The Crichton Magazine | Spring 2020 | Issue 1

Spring 2020 Issue 1

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We live in extraordinary and challenging times.

The Crichton Trust is carefully considering the long-term impact both positive and negative on how we all live, work and study in a coronavirus world. In coming months, we will be engaging with The Crichton Community to explore how best we can transition to our new world.

Please follow us on twitter and FaceBook and join us on our monthly live Zoom updates and Q&A on the first Tuesday of each month at 4pm.

Meeting ID: 838 7652 3626

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CONTENTS SPRING 2020

Published by: The Crichton Trust | Grierson House | Bankend Road | Dumfries | DG1 4ZE www.crichton.co.uk | #TheCrichton | 01387 247544 Charity registered in Scotland No. SC024797

13 DCR Online

4 Welcome from Gwilym Gibbons, Chief Executive, The Crichton Trust

5 The Crichton Trust

6/7 New Trustees

8/9 BDSData and BDSDigital

10 What’s On and Parkrun

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26/27

14/15 Mostly Ghostly Tours

The Crichton Foundation

16/17

28/29

Weddings at The Crichton

18/19 Gary McCormick, Head Gardener

20 Holiday Inn Dumfries

21 Business at The Crichton

22/23

Easterbrook Hall, Easterbrook Bistro, Bar and Spa

University of Glasgow: Celebrating 20 Years in Dumfries

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24/25

New Principal at Dumfries & Galloway College

Clay Works Studios

30 Elizabeth Crichton – The Woman with A Dream

31 The Crichton Community

32/33 Commended by Deputy First Minister

34 Doonhame Festival

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Fifty Years of The Open University in Scotland

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The Crichton Gallery

WELCOME I’m delighted to launch the first edition of The Crichton Magazine albeit in such uncertain and challenging times. When we started putting the magazine together in a pre-lockdown coronavirus age, the new normal we are in now was unimaginable. Suddenly to start the year reflecting on some highlights from 2019 and to share some of our longer-term plans for The Crichton is more poignant than we could have ever thought.

In many ways, we have a similar aim and whatever your involvement, interest or knowledge of The Crichton, now or in the past, we want you to engage with us and to contribute to future editions of The Crichton Magazine and to help us share news of modern-day life at The Crichton.

Of course, in the modern-day, our news is communicated through many different channels and so, don’t forget that we are also keen to share details, feedback and news from our partners, tenants, suppliers, colleagues and customers on our website and on social media as well as in The Crichton Magazine, so we very much look forward to receiving your contributions.

When I say this is the first edition, you may not be surprised to know that this is not the first ever Crichton magazine, but it is the first edition of our new magazine and the first for many years.

The history of The Crichton is a testament to its resilience to adapt to periods of global change and crisis, whether that be the H1N1 virus pandemic of 1918 or the two world wars. The long view both past and future is what makes The Crichton a very special and important place.

As well as being ahead of its time as a psychiatric hospital, The Crichton Royal was also one of the first psychiatric hospitals to have a hospital magazine, written for and by patients and so, the first Crichton magazine was actually printed in December 1844 (176 years ago) and was at that time, entitled The New Moon.

May I take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to this edition and although all the content was gathered just a few months ago pre the virus outbreak I feel and hope it still stands the test of time.

From 1937 – 1949, The New Moon was renamed as The Crichtonian and became a quarterly staff magazine. In 1951 it was relaunched as a hospital magazine and was once again produced by and for patients. From 1963 and into the 1990s, the magazine was renamed as The Crichton News.

The New Moon included poetry, articles, adverts, reviews of theatre shows, letters to the editor, reports, updates and news stories, as well as puzzles and cartoons, but its main aim was to engage and share information about the people who lived and worked on site and to share news of everyday life at The Crichton.

Best wishes

Gwilym Gibbons, Chief Executive, The Crichton Trust

www.crichton.co.uk

#TheCrichton

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CONNECTING PEOPLE, PLACE AND THE PAST TO SHAPE THE FUTURE Under the leadership of The Crichton Trust since 1996, The Crichton has flourished as the South of Scotland’s premium centre for business, education and leisure and the 85-acre parkland estate, located on the outskirts of Dumfries in the South of Scotland, continues to be an important asset for Dumfries & Galloway.

If you work, study, live or enjoy your leisure time at The Crichton, you’ll understand why the team at The Crichton Trust is passionate about protecting, preserving, enhancing and developing the estate and why it is so important that they future-proof it for the benefit of future generations.

Simply put they work on the premise that it is their role to connect people, place and the past to shape the future.

The People

As an organisation, The Crichton Trust has 54 core employees carrying out duties such as gardening, cleaning, property maintenance and cooking as well as those who look after tech, events, hospitality services, sales, finance and administration. The Trust is governed by an experienced board of trustees and managed by a small Executive Team under the leadership of the Chief Executive, Gwilym Gibbons.

However, so many other people also play an important role in The Crichton and as an organisation, The Crichton Trust strives to strengthen relationships and partnerships with business tenants, academic partners, event organisers, promoters, suppliers and agencies and to attract new customers and visitors to be part of The Crichton Community. As it stands, The Crichton has a community of over 80 commercial, charitable or academic organisations working on site with over 1000 employees and around 6000 students.

The Place

What a place! With 85 acres of landscaped grounds and gardens and over 23 beautiful sandstone buildings full of historical charm,

it’s easy to see why this place, The Crichton, is so appealing to businesses and their employees, academic institutions and their staff and students, holidaymakers and tourists as well as members of the local community.

Easterbrook Hall is the largest indoor event space in the region and when combined with the appealing charm of the Crichton Memorial Church, an onsite hotel, stunning grounds and various eateries, this place is certainly something to be proud of. The Crichton Trust is fully committed to preserving the estate, maintaining it to an exceptionally high standard and in sensitively developing it to ensure it is fit for the future.

The Past

The history of The Crichton is fascinating and relatively well known and The Crichton Trust continues to ensure that this is not forgotten. The story of Elizabeth Crichton and her dream continues to inspire people and projects to this day and every effort is being made to capture memories and share details of our past through live performances such as plays and tours and in new heritage panels and information boards across the estate. Look out for details of the new Oral History Project that is being rolled out in 2020.

The Future

We have been exploring a whole ecosystem approach in the development of an intergenerational “campus” that provides an age-friendly, low carbon place for living, working, and studying as well as participation in cultural, social and physical activity to pro-long healthy purposeful life as long as possible. However, the coronavirus pandemic has brought into even sharper focus the urgent societal need for new places and ways to live and work.

In a post-Covid-19 crisis world, that is also in the grip of a climate emergency; facing the challenge of an ageing society; and now a COVID-19 triggered economic

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crisis, we must find new ways to maintain employment and support business reliance and growth whilst addressing these issues.

Enter stage left, Crichton Central a project that has been long in the planning for a pre-virus era but is truly well placed to adapt to our new world. We already intended for Crichton Central to be a home for live-streamed knowledge exchange events, a venue for small events, as well as a co-working base. We now want to take the concept much further and faster and develop a radical new approach to how we live and work, enabling The Crichton Trust to build a platform for transition and recovery, not only for the 80 businesses and 4 universities that make The Crichton their home but the many more who may choose to start-up here and who may choose to connect virtually into The Crichton innovation community.

Our aim is to encourage greater collaboration between business and academia and provide flexible facilities and the strong support network businesses need to thrive in a rural environment and post coronavirus outbreak world.

As a gigabit connected estate

with high-quality meeting space and a stunning parkland setting, The Crichton appeals to businesses and individuals from all over the world who are looking to join a vibrant business community, secure a short-term workspace and enjoy an active, rural lifestyle in the South of Scotland.

Find out more about news and events, rental property, venues, restaurants, colleges, universities and businesses online at www.crichton.co.uk Follow The Crichton Trust on social media @thecrichtontrust #TheCrichton

NEW TRUSTEES The Crichton Trust is governed by a group of experienced Trustees and managed by a small executive team led

by Chief Executive, Gwilym Gibbons. Like all teams, The Trust benefits from the skills and knowledge of a diverse group of individuals who each bring a wealth of expertise to support the work of The Crichton Trust.

newest member of our executive team; Fiona Rands, who is already well known to many of you as Head of Venues at Easterbrook Hall. Following some recent organisational changes, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the trustees and members of the executive team who have recently moved on from The Crichton Trust and to welcome our new recruits who complement our existing team.�

Gwilym Gibbons, Chief Executive said: “It is always refreshing to recruit new members to a team and in recent months, we have been fortunate to welcome four new members to The Crichton Trust Board including three new trustees; Laura Douglas, Paul Dickson and Professor Malcolm Foley and the

As part of their induction to the team, the new trustees enjoyed an afternoon stroll to The Crichton Gardens where they spoke positively about their enthusiasm for The Crichton and the role they can play in shaping its future.

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professor of the University while employed there, he was awarded the honorary title of Professor Emeritus by the University Senate upon his retirement in recognition of his contribution to Scottish higher education teaching and research over 38 years. He worked as a member of the UWS Principal’s Executive Team for 9 years, leading upon both learning and teaching strategy and community engagement strategy. Prior to joining UWS, he held simultaneously a Professorship and management roles at Glasgow Caledonian University. In his long career in higher education, he also held academic roles at Heriot Watt University, Moray House College of Education, Dunfermline College of Physical Education and the University of Edinburgh.

Laura Douglas Laura is an Innovation and Change Leader, running her own consultancy to deliver strategic projects for a wide variety of clients locally, nationally and internationally.

Laura was born in Dumfries and attended local schools before leaving to pursue higher education at The University of Strathclyde. Laura achieved a BSc(hons) and a PhD in Chemistry before embarking on a successful 12yr career in Innovation with a leading global consumer goods company in the SE of England. In 2012 Laura returned to Dumfries to enjoy family life and new career adventures.

Laura is passionate about working on projects aimed at making Dumfries and Galloway a great place to live and feels excited and privileged to now be a part of the team to shape the possibilities that the Crichton has to offer.

Malcolm hopes to bring his analytical skills and experience of the leisure and cultural sector to the already formidable achievements of the Board. He lives in Kirkmahoe, near Dumfries and views The Crichton as a major strategic opportunity for the town of Dumfries and the entire region.

Paul Dickson

The Crichton Trust Board

Paul is a Chartered Certified Accountant with a local accountancy firm in Dumfries, where he provides clients with advice on business and taxation issues.

Having lived in Dumfries all his life, Paul wants to ensure the local area continues to grow and become an area known for its innovation and education.

TRUSTEES Ian Macmillan, Chair Janet Brennan Margaret Burton Paul Dickson Laura Douglas Malcolm Foley Philip N Jones Gary Mappin Kate Thomson

He joined the board to help provide a voice for the younger generation of Dumfries and is determined to make The Crichton a central point of the town.

EXECUTIVE TEAM

Professor Malcom Foley

Gwilym Gibbons, Chief Executive Gordon Clark, Head of Property Services Susan Sutherland, Head of Corporate Business Fiona Rands, Head of Venues

Professor Malcolm Foley retired from his role as Vice Principal and Dean of Business and Enterprise at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) in May 2018. He had previously held the role of Executive Dean in Business and Creative Industries at UWS. As a full

Find out more about the team www.crichton.co.uk/our-team

www.crichton.co.uk

#TheCrichton

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Eric Green and Lesley Whyte

BDS @ The Crichton

BDS is a single business with two divisions.

BDSData is national and international, supplying UK libraries, including the British Library and other national libraries around the world, with metadata that ensures the smooth operation and resource discovery required in a modern-day research and management environment.

by Lesley Whyte and Eric Green

As a cutting-edge tech company working in the field of metadata provision and website build and maintenance, The Crichton Business Park has proved to be an ideal site from where we can invest, develop and expand our business.

BDSDigital works nationally and locally with businesses to offer IT infrastructure and websites. As one might expect, we specialise in working with publishers but in Dumfries and Galloway we build and maintain websites for a wide variety of enterprises across all sectors. BDSDigital also supplies design services for all manner of media and platforms to local businesses.

BDS requires fast and reliable internet connectivity, an intellectual milieu with the potential to draw on graduate talent, good transport links for its 70 staff and the possibility for expansion as it grows. A very important requirement for the company, in accord with BDS values, is providing a harmonious environment for the staff, with good facilities, spacious rooms and agreeable grounds. The Crichton meets all these requirements.

Founded in 1995, BDS quickly established

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itself on the back of the digital revolution by replacing labour-intensive cataloguing in libraries that involved a massive duplication of effort, with a streamlined process that distributed information on all UK book publications from one source to all points of the compass via the internet. It has gone on to play an integral role in the developing standards for the creation of metadata for books, music, film and TV and video games produced in the UK, alongside aggregating and enhancing information and passing it on to customers. Ultimately this allows consumers and customers to discover and enjoy cultural products.

Metadata creation, storage and distribution around the world require a significant amount of quality infrastructure. This was the origin of BDSDigital. The required expertise in IT and web-based platforms meant that, alongside a strong graphic design team, we could build and maintain websites and networks for businesses.

An obvious beneficiary of such skills were publishers, as BDS already had the metadata to furnish a complete solution such websites, but the coding skills required were readily transferred to any business that requires a means to present, market and sell its products online, whether it be through a one-page website or a complex platform handling multiple products and diverse currencies.

Both BDSData and BDSDigital require infrastructure and connectivity to achieve success, whether it is serving a Dumfries and Galloway business or the British Library in London or the 200 local authorities that rely on BDS to run day-to day library services for their residents. The Crichton Business Park provides that infrastructure and more and BDS feels privileged to be part of its charming environment, excellent connectivity and vibrant cultural life.

Annandale House and Hestan House, The Crichton. www.bdslive.com | www.bdsdigital.net 9

EVENTS

ALL YEAR

Celebrating the 100th Crichton parkrun On Saturday 14th December, around 170 participants gathered at The Crichton in Dumfries for the 100th Crichton parkrun which was completed in reverse as part of the celebrations.

Crichton parkrun, is a free timed 5k run led by volunteers, which started in January 2018 and takes place every Saturday morning at 9.30am from the Crichton Memorial Church. Crichton parkrun has 1,475 registered members and weekly events attract anything from 100 to 370 participants.

The event would not happen at all if it wasn’t for the group of volunteers who give up their time every week to run the events, including Crichton parkrun Event Director, Emma Eden who herself had volunteered at 90 of the 100 parkrun events!

Emma said: “We set out in 2018 to encourage more people to enjoy an active lifestyle and to promote both the physical and mental health benefits of exercise. We were also keen to offer volunteering opportunities for people of all ages and we have done all of this! It’s hard to believe we are celebrating our 100th parkrun but a big thank you to our volunteers, participants, visitors and to The Crichton Trust, NHS and Dumfries & Galloway Council for their support with this.”

Emma Eden, Event Director of Crichton parkrun is the inspiration behind Crichton parkrun and has volunteered on 90 occasions so far.

Emma is well supported by a core group of volunteers with many of them having volunteered on between 70-90 occasions, but there are over 200 registered volunteers who have collectively delivered on 1,937 volunteering occasions.

It is free to enter and although everyone is welcome, participants must have registered online before their first event and are required to bring along their barcode to participate.

www.parkrun.org.uk/crichton 10

Keep up to date with What’s On at The Crichton www.crichton.co.uk

Flexible venue hire in the stunning grounds of The Crichton in Dumfries and a professional events team to deliver Weddings & Parties | Corporate Events | Meetings & Conferences | Talks, Lectures & Tours Family Celebrations | Funerals & Memorials | Awards Dinners | Charity Functions Concerts & Live Events | Arts & Theatre Shows | Fayres & Exhibitions | Outdoor Events & Festivals t: 01387 702020 e: events@crichton.co.uk w: www.crichton.co.uk

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On Taking up her new role, Joanna commented “I am delighted to take up post as the next Principal and CEO of Dumfries and Galloway College having joined the college at an exciting time for the region.

My first few weeks in post have been spent meeting staff, students and College partners, to gain an insight into ways in which we can work together to achieve the best outcomes for the Dumfries and Galloway region and the economies of South of Scotland.”

First academic year as new principal at Dumfries & Galloway College

Joanna has had the opportunity to attend several events at the College, including the Launch Exhibition organised by the Creative Industries department, the Celebration of Success awards ceremony for students in Sport, Hospitality and Passport to College courses and a visit from the Lego League involving primary students throughout the region. College students and staff also provided extra activities at the Lego League event, demonstrating the fantastic links between primary education and the College.

Dumfries & Galloway College have welcomed their new Principal and Chief Executive, Joanna Campbell.

Joanna commenced her role on June 3rd 2019, having previously been Vice Principal of Student Experience at City of Glasgow College since 2016. Joanna began her career in tertiary education 22 year ago when she was a Lecturer in Computing, before progressing into Senior Management roles over the years where she has also worked at Fife College as Assistant Principal for Learning and teaching and Forth Valley College as Head of Department in Applied Science and Computing, amongst others.

Joanna has vast experience and knowledge in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) sector and will be a great asset to the College’s current SoSEP (South of Scotland Economic Partnership) project, which is seeing both the Dumfries & Stranraer Campuses receive significant investment to develop a network of STEM Hubs which will address the skills gaps in areas such as Energy and Engineering, Construction and Care. College students and employers will be able to access the latest technologies or upskill their current workforce within these brand new facilities.

A number of digital spokes, located in several schools throughout the region will also provide inclusive access and help to combat the geographical issues that rural communities face on a regular basis. Joanna has already been involved in the project and will be key to moving the College forward at this exciting time.

Joanna is also a key member of several boards across Scotland – Associate Assessor for Education Scotland, Chair of the Glasgow Regional STEM Hub and Chair for the Digital Skills Partnership. She also represents Colleges Scotland on the National Articulation Forum and Scottish Funding Council Access Programmes Steering Group.

www.dumgal.ac.uk 12

Photo: Fiona Jones and Graham Anderson

DUMFRIES COMMUNITY RADIO Dumfries Community Radio, established in October 2018, is an online radio station set up to serve the community of Dumfries. Founded by Graham Anderson and Fiona Jones, DCR brings an eclectic mix of local and international music.

There are also talk shows about environmental and cultural issues which reflects our vibrant and ever-changing society.

invited as guests to the Queen’s Garden Party at Holyrood Palace in July 2019.

DCR continues to be invited to host events such as Youth Beatz, the Beltie Beer Festival, Dumfries Motor Show as well as MC at charity events/ ladies luncheons and do talks at many functions such as WI, mental health charities and school events. DCR was also heavily involved with the Young Enterprise group IDIOM from Dumfries High School, by filming, interviewing and promoting and marketing their business since inception last year. Most recently, Fiona Jones was asked to be one of the primary decisionmakers in the Directorship for the company moving forward for 2020.

The way people listen to radio has changed dramatically over the years - and continues to evolve as we move further into the 21st century.

DCR is way ahead of their competitors and is very visual with many of their popular programmes streamed via Facebook Live and on other social media outlets.

To date, they have held over 100 live interviews in their studios from local politicians, sportsmen and women, business entrepreneurs, school children, local musicians and bands, festival organisers, charity workers and local people for whom they would otherwise not have a place to have their voice heard.

Another recent collaboration has been the Dock Park Summer Activity Programme where together with Dumfries & Galloway Council and the Friends of Dock Park they put together a seven-week fun and entertaining programme for children and families.

Dumfries Community Radio has many on-air and off-air opportunities for those wishing to get involved in radio. If you are interested or want to find out more, please get in touch with the studio at onlinedcr@gmail.com

Working closely with organisations like The Prince’s Trust, The Holywood Trust and mental health services such as CU Thru and Soul Soup, DCR has been able to offer volunteering and mentoring roles to young people actively seeking training and guidance in the workplace. With the collaboration of the Crichton Trust additional studio space has been allocated in order to design a purpose-built studio for training and recording for young up and coming artists who would otherwise not have a platform to showcase their music/work.

DCR can be found on all social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter www.dcronline.co.uk Advertising/Sponsorship/Volunteering contact Graham Anderson: 07803 24221

Due to their continued commitment and ongoing charity work, the founder members of DCR, together with one of their presenters were

Station Manager/Social Media/Marketing contact Fiona Jones: 07954 992390

Criffel View, The Crichton. www.dcronline.co.uk 13

I’ll never forget the 5th of September 2018, the date we announced the launch of our Crichton Crypt Tours. Given The Crichton’s rich history, spectacular architecture and unique ambience, we had a feeling the tours would capture a lot of interest, however in ten Mostly Ghostly years, we’d never experienced anything quite like it! Within a short time, we were inundated with enquiries through social media, phone calls were coming in thick and fast, along with e-mails and enquiries through The Midsteeple Box Office in Dumfries. It seemed that wherever we went, people were buzzing about The Crichton, hotly anticipating this new tour experience.

I spent over a week replying to potential guests, then set up a mailing list to ensure everyone was kept up to speed with news. Our first tours sold out within a day and in order to address the mounting interest, we announced another five, the last of which sold out in the space of two hours! We were also struck by the popularity of private bookings and since launching last October, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming many diverse groups: from NHS and Visit Scotland colleagues to parties of families and friends, the Dumfries Ladies Get-Together to Finnish students and their teachers, it’s been a fantastic response.

2018 saw the year of Mostly Ghostly’s tenth birthday celebrations and we’d been discussing ideas for an exciting new venture to mark the occasion. Inspired by the success of our mini guided tours of the Crichton Crypt for school and college groups at The Big Bang Fair, we hoped these might lead to new opportunities. I’m delighted to say they did! Various meetings were arranged and led by Caroline Bell, who is responsible for The Crichton’s marketing. We

had the pleasure of meeting Gwilym Gibbons, Chief Executive, Gordon Clark, Head of Property Services and various stakeholders, including teaching staff from the University and the team at Easterbrook Hall and Bistro.

Once plans were firmed up, we became immersed in the research process, learning about people and events connected with The Crichton, once a celebrated psychiatric hospital. We aimed to present a collection of historical episodes, and due to the vastness of the subject, it was quite a challenge deciding what to leave out! The life of Elizabeth Crichton, the hospital’s inspirational founder, was particularly compelling. Given the significance of her contribution to positive mental health, we decided to bring her character to life with first person accounts, presented by our very own Mary Wood. Mary relished the role and has received many lovely compliments from guests, who enjoy her dramatic and engaging presentations.

We love to see our guests’ reactions: from awestruck expressions upon entering The Crichton Memorial Church, to the anticipation of exploring The Undercroft’s hidden depths and beautiful Crichton Crypt. The tour itself is punctuated with powerful, and at times, emotional moments. A poignant hush accompanies the story of Angus McKay, once esteemed Royal Piper to Queen Victoria. This moving presentation explores Angus’ life and the tragic circumstances surrounding his death. There are lighter moments too: a nostalgic account of The Crichton Fire Brigade and sharing of Halloween traditions always raises a smile! Other tales are of a more mysterious nature… Over the years, we’ve

Written by Kathleen Cronie | 1e:4 mostlyghostly@hotmail.co.uk

gathered many thought-provoking reports from staff, visitors and patients alike, featuring mysterious footsteps, moving furniture and strange sightings, to name but few…

Alistair Moir: “Super group who bring the stories and tales they recount to life. Most enjoyable experience hearing the Dark Tales by Candlelight tonight.” Margaret Ward also took time to share her views: “A great night. Good stories brilliantly told.

I would highly recommend the evening if you’re looking for something just a bit different.” We are keen to present these tales again and thoroughly enjoyed working with The Bistro Team, who created beautiful Halloween decorations and cocktails for the first event with cosy hot chocolate and homemade cookies for our winter gathering. There was something quite magical about the occasion, and with so many wonderful tales out there, we have a wealth of material to work with.

Bringing things up to date, we’ve developed and launched a Family Crichton Tour. This has a greater outdoor focus, with a view to encouraging people of all ages to discover The Crichton’s history, while enjoying the beauty and positivity of its welcoming grounds. The tour has resulted in new collaborations with gardeners (thank you Robin!) and Crichton Farm colleagues - we were bowled over by Hugh’s encyclopedic knowledge! May witnessed the second series of mini tours for young people at Bang Goes DG and with further events planned, it’s set to be a busy time ahead!

Another highlight was being invited to give tours for delegates at the Beautiful Scotland National Awards Ceremony. There was a real buzz about the place as a host of visitors converged on The Crichton. We felt this was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our tours to guests from all over the country and again, were bowled over by the kind comments received.

We’ve received first class support and a wealth of enthusiasm from The Crichton team, and extend our warmest, heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped make these tours a reality. The professionalism, kindness and dedication displayed has been nothing short of brilliant, and we’re delighted to have made many new friends along the way. A special mention must go to Caroline Bell for her invaluable support – we couldn’t have done it without you!

Staying on the tour front, there are more exciting ventures in the pipeline, and we’ve been absorbed with our research into The Crichton’s remarkable story. We’re lucky to have received some first-class support from Elizabeth Course, who catalogued The Crichton Archives – and highly recommend reading her fascinating blog, Care not Confinement. Through her new role as Archivist at Dumfries Ewart Library, Liz has been supporting us with an ongoing project.

This has involved viewing archives, both at the Ewart and online, to develop a picture of life for patients and staff during different time periods, and at various buildings and wards. We’ve also enjoyed exploring a collection of intriguing artefacts and learning about their purposes. Guests already gain a unique insight into several such artefacts on the Crichton Crypt Tours, the idea being, to create memorable and educational experiences. Given the positive response, we aim to include more of these in future tours and hope previous guests, having been inspired, will join us to discover more.

We’ve enjoyed every aspect of this dynamic partnership and look forward to the future with great anticipation.

Look out for details of future tours and events at The Crichton and throughout the South of Scotland.

Since the tours began, we’ve been working in collaboration with The Easterbrook Bistro, offering pre and post-tour suppers to guests. Seeing great potential for this relationship to flourish, we developed a new storytelling event – Dark Tales by Candlelight - which debuted in November 2019.

Guests were invited to gather in the eerie candlelight and experience a dark duet of chilling tales from two masters of their craft. The team presented Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Body Snatcher and Charles Dickens’ The Signalman, two of our favourite classic ghost stories. A lovely evening was enjoyed and we were thrilled to receive some encouraging comments from guests, including this one from

To date, we feel honoured to have welcomed over 800 guests to The Crichton and look forward to sharing our stories with new and existing supporters – thank you all!

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AT THE CRICHTON The Crichton is a spectacular venue for a wedding. Within Easterbrook Hall there is capacity to cater for weddings of all sizes, with the option to use the main hall and/or the Duncan Rooms and Gilchrist Room for ceremonies and receptions. The Crichton Memorial Church is also a stunning venue for a romantic church wedding or for a ‘Wine and Dine’ reception in the church.

Easterbrook Bistro, Bar and Spa is the ideal location for pre and post wedding celebrations with friends and family, as well as a place for pampering and relaxation in the run up to the big day.

For anyone looking for overnight accommodation, the Holiday Inn Dumfries is conveniently located adjacent to Easterbrook Hall.

When it comes to adding those allimportant personal touches, there are many wedding specialists all keen to ensure every wedding at The Crichton is unique and perfectly suited to the happy couple. Packages are also available.

With 85 acres of parkland, a rock garden and a rose garden, the external environment offers the perfect backdrop for photographs at any time of the year.

To check availability or to arrange a personal consultation and tour call Easterbrook Hall on 01387 702020 or visit www.crichton.co.uk 16

A choice of stunning ceremony and reception rooms in Easterbrook Hall and The Crichton Memorial Church Landscaped grounds and rock gardens Contemporary Bistro, Bar & Spa

We propose you give us a ring!

01387 702020

Limited availability for 2021 Winter Wedding Packages Find us at The Crichton, Dumfries, DG1 4TL

Photography: Š Dan Baillie www.bailliephoto.co.uk

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Gary McCormick Head Gardener, The Crichton Trust

favourite parts of the job, we all muck in to get things done and to help each other out it’s a great team!”

Gary McCormick, the Head Gardener here at The Crichton, took time out of his daily routine to tell us more about his role looking after the 85 acres of grounds and gardens at The Crichton.

He also paid tribute to his predecessors:

Gary has a long history working at The Crichton and takes great pride in his role as Head Gardener with The Crichton Trust.

He started his career as a Dairy Farmer, but in August 1992 took up the opportunity to work in a ground maintenance role with Dumfries & Galloway Health Board based at Nithbank. In 1995, The Crichton Development Company (now The Crichton Trust) took on the management of The Crichton and at that point Gary’s role also transferred to The Crichton - 25 years later he is still here!

Gary works as part of a team of five gardeners and speaks passionately about his team. He said: “It’s an experienced team and although we all have different skills and our

“Much of what we do is building on the work of the gardeners who were here before us. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been here, we are always learning but the priority for us is maintaining what we have and developing it where we can.”

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Gary says he picked up most of his skills and knowledge from his workmates.

He said: “I’ve learned a lot from the gardeners I’ve worked with over the years, both past and present. I believe we all have an important role to play in sharing our skills and knowledge of The Crichton grounds and gardens with younger generations so that they too can develop their expertise and ensure that the grounds and gardens here continue to be looked after. For this reason, it’s great that we have a full-time trainee gardener in our team now too.”

The Crichton grounds and gardens are free to visit all year round and so the gardeners are regularly stopped by visitors looking for more information about the gardens and are quite often asked to offer tips and advice to members of the public about their gardens too. Gary said: “It’s always good to see people visiting the gardens and enjoying the space. Although we all have different areas of expertise, we are happy to speak to visitors about the gardens and to welcome planned group visits when we can.”

When asked what he loves most about his job, Gary said: “It’s got to be the variety – we have parkland, bedding plants, a rock garden and some unusual trees including impressive Handkerchief trees to look after and of course the roads and paths throughout the estate as well. If I’m honest, my favourite part is looking after the gardens outside Easterbrook Hall and in front of the Holiday Inn – I just love to see it all looking neat and tidy and in bloom and to know that people appreciate our work.”

The Crichton Trust Gardeners, L-R: Robin Tilson, Roy Kerr, Steven Carson, Willie Murphy and Gary McCormick

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Photo: Jamie Milligan, General Manager and Heather Bell, Assistant General Manager at Holiday Inn Dumfries

Holiday Inn

locally sourced ingredients. Enjoy everything from succulent steaks and perfectly cooked pan-fried duck breast to warm goat’s cheese salad and authentic pasta dishes. Chill out in the bar or glass-ceiling lounge whether that be with a cool soft drink, a warming cup of hot chocolate, a classic malt scotch whisky or a trendy pink gin cocktail.

by Jamie Milligan, General Manager Holiday Inn is a comfortable hotel situated right next to Easterbrook Hall, with an allday restaurant, lounge bar and three well equipped meeting and event rooms.

The hotel boasts 71 spacious bedrooms that feature a HD TV, bathroom toiletries, complimentary high-speed WIFI and picturesque views of beautiful parkland and gardens on the Crichton Estate. Our Executive bedrooms also feature luxurious bathrobes and mini bar.

In addition, if you are looking for the perfect venue for your team training session, client presentation, wedding or special occasion we have the experience, technology and flexibility to make your day one to remember.

Our three well designed meeting and event rooms are all situated on the ground-floor and all equipped with air-conditioning, natural daylight and free WIFI.

The hotel restaurant, Bankend Bar and Brasserie, invites you to enjoy all your favourite food and drink, nestled within 85 acres of picturesque parkland & gardens.

Experience dining with breathtaking views, whether it’s with family, friends or that special someone! Our menu boasts a wide range of firm favourites, with emphasis on

Speak to a member of our team today for further information | 01387 272410 Jamie Milligan General Manager

Holiday Inn Dumfries, The Crichton. www.hidumfries.co.uk 20

Business at The Crichton The Crichton Trust lets high quality commercial properties within the 85-acre parkland estate at The Crichton in Dumfries and is proud to have one of the most vibrant business communities in the South of Scotland.

The Crichton Business Park has transformed the historic sandstone buildings of The Crichton into functional and attractive office premises. Retaining the impressive sandstone architecture and original internal features, many of the buildings perfectly combine the beauty of 19th century design with the connectivity and flexibility required for 21st century business.

With over 84 organisations on site, The Crichton has a strong business and academic community.

Find out more about all tenants and partners in The Crichton Directory online at www.crichton.co.uk Anyone interested in leasing an office space at The Crichton should email: gordon.clark@crichton.co.uk or visit www.crichton.co.uk

21 www.crichton.co.uk/the-crichton-business-park

University of Glasgow: Celebrating 20 Years in Dumfries internationalisation strategy. In our 20th year we offered students and staff opportunities to study and work abroad and have Memoranda of Agreement with prestigious international Universities including Nankai University in Tiajin, China.

Today the School specialises in a wide range of research topics including environment, culture, health, social policy, education, tourism, resilience, sustainability and end of life. We deliver the full spectrum of Higher Education opportunities in Dumfries from Summer School for Access, Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Research degrees. Our academic staff are world leaders in research and collaborations with partners across the globe; their work supported by hugely competitive awards from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Wellcome Trust, European Union and the Scottish Funding Council to name just a few.

2019 marks the 20th anniversary of The University of Glasgow’s presence in Dumfries.

The University was established in 1999 by the then Principal, Professor Sir Graeme Davies, as a stand-alone unit directly overseen by University senior management. In 2004 it was integrated into the Faculty of Arts and in 2010 and became one of five constituent Schools of the College of Social Sciences.

With significant support from the University, College of Social Sciences and a dedicated and growing staff team, the School of Interdisciplinary Studies has come a long way, especially in the last ten years. The last students taking the old Liberal Arts degrees graduated in 2014 and our offering has been completely reshaped.

We reshaped the curricula, secured additional funded places, enhanced the student experience and enacted a successful

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www.gla.ac.uk

Professor Carol Hill was appointed to her current post as the first female Head of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of Campus in 2014 and she is immensely proud of the School’s past but she has her eye firmly on the future.

Professor Hill said: “As we celebrate 20 years in Dumfries, I can say with confidence that we have achieved our vision of creating a world-class, researchintensive university environment in niche areas matched to our location in Dumfries and Galloway. We serve stakeholders at regional, national and international levels and that’s quite an accomplishment.

“Staff and students should be as proud as I am that their dedication and hard work has built on the School’s Interdisciplinary strengths across the social and applied sciences and humanities to create an educational offering that is professionally focussed, has local and international appeal and places emphasis on practical experience and employability while retaining academic vigour.”

“This is no time to rest though and we have great plans for the future. We are currently preparing an on-line Master in End of Life Studies and we’ve got a renewed focus on graduate attributes in Programmes like the MA (Hons) Health and Social Sector Leadership. We also have plans to introduce leadership and enterprise to all of our programmes so watch this space.”

“As we celebrate 20 years in Dumfries, I can say with confidence that we have achieved our vision of creating a world-class, research intensive university environment in niche areas matched to our location in Dumfries and Galloway.”

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It would teach in exciting new ways, first using television, radio and correspondence and then becoming an early adopter of online learning. And it would change the way we learn, including introducing the buildyour-own Open degree and, later, informal learning such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

The OU at 50

In this way, the OU would widen access to higher education, helping people to benefit from university on a scale previously unimaginable. Since then, more than two million people have studied with the OU, 200,000 of those here in Scotland.

What is remarkable to me is how our students do it, here in Dumfries and Galloway and across Scotland. There has never been such a thing as a typical OU student, but what they’ve tended to have in common, now as then, are hugely busy lives. Three-quarters of our students are studying while working, and many are also looking after children and other relatives. 22% of OU students in Scotland have a disability.

During 2019, The Open University in Scotland celebrated and reflected on their fifty years in Higher Education. As one of our academic partners here at The Crichton, we enjoyed the celebrations and we look forward to strengthening this partnership over the next fifty years!

Susan Stewart, Director of The Open University in Scotland reflects on the past 50 years.

“The first and most urgent task before us is to cater for the many thousands of people fully capable of a higher education, who for one reason or another do not get it, or do not get enough of it as they can turn to advantage. Or, as they discover sometimes too late, that they need. Only in recent years have we come to realise how many such people there are.”

Fifty years and 200,000 Scottish students later, I’m often asked how I expect the OU to change in the next 50 years. And we talk about technology and automation and new ways of teaching and learning, and I don’t doubt things will be hugely different in the future.

But what’s most important to me is that the fundamentals of the OU stay the same.

That those don’t change. Because The Open University is about people, about a belief in the ability of people to learn and succeed, regardless of their background or where they’ve come from. It’s about an unshakeable conviction that central to any meaningful conception of social justice is giving everyone an equal chance to become a better version of themselves, to achieve their potential, through education.

These were the words of Lord Geoffrey Crowther, the first Chancellor of The Open University, on receipt of the brand-new institution’s Royal Charter fifty years ago.

He spoke of the need for a different approach to higher education, and a sense that higher education was too narrowly spread, hoarded by the privileged and denied to a broader public that could, if given the chance, succeed.

The Open University would be a university for all, all of the time – not some, some of the time. Its mission would be to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. It would require no entrance qualifications to join.

Students could study anywhere – it would be the UK’s first distance learning university.

That’s what The Open University was founded on. It’s why we’ve done the work we do for the last fifty years. And I think it will sustain us – and our students – well into the future.

Find out more about The Open University’s 50th anniversary at 50.open.ac.uk. www.open.ac.uk 24

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The Crichton Foundation is a charity located in Browne House at The Crichton. Through their fundraising efforts, the Foundation helps to widen access to higher and further education in Dumfries & Galloway and supports the academic institutions to develop their academic programmes and facilities. Here are some highlights from 2019.

Elizabeth Crichton Founder’s Day Lunch and Henry Duncan Memorial Lecture The Elizabeth Crichton Founder’s Day Lunch was held on Wednesday 15th May 2019. This event is by invitation only to Friends of the Foundation, Members of the company, donors, sponsors and advertisers, giving us the opportunity to thank our supporters. Our thanks also to Professor Russel Griggs, our guest speaker. Once again our sponsor was the Savings Banks Museum, owned and run

by TSB, and we are very grateful to them. This is not a fundraising event, although we did receive approximately £200 in donations ahead of the event and on the day.

Elizabeth Crichton Award

The Elizabeth Crichton Prize is an award made annually by the Crichton Foundation. Established to help postgraduate nursing students meet the fee expenses incurred the recipient is chosen through working collaboratively with NHS Dumfries and Galloway. The most recent winner was Donna Craig, Practice Educator for NHS Education.

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“Just Keep Asking” Early in 2019 a new slate sculpture was erected outside the University of Glasgow’s Rutherford/McCowan Building on Campus.

The slate sculpture was designed and installed by father and daughter team Joe and Jenny Smith of Sculptural Slateworks based at Milton, Crocketford.

The sculpture was funded by four generous donations from Foundation supporters. With the funding secure the University of Glasgow were delighted to be able to commission this bespoke piece to mark their 20th Anniversary on Campus. It was officially unveiled at a small ceremony at The Crichton in 2019.

Browne House, The Crichton. www.crichtonfoundation.org 27

CLAY WORKS STUDIOS DUMFRIES

“We believe in community, creativity and the benefits of making with clay.” tableware range of their own, which they plan to sell online. Watch this space!

Clay Works Studios also offer courses throughout the year - teaching all levels of ability from absolute beginners through to advanced. Courses cover everything from learning to make pots on the potter’s wheel to more general courses teaching hand - building techniques and wheel throwing. Their Taster courses, Make in a Day workshops and Kids workshops are particularly popular and make for an exciting day out with friends, family or colleagues.

Chris and Lauren are currently looking to secure funding which will enable the development and facilitation of an apprenticeship programme to provide opportunities for individuals looking to take their ceramic practice to a more professional level.

Clay Works Studios Dumfries is a ceramic and pottery workshop, which provides a friendly, informal and supportive environment where everyone is welcome to come and get hands on with clay or learn new ceramic techniques and skills.

Chris and Lauren Taylor run Clay Works Studios from their base in Solway House at The Crichton.

Chris and Lauren moved from Devon to Dumfries and Galloway to pursue their dream of starting their own ceramics/pottery making and teaching workshops. Their dream became a reality in 2017 when they made the big move from Devon to set up the studio at The Crichton.

As well as running courses, Chris and Lauren also work on various commissions and community projects such as the design and production of tableware for Trigony House Hotel. They are also developing a new

Clay Works Studios Solway House, The Crichton www. clayworksstudios.co.uk

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Lauren

Chris

Lauren graduated from Glasgow School of Art with BA (hons) Ceramics in 2000.

Following this she worked for Dalton Pottery in Dumfries & Galloway, assisting people to throw pots and helping with the production of their slipcast ceramics.

Whilst traveling in Australia she worked for various potters making functional Pottery on the wheel. On return Lauren moved to Totnes in Devon to work as an Apprentice at Dartington Pottery. Here she gained in depth practical knowledge of pottery workshop practice . Lauren went on to work as Production Thrower for Dartington Pottery until she moved to North Devon to work as Ceramics technician and recreational Teacher at North Devon College. Whilst working at the College she also completed PCET Teacher training qualification.

After graduating from the University of the West of England in 1999 Chris became an apprentice at Dartington Pottery, Totnes. On completion of his apprenticeship he went on to work for several potters around the UK before beginning to develop his own range of tableware in 2005.

In 2006 Chris became potter in residence at the Beaford Arts Centre where he worked until its closure in 2013.

In 2009 Chris began studying for an MA in Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art graduating in 2011. It was during this period of study that Chris’ work evolved in to the heavily decorated and layered work seen today.

In recent years Chris has won several awards for his work and exhibits across the UK in a variety of galleries and live events.In recent years Chris has worked as lecturer of Ceramics at Plymouth College of Art across the BA and MA programs.

Since the birth of her first Daughter in 2008, Lauren has been mainly working as a mother, whilst also making pots and doing pencil Portraits.

Lauren exhibited her porcelain vases as part of Spring Fling 2012, and has exhibited her Ceramics since at Gracefield Arts Centre in Dumfries.

Instagram. @c.taylor.design

Instagram.@clayworksstudiodumfries

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Elizabeth Crichton

The Woman with A Dream

Dave Dewar, who wrote and directed a play about Elizabeth Crichton, called The Woman with a Dream, has kindly agreed to share details of his work and the background to the play performed in the Crichton Memorial Church in 2019.

Ruthwell; African explorer Joseph Thompson of Penpont, and civil engineer Thomas Telford from near Langholm. For the 2019 Arts Festival, the subject was Elizabeth Crichton, the founder of the Crichton Mental Asylum which opened in 1839.

Dave found it difficult to find much personal material on Mrs Crichton, but information about the asylum was easier. Most of the Crichton records have now been digitised and there are readily available online.

Crucially, patients’ records were available, and these provided revealing if often harrowing accounts of mental afflictions.

Dave Dewar established Cultural Connections theatre group in 2005. Having a passion for Scottish history, he wanted to make it come alive in an educational and entertaining way, using professional folk musicians and actors.

Too often, he argues, our history is neglected by the educational system, the media and Scottish society in general. Consequently, many of us in Scotland have only a scant knowledge of our past.

With a cast of three actors and three musicians, the story revealed how Mrs Crichton’s dream of an asylum came to fruition. She chose the right man for the job of the first resident superintendent, Doctor W. A. F. Browne. The play focused on the period 1839 to 1857, and revealed how the two of them developed an asylum with such enlightened principles that it would arguably become the finest in Europe.

Since 2005, Dave as writer, director and actor, with a professional cast, has told the story of key individuals who have shaped Scotland’s history. Cultural Connections has been particularly active in Dumfries and Galloway as part of the annual DGARTS FESTIVAL. Their productions have told the story of important historical figures from the region. These include banker and steamboat pioneer Patrick Miller of Dalswinton, and his relationship with his tenant Robert Burns when he farmed at Ellisland; Trustees Savings Bank founder Reverend Henry Duncan of

The play in the Duncan Room of Easterbrook Hall was a sellout, and there is a possibility that it could be repeated sometime in the future. www.cultural-connections.co.uk

Look out for more from Dave in future editions.

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THE CRICHTON COMMUNITY

We look forward to bringing you future editions of The Crichton Magazine to keep you up to date with news and events and to provide regular spotlights on our people, facilities, events, tenants and partners at #TheCrichton.

SHARE YOUR NEWS, EVENTS AND VACANCIES WITH THE CRICHTON TRUST

If you are sharing details of news or vacancies on your social media profiles, please tag us and we’ll do our best to share it!

Are you a business or partner on site? Have you got news or events or vacancies you would like to share with The Crichton Community?

As well as sharing our news about what’s going on at The Crichton, we would like to help share your news too. To help us do that, we invite you to share your news with The Crichton Trust.

If you would like us to feature your organisation or people in one of our future spotlight features in The Crichton Magazine or on our social media pages then please get in touch and we will do our best to feature a range of businesses and organisations at different times.

Once we have your news we will aim to promote it to The Crichton Community through the most appropriate channel(s) – our website, on social media or in future editions of this magazine.

In return, we would ask you to consider sharing some of our news and events within your networks too! Of course, if you don’t already follow us on social media then please do! You’ll find us in all the usual places including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram as The Crichton Trust and also as Easterbrook Hall and Easterbrook Bistro.

We have lots of exciting news and developments to share with you in the coming months, so please keep in touch. Be the first to hear our news and remember to share your news with us too!

Don’t forget as a tenant or partner you have your own dedicated profile on our website in The Crichton Directory. Let us know anytime you would like to update this profile.

We also have an online events listing on our website and if you are holding an event at The Crichton we can include details on The Crichton What’s On.

01387 247544 | hello@crichton.co.uk | www.crichton.co.uk 31

Deputy First Minister, John Swinney MSP was welcomed to The Crichton in Dumfries by Dame Barbara Kelly, Chairman of the Crichton Campus Leadership Group (CCLG).

Deputy First Minister, John Swinney MSP met with members of the Crichton Campus Leadership Group to discuss the strategic priorities of the group and to share details of the new Statement of Ambition for The Crichton.

Commended by The Deputy First Minister Building on over 20 years’ experience, the partners discussed their Statement of Ambition and outlined the priorities relating to sustaining and growing equitable and accessible learning opportunities that are responsive to the needs of the rural area.

They clearly identified their plans to increase Higher Education provision in the region and to offer more choice to learners. As well as offering a high-quality educational experience, the Group stressed that in order to ensure the future sustainability and success of The Crichton Campus, all learners must also benefit from an enhanced and vibrant student experience.

Collaboration is key to the ongoing success of The Crichton in Dumfries and in 2019, Deputy First Minister, John Swinney MSP met with members of the Crichton Campus Leadership Group (CCLG) to discuss the strategic priorities of the partnership.

The Scottish Government backed the establishment of the Crichton Campus Leadership Group in 2013 and with cooperation from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) they launched the Group with representation from the five academic partners; Dumfries and Galloway College, The Open University in Scotland, Scotland’s Rural College, University of Glasgow and University of the West of Scotland. The Crichton Trust, The Crichton Foundation, Crichton Carbon Centre, Dumfries and Galloway Council, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and the South of Scotland Economic Partnership are also active members of the Group.

In fitting with the theme of the visit, The Deputy First Minister also paid a visit to Criffel View, which is prominently located between the academic campus and The Crichton Business Park, to hear from The Crichton Trust about their plans for developing the building into Crichton Central to create new flexible ways to work and collaborate. It is hoped that Crichton Central will attract new businesses and further enhance the facilities and opportunities for exchanging ideas and knowledge between those in academia and those in business.

In welcoming the Deputy First Minister to The Crichton, Dame Barbara Kelly, CCLG Chairman, was delighted to engage CCLG Members in a discussion with the Minister around the importance of the partnership and the strategic priorities for The Crichton going forward and valued the opportunity to report on the achievements of the Group to date.

The Crichton partners are keen to harness the economic asset of an ageing population and to build an age-friendly,

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Deputy First Minister, John Swinney MSP made a brief visit to Criffel View, which is prominently located between the academic campus and The Crichton Business Park at The Crichton. Pending a final decision on funding support, The Crichton Trust will soon transform the building into Crichton Central – a new Centre for Business Innovation and Collaboration.

inter-generational, knowledge exchange community where people of all ages can work, innovate, invent, learn, live and contribute physically, economically, socially and culturally for as long as possible.

the world map as a Centre for Business Innovation and Collaboration is exciting news for the South of Scotland and should significantly contribute to the economic prosperity and wellbeing of the region.”

Commenting on the strength of local partnerships, the Deputy First Minister said: “All partners recognise the importance of a collaborative approach to delivering Higher and Further Education across Dumfries and Galloway.

Dame Barbara Kelly, Chairman of the Crichton Campus Leadership Group said: “The Crichton partners strongly believe that The Crichton, Dumfries and Galloway and the wider South of Scotland has untapped potential to contribute to the Scottish economy and as a group we are committed to addressing the unique needs of the region, our learners and employers and in supporting inclusive growth through continued collaboration. We very much welcomed the visit from the Deputy First Minister to The Crichton this week and hope that he will add his support to our ambitious plans for The Crichton and the South of Scotland.”

It was very encouraging during this visit to see academic and business partners working more closely with local agencies and to hear their plans to tailor learning opportunities to meet the specific needs of regional employers. Partners are also committed to enhancing the student experience and increasing research and knowledge exchange activities.

The ambition to put The Crichton on

3 Crichton.

3 Deputy First Minister, John Swinney MSP during his recent visit to The Left to right: Gwilym Gibbons (CEO, The Crichton Trust), Deputy First Minister, John Swinney MSP, Dame Barbara Kelly (Chairman, CCLG), Dr Ian Macmillan (Chair, The Crichton Trust) and Professor Russel Griggs (Chair, SOSEP)

... o t e m o H

For details of the line-up visit: www.doonhamefestival.co.uk 34

The Crichton Gallery The Crichton grounds and gardens are free and accessible to the public all year round and we love to see people sharing their photos of their trips to The Crichton with us on social media.

The Crichton Seasons

by Mike Bolam Photography

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This magazine is published by The Crichton Trust

www.crichton.co.uk

#TheCrichton 36