please allow is a little time. 

[ninja_form id=23]

A few pictures of the summer days …

Evaluation for Active Summer Camp:

Questions for Parents/Carers

Questions for Children/Young People

Summer. It’s here. Let’s have an Active Summer Camp.

We are delighted to have been awarded funding from the Scottish Government Get Into Summer (Enhanced Summer Funding), which has made all the activities free.

A parent/carer consent form must be completed for each child.  Please note completing this form does not guarantee a space.  We will contact you to confirm. Why? It’s to ensure spaces are fairly allocated.

Forms can be returned online to activesummer@gorebridge.org.uk or handed into the Gorebridge Beacon, Hunterfield Road, Gorebridge, EH23 4TT

>>>>Click here to download the timetable, consent form and FAQ’s as a PDF<<<

>>>Click here to downloand the timetable, consent form and FAQ’s in WORD<<<

Thank you to everyone who took part, we created a poppy for every name on the memorials. And this is what it looked like …

For example:

Paper Poppies

DIY Paper Poppy Flower – How To Make A Poppy From Paper

Poppy Flower Made of Paper

Crochet Poppies Instructions

Knit Pattern

Abbreviations
K: knit | P: purl | K2tog: knit 2 together | (Sl1, K2tog, psso): Slip 1 purl-wise, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over

With red, cast on 52 sts leaving a 10″ tail at the beginning.
Work the next 8 rows as follows:
Right side: *K10, p3* repeat from * to * to end.
Wrong side: *K3, P10* repeat from * to * to end.
Cut red leaving 10″ tail.
Change to black tying to red at needle and leaving 10″ tail before starting with the black.
Next row: K2 tog across
Next row: P across
Next row: *(Sl1, K2tog, psso)* repeat from * to* across to last 2 sts. K2 tog.
Cut yarn about 10″ long and thread through the last stitches with a darning needle. Pull tight while removing from needle. Sew sides up with black, then with red using the mattress stitch, or leave for us to sew up. There should be no seam showing. Leave a 10” tail on both black and red ends.

You can make any poppy you wish.

We wanted to drop you a line about Gorebridge Community Development Trusts response to Coronavirus, in particular the Gorebridge Beacon.

Right now, we are operating the Beacon as normal. This week, one group who use the hub for their own activities postponed until after Easter and we have had a couple of external conference cancellations that were due to take place in the coming weeks. Right now all community led classes are running and the cafe is open as normal.

Of course, this may change, we are carefully monitoring the situation and we will share as we see appropriate on social media. We are following advice, communication and information from SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations), MVA (Midlothian Voluntary Action), and like you, the Scottish Government.

Currently we have not postponed any of our upcoming events, classes or events, nor feel it necessary to close the cafe (bear in mind this may change in the coming weeks).

The Community Fridge remains open.

We have discussed as a staff team and created a plan and we may need to review our response quickly.

We have to show due diligence and care to all users, the community, our staff and volunteers. It’s really important to remind people that if they feel unwell (suspected COVID-19) to stay away from the Beacon and self-isolate to protect yourself, and others, especially the most vulnerable .

Below is some advice (again, based on NHS) which you might find useful:

1. Wash your hands regularly, for a minimum of 20 seconds – after going to the loo obviously, but also after coughing, sneezing and public transport travelling. It’s also been recommended that people avoid touching their faces.

2. Avoid sneezing or coughing without covering your mouth and nose. Ideally, you’d have a tissue, but the official guidance is to use your elbow if you don’t have one to hand. Dispose of used tissues quickly in an appropriate manner.

3. If you know of any particularly vulnerable or elderly audience members, perhaps check on them to make sure they aren’t too worried.

4. Following advice, we may choose to close the Beacon for a while. If this happens, we will keep everyone informed to the best of our ability here and on social media.

5. Again, at present, it appears that there is no need to cancel any bookings, classes or events – though we will keep our eye on this and recommend others do the same.

That’s it for now. Will update as needed.

Dawn Barclay, Trust Manager

Useful Links

https://scvo.org.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-information-guidance

https://scvo.org.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-information-guidance/what-can-we-do-to-protect-support-staff-volunteers-beneficiaries-service-users