As you’ll have seen all over our social media channels, we’ve been posting stories, quotes, photos, videos and case studies all about Craft Cafe Govan, which was facing closure at the end of March due to funding pressures.
As well as raising the money necessary to #KeepGovanCrafting, we wanted to raise awareness of the incredible good the service does in celebrating the creative achievements of older people while breaking down isolation and loneliness in a demographic particularly affected by these.
We were absolutely thrilled to raise £3,590 in a month through our Crowdfunder and although we fell short of our target, we have also been able to access other support including £4,993 from Glasgow’s European Championships Our Place Fund as voted for by members of the public.
At end March we learned that there would be continuation of People & Communities funding into 2018/19 and we have now submitted our application and are eagerly awaiting the outcome.
The money raised through crowdfunding and public vote has been absolutely crucial in making sure the service is sustained, and Impact Arts has pledged to continue running Craft Café three days a week entirely free for the almost 100 members that attend regularly while we work to secure other pots of funding which will keep the Craft Café running on a longer term basis.
We want to say – on behalf of the Craft Café members, staff and volunteers – a heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated, voted and helped spread the word about the campaign.
Special thank you also to Scottish Government for their support throughout this period, particularly Nicola Sturgeon MSP and Humza Yousaf MSP.
It has also been hugely worthwhile in helping raise the profile of the service – and the value of creative activities in tackling social issues older people face more generally.
We will continue to keep you updated about the funding situation as soon as we hear anything – but for now, thank you so much for keeping Govan crafting!
Craft Café Govan runs on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Elderpark Centre in Govan. If you are interested in coming along, please contact Lead Tutor Charlotte Craig on 07793081951 or email[email protected].