G.R.A.C.E. is a community group based in Hillhead Community Centre which helps people who have experienced difficult times in their lives by organising activities and training for volunteers/members.
They recently went to Fife to visit Re-Employ, a social enterprise which makes gifts and give-aways and creates jobs for people with additional support needs. Re-Employ has its premises in a former school which was taken over by the community and turned into BRAG Enterprise Centre offering premises to small businesses. Robert Smith, Founder and Manager of GRACE said “We are looking at how running a small business could be a pathway back to work. We really enjoyed the visit and came away full of enthusiasm”. Members invited Cllr John Jamieson and Cllr Susan Murray to join them on this fact finding mission to look at how a community has successfully created jobs by taking over a community asset. Cllr Susan Murray said “I was really impressed by what is happening in Fife and I would definitely support a similar venture in my ward.”
The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act gives community groups legal rights over things like asset transfers and strengthens their voice to ensure local service providers, including East Dunbartonshire Council, work even more closely with communities to meet the needs of the people who use them.
