On the 30th January 2020, sponsoring MSP, Mr David Stewart, opened the Heartstone event at the Scottish Parliament, attended by an audience of Scottish Ministers, MSP’s, other special guests and selected children from the four authorities who had taken part in the Story Circle project over 2018-19. The event had taken shape with the additional support of Highland MSP’s Fergus Ewing and Kate Forbes. This provided to be an ideal high profile event to mark the culmination of the pilot stage and the start of development across Scotland in much the same way as had been accomplished through the House of Commons event for England in 2016.
Sitakumari, Director of Heartstone, presented how the project had taken shape, the support of the Scottish Government’s Health & Wellbeing Unit to bring the involvement of children in North Ayrshire, Midlothian and West Lothian alongside Highland, Heartstone’s home base. Initial introductions through Drew Hendry, MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, who had been a special guest at the House of Commons event in 2016, had provided the foundation for the development of the project in Scotland culminating in this event.
Ms Elena Noel, Vice-Chair of the Mayor of London’s Anti-Knife Crime Forum and former Chair of the Southwark Safer Neighbourhood Board, who had initiated and co-chaired the London culmination at the House of Commons in 2016, joined the event as a special guest speaker. Elena was also responsible for initiating the Southwark Story Circle project and introducing the programme to MOPAC, the Mayor’s Office for Policing & Crime, leading to funding to extend Story Circles across London. She is now a member of Heartstone’s Advisory Council and has helped Heartstone to grow over the years reaching multiple new authorities across England.
Heads and teachers who had led the Story Circles in the four authorities – Highland, North Ayrshire, Midlothian and West Lothian – were present together with a selected group of children to present what they had done, as a presentation and an exhibit. The end result was powerful, demonstrating visually what can be achieved.
First Library Story Circle led from Highland
Joolz Christie, who had led the first Library Story Circle in Dingwall, with the support and funding from High Life Highland, presented how the project took shape over several weeks and its culmination in an exhibition event at Inverness Museum & Art Gallery.. This project has had a significant outcome leading to new libraries across England now following the Highland lead and setting up their own Story Circles.
SVRU, Police Scotland and Awards for All funding for new Scottish Story Circle projects
Special guests, included Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop, other Scottish Ministers, MSPs from across Scotland and the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service. Introduction to the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) has led to a major new project led from Glasgow North, supported and funded through SVRU, Police Scotland and Awards for All, reaching out across Scotland to new authorities.
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