The Crichton Magazine | Summer 2020 | Issue 2

Summer 2020 Issue 2

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CONTENTS SUMMER 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

4-5

20-21

36-37

Welcome

Positive Steps Physiotherapy

The Story of Elizabeth Crichton

6-9

22-23

38

The Crichton Trust

Veterans Garden Dumfries

Dumfries & Galloway College

10

24

39

South of Scotland Enterprise

UWS

Weddings at The Crichton

11

25-26

40-41

Monthly Crichton Briefings

The OU in Scotland

Glynis Halliday: Gleaming Career

12-13

28-29

42-45

Food Train

Aileen MacEwan Art

Crichton Central

14-16

30-31

46

Genesis Occupational Health

Student Art Exhibition

The Crichton Community

16

32

47

Crichton parkrun

The Crichton What’s On

The Crichton Directory

17

33

48

Colour Style Fun

Venue Hire and Takeaway

The Crichton Photo Gallery

18-19

34-35

Qubiti

Oral History Project

3

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WELCOME Welcome to the second edition of The Crichton Magazine. Little did we know when we launched the first copy, that we would still be in lockdown by the time we published this next edition, but I hope this finds you safe and well.

environmentally resilient. As a first step, The Crichton Trust has recently signed the Wellbeing Economy Alliance pledge to ‘build back better’.

You will read more about our response to dealing with the pandemic and our plans for the future on page 6, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank my team and our trustees, tenants, suppliers, customers and partners for their support and understanding during the past few months. Whatever your circumstances, I wish you all the very best as we enter the next challenging phase of the transition.

In normal circumstances, we would be bringing you highlights from our Spring activities and looking forward to the Summer holidays, days out with family, nights out with friends, time away from the office and of course a packed schedule of weddings, events and festivals. How things have changed.

Instead, we reflect on the sudden and significant impact of Covid-19 and what this has meant for us as an organisation and as individuals and for our tenants, partners, colleagues and customers. Coronavirus has changed how we live, work and study at The Crichton and affected us all in different ways.

It has been beyond challenging at times, but it has encouraged us to stop and reflect on what we do, how we do it and what we plan to do going forward.

Thank you to everyone who has played their part by staying at home and following government guidelines. Thanks also to those who have been working and/or volunteering in different capacities to provide vital and essential products and services throughout lockdown.

Life at The Crichton may have changed, but we still have a great community of people, a strong track record in getting through difficult times and the amazing asset, that is, our outdoor space. Our grounds and gardens have been a lifeline for many locals during lockdown; a place to breathe.

I hope you might take some inspiration from the articles you read in this edition which, perhaps not surprisingly, have a Covid-19 theme. Not only do they provide an insight into the trials and tribulations of The Crichton Community during this time, but they clearly demonstrate the diversity, versatility and resilience of The Crichton Community.

As we start to prepare for a phased return to the workplace, let’s remember to protect our people and our place. Be kind to each other, recognise many are yet to heal or feel the impact of the virus (physically and mentally), while others have sadly lost their lives. The Crichton was designed and built to preserve and protect the health and wellbeing of The Crichton Community. This has not changed.

Stay safe.

Above all, we have noticed a greater appreciation for the place and its people and a genuine desire to foster our connections and to work in partnership to help shape the future. I, for one, am committed to addressing the challenges we face and grasping the opportunities this presents.

Covid-19 has highlighted that the way we do business needs to be much more sustainable and resilient. A growing number of businesses and organisations are therefore joining forces to support the development of a wellbeing economy, one that is not only economically viable, but also socially and

Gwilym Gibbons Chief Executive

#TheCrichton #APlaceToBreathe #TheCrichtonCommunity #BuildBackBetter 55

by Gwilym Gibbons, Chief Executive, The Crichton Trust

We are all in this together - that’s true, but the impact of Covid-19 on individuals, families and organisations has been very different and we are mindful that our plans for the future must also take this into account when considering the future needs of our colleagues, tenants, partners, suppliers and customers.

Here is a summary of our lockdown journey so far and an insight into our plans for the future.

alternative ways of making use of our indoor and outdoor facilities at The Crichton.

Zoom, Zoom and more Zoom‌ Zoom has become our new normal, with daily meetings with our newly formed Coronavirus Action Group and other regular meetings taking place with our staff, tenants, stakeholders, trustees and project boards. As part of our strategy to develop a recovery plan for The Crichton, we have also formed 7 new Workstream Groups, consisting of executive team members, representative trustees and external consultants and they have been meeting at regular intervals too.

Like most organisations, the furlough scheme, funded by the UK Government, has been an important lifeline for The Crichton Trust and our employees and we are delighted that we have been able to continue to pay our staff throughout the lockdown period.

Grounds and Gardens We take great pride in our grounds and gardens, but we made the difficult decision in March to furlough our grounds team.

Cutting the grass and controlling the weeds was deemed to be a non-essential task and although we know some of our regular visitors were disappointed that we let the grass and weeds grow, we followed government advice to protect our team.

Funding and Resources With a reduction in rental income from tenants and an immediate halt in income from our events and hospitality venues, identifying and applying for relevant sources of funding has been an essential part of the lockdown experience for The Crichton Trust.

With the ongoing uncertainty for events, hospitality and large gatherings and the impact this continues to have on our venues and events team, we have been exploring

On the plus side, the gardeners were one of the first to be allowed to return to work, but we have taken the decision to keep some areas of longer grass and to let the wild flowers, insects and visitors enjoy our new

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Of course, lockdown also brought new pressures for our tenants as they closed their doors to their customers and for some, their livelihood. It was, and still is, a worrying time for everyone. For some it meant getting their teams set up to work from home, for others it meant responding to an increased demand for their services and to others it meant a temporary loss of business.

Crichton meadow. If you haven’t visited for a while you’ll notice a difference when you do.

We are delighted to have seen a steady and controlled increase in visitors to the grounds and gardens during lockdown, and I am pleased to say that the vast majority of visitors who lived nearby and travelled on foot, respected our grounds and other visitors by maintaining their distance.

I’m pleased to say our property team kept in close contact with our tenants throughout the lockdown period and we were as flexible and supportive as we could be in the circumstances. We have also held a number of tenants’ meetings and have been encouraged with the support received so far.

The Crichton remains free and open to the public all year round and although we remind visitors to adhere to the current guidelines, we are always delighted to see people enjoying their daily exercise and making the most of our wonderful grounds and gardens.

Supporting Our Tenants

More recently, we have been busy preparing to welcome some tenants and a small number of colleagues back to work. As part of this process we have carried out extensive risk assessments, installed new sanitising units and have commissioned Derek Jardine Joinery to design and build the new outdoor meeting spaces to maximise the use of our outdoor space.

As coronavirus started to spread, our cleaners immediately enhanced their cleaning regime to protect everyone working and visiting the site. The cleaners were fantastic. They performed deep cleans, made more regular visits to each building and paid extra attention to door handles, toilets and shared spaces. We also put supplies of hand sanitiser in every building and displayed notices to promote good hand hygiene.

You can find out more about the lockdown experience of our tenants and partners within the magazine.

When lockdown started, we saw a gradual reduction in the number of tenants and staff on site and so our cleaners were furloughed and given a well-deserved rest. You can read more about our Cleaning Supervisor and her team on page 40.

continued overleaf...

Unplanned Anniversary Photo Shoot: Thank you to Morna and Joe McKnight and their family for allowing our photographer, Mike Bolam, to capture their family walk through the grounds in early June.

The photo shoot was unplanned, but it was lovely to see the family enjoying our new meadow, on what Mike discovered was also 12 years to the day since the couple got married here at The Crichton.

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Venues, Events and Hospitality Sadly, for our events and hospitality teams, venues, suppliers, partners and customers, Covid-19 has presented a longer-term challenge. Like all venues and event organisers, we accept that the safety of our people must come first, and although we have been busy looking at new ways of working, there is uncertainty as to when we might get back to hosting weddings, festivals and events in Easterbrook Hall, the Crichton Memorial Church and on the grounds.

As one of the larger local venues, we are used to hosting large-scale events and gatherings and although we had a great schedule of indoor and outdoor events and festivals planned for 2020, we are unlikely to deliver them this year.

We have been as accommodating as possible and have tried to postpone and reschedule events without inflicting cancellation fees on our customers.

I offer my greatest sympathy and support to event organisers and suppliers and to those who have had to cancel plans for their weddings and events.

Our events team have remained accessible throughout lockdown and we look forward to the return of events whenever it is safe to do so.

We also had to temporarily close the doors of Easterbrook Bistro, Bar & Spa and Fresco CafĂŠ in March. Based on current guidance and with a limited footfall on site currently, we are still reviewing when it will be safe and viable to open Easterbrook Bistro, Bar & Spa. It would be our intention to provide a takeaway and outdoor dining experience initially, but we will let you know as soon as we can. The swimming pool and spa will also remain closed until we have further guidance.

Fresco Cafe will remain closed for the rest of this year, but following extensive refurbishment of Criffel View, will reopen as Crichton Central early in 2021. See page 42 for details of the exciting Crichton Central development project.

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Communications We have tried to keep our staff, customers, tenants, partners, suppliers and stakeholders up to date throughout this pandemic. We hope that you have found our updates to be useful, timely and informative.

Anyone looking for the latest information about news and events should visit our website www.crichton.co.uk, where you will find our News Blog, the Covid-19 Blog, The Crichton Directory (with details of tenants and partners on site) and The Crichton What’s On Guide (with the latest information about forthcoming events). You can also sign up to our Crichton Newsletter on the website and see current and past versions of The Crichton Magazine.

You can also follow us on social media (FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn), where you may already have seen some of my lockdown Video Blogs.

In our efforts to keep people informed and involved in our forward planning, we have been hosting monthly meetings called The Crichton Briefings, on Zoom at 4pm on the first Tuesday of every month. See page 11 for details and feel free to join us.

Thank You I would like to finish this update by thanking my team for their hard work, patience and understanding during lockdown.

Whether you have been busy working from home, volunteering to support others or furloughed and missing the company, challenge and routine of work, I want to personally thank you and hope that you and your loved ones are safe and well. If you haven’t joined us for a cuppa in our virtual kitchen for a while, please join us for an informal catch-up on Zoom whenever you can.

2020 has not turned out the way we expected, but I hope we will all come out of this stronger.

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FOCUSSING ON SUPPORTING THE REGION’S ECONOMY RECOVER FROM COVID-19 When the new South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) went live on 1 April, no-one would have ever anticipated it would have been in the middle of a global public health crisis which is impacting our economy.

In order to respond, the new SOSE, which has staff hub centres across the region, including Carmont House at The Crichton, is responding by working in partnership in order to ensure it best serves the unique challenges of the South.

Chief Executive of SOSE, Nick Halfhide says that having the partnership work both nationally and locally is the best way to help the local economy recover:

Chair of SOSE, Professor Russel Griggs OBE explains that SOSE is helping support the immediate response by working in partnership and looking to the future:

“We are prioritising all our resources to support the Covid-19 response to support our local economy across the South and to also look ahead to the recovery. We are committed to doing everything we can to provide support wherever it is needed and that this support is tailored to individual needs and circumstances.”

“We know businesses and communities around the South of Scotland are adapting and responding as best they can to the COVID-19 situation. We also recognise the seriousness of the situation for many and we are looking ahead to how we can provide as much support as possible in the recovery of our economy.

“We are encouraging people to apply for the support and funding that is currently available.

However, if people have already applied for all available streams of funding currently available and are genuinely still struggling, it is important that they know they can get in touch with us at South of Scotland Enterprise, so we can talk to them.”

In order to support the South of Scotland, we are working as one collective voice for the South of Scotland through a ‘Team South of Scotland’ approach working with Dumfries and Galloway Council and Scottish Borders Council to identify potential gaps to implement some targeted actions to best support businesses and communities.

Visit www.southofscotlandenterprise.com for more information and you can follow SOSE on Twitter @SOSEnterprise

We are also working closely with our national Enterprise Agency partners to administer the national Scottish Government funding for small and micro enterprises in the creative, tourism and hospitality sectors and for viable SMEs crucial to the Scottish economy which are vulnerable.”

Visit www.findbusinesssupport.gov.scot to find out about funds and how to access them.

SOUTH OF SCOTLAND ENTERPRISE | CARMONT HOUSE www.southofscotlandenterprise.com 10

Monthly COVID-19 Crichton Updates With Gwilym Gibbons, Chief Executive of The Crichton Trust 4PM, FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH Join the meetings on Zoom using meeting ID 838 7652 3626 Covid-19 Updates Future Thinking Briefings and Q&A for The Crichton Community.

All welcome

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COVID TAKES FOOD TRAIN CELEBRATIONS OFF TRACK WHILE DEMAND FOR SERVICES DOUBLE

By Helen McAnespie, Regional Manager, Dumfries and Galloway Food Train

2020 was due to be a huge year of celebration for the Food Train as we entered our 25th year of service delivery.

Our first grocery deliveries were made here in Dumfries in the Summer of 1995 after a group of older people, led by local community activist Jean Mundell MBE, decided that local older people needed support to get access to affordable fresh food and groceries. The rest as they say is history as Food Train has gone from strength to strength over the years supporting more and more older people along the way. We now offer a variety of services to older people across seven local authority areas in Scotland, services including home support, befriending, meal sharing and of course the grocery shopping delivery service.

We have had to adapt how we operate this has been a challenge but a challenge that we have risen to. With the support of our amazing volunteers we have been able to support every single older person who has needed us. We have introduced evening shopping to allow us to support more people, we have also introduced card payments so that customers can now phone us after they receive their shopping and pay over the phone.

During this time, we have also introduced a weekly check-in phone call to our customers to check that they are well, we answer any queries they might have, we have a wee chat to reassure them that they are not on their own and that someone

Covid-19 has sadly stopped our 25th celebrations in their tracks as we have focused our efforts on supporting almost double our usual customer numbers over the last few months. Older people are among the most vulnerable to this virus and our services have been needed now more than ever.

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is always available to them to have a chat with when they need that support. This additional support has been very welcome, we have had lots of fantastic feedback from our customers. Some of these changes have been very positive and we will continue with them as we move forward.

Many people volunteer with us when they themselves retire so we have many longstanding volunteers who are shielding and are unable to volunteer at this time. The response to our call for new volunteers has been staggering and we are eternally grateful to everyone who has helped us over this challenging period.

The Crichton Trust have been fantastic and have given us the use of an additional delivery van to meet increased demand as well as allowing some of their staff to volunteer with us. This support has been invaluable and very much appreciated.

Our head office has been sited at The Crichton for almost three years now and we were looking forward to our 25th Anniversary Ball at Easterbrook Hall this

Summer. This has now been postponed, but we will reschedule when we can.

The Crichton is a special place for Food Train’s CEO Michelle Carruthers, having trained as a nurse in the early 1990’s and working in many of the buildings in the days when they were home to in-patients.

Having joined Food Train almost 18 years ago when the charity was very small and local in Dumfries, Michelle has led the growth of Food Train across Scotland.

She says: “The older founders of the charity had a vision that older folks live well at home for as long as they wish and are able, having access to good food and meals is a big part of that, they couldn’t bear the thought that older folks were going hungry for the want of simple practical help with shopping, so Food Train was born. It’s their vision that keeps driving us forward and achieving 445,000 deliveries of fresh foods and groceries to older people in the last 25 years. Long may this train stay on track for the older people who need us today, tomorrow and in the years to come.”

If you know someone who would benefit from any of our services or if you would like to volunteer with us please contact our head office on 01387 270800 or email everything@thefoodtrain.co.uk

A message from The Crichton Trust: Congratulations to The Food Train for delivering a much needed service over 25 years and well done and thank you to Graeme Chisholm and Kenny Henry, from The Crichton Trust, who volunteered with Dumfries and Galloway Food Train during the coronavirus pandemic.

DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY FOOD TRAIN | HESTAN HOUSE www.thefoodtrain.co.uk 13

HEALTH AND SAFETY IS ALWAYS A TOP PRIORITY FOR GENESIS

Health and Safety is always an important aspect of running a business, but for most businesses it has recently become the top priority. The need to carry out risk assessments and put additional measures in place to protect colleagues and customers in the workplace has been essential for businesses operating during the coronavirus pandemic and to those currently working towards opening their doors again.

This has meant that the team at Genesis Occupational Health Service based in Kindar House at The Crichton has been particularly busy keeping up to date with the latest health and safety guidance and offering practical advice and support to their clients.

We asked the team at Genesis to tell us more about what they do and how they can help businesses now and in the future.

GENESIS Q&A Can you offer support and guidance to members of The Crichton Community?

Yes, Genesis provides a professional consultancy service offering occupational and environmental health and safety services to a variety of clients of varying sizes throughout the UK and Europe including members of The Crichton Community here in Dumfries.

On 1 April 2020, we found ourselves to be in the fortunate position of being able to respond quickly to the crisis in a practical manner by adapting our services to suit our client’s needs. We supported members of our team to work from home so that they could remotely deliver training, health and safety services, occupational health assessments and counselling services to our clients.

As a Crichton-based organisation please tell us about your COVID-19 experience and how your organisation has adapted and responded to the crisis and how you will move forward from here.

During this time the management team, like so many other businesses, had to make

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ill health. A report is provided detailing if any adjustments will need to be put in place on employees return with regards to working hours, duties and working environment.

On occasion, an assessment may identify that a return to work is not achievable, or that an individual / workplace COVID-19 risk assessment may be required. Individual employee COVID-19 risk assessments are specific to an individual employee and based on their operational role and specific health conditions, whereas workplace COVID-19 risk assessments are specific to a company’s operations with the report detailing recommended control measures to be implemented. We have found this to be the case with employees who may have originally been self-isolating due to health conditions, but if they are not shielding or vulnerable they are able to return safely to the workplace with such risk assessments.

some difficult decisions including the need to furlough some members of staff. Our top priority was, and continues to be, the health and safety of our employees and our responsibility to support our clients and their employees throughout the UK. As well as supporting our clients, we are now working towards bringing our own employees back to work safely and to ensure that we have a smooth transition back to the workplace.

Can you offer a product or service to support people/organisations in our new coronavirus world?

We offer a number of services and packages to support individuals and organisations including:

FITNESS FOR WORK ASSESSMENTS Understandably we have seen an increase in the number of referrals for occupational health fitness for work and absence management services. Fitness for work assessments are undertaken by an occupational health nurse on employees who are due to return to work after selfisolation, infection or because of any other

RESILIENCE SUPPORT SESSIONS Additional support is being provided to our clients through resilience support sessions which is provided by an Occupational Health Counsellor. The aim of treatment is to help client employees examine their individual needs and current coping techniques and

GENESIS OCCPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE | KINDAR HOUSE www.genesisohs.co.uk 15

COMPLIANCE AND SUPPORT PACKAGES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES a health and safety policy, management system, risk and COSHH assessments and COVID-19 post-lockdown advice and resources. We fully understand that many small businesses will not be in the position to pay upfront for such services, therefore our packages are affordable and can be paid in small monthly direct debits.

to explore possible areas for improvement by identifying and challenging potential maladaptive coping mechanisms or cognitive distortions which may be contributing to additional issues and then providing self-care advice and/or resources in order to maintain good mental health and wellbeing, resultantly keeping them fit and healthy and build upon current strengths and develop the confidence and resilience to face this crisis effectively and prepare for the recovery process.

We have received an influx of enquiries from small local businesses requesting advice regarding health and safety compliance and support for COVID-19 post-lockdown. Last year we employed a graduate, Noora Matto, to work with us as part of her ScotGrad project. As part of this project, Noora has been busy for the past 12 months helping us to create health and safety packages to suit a variety of small businesses across several industries from hairdressers and beauticians, to cafes and restaurants and retail and vehicle workshops. These packages include

To ensure you are up to date with the UK governments response to the coronavirus outbreak visit www.genesisohs.co.uk and sign up to their newsletters where all the latest guidance and information for employers and employees will be provided including how to establish a safe return to the workplace. Please email any enquiries to info@genesisohs.co.uk or call 01387 248811

Genesis is a family run business established in 2005 by Scott and Emma Eden.

Emma and Scott are also part of the team of volunteers who run Crichton parkrun, a free 5k timed run, which during normal circumstances takes place on the grounds of The Crichton every Saturday morning.

Find out more: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/crichton/

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NEW TENANT FEATURE

Suzanne Main, Image Consultant, from Colour

expected. Her studio in Carmont House is now

Style Fun recently joined The Crichton

ready and she looks forward to welcoming clients

Community and promises to help us with our

once it is safe to do so.

post-lockdown image!

Services from Colour Style Fun:

Suzanne took the plunge to set up a studio in

1-1 Colour Analysis Sessions: Suzanne will advise

Carmont House at The Crichton in December 2019

clients on the right tone of colour for them to

when she started her business; Colour Style Fun.

wear based on their hair colour, skin tone and eye

Suzanne, who lived in Dalbeattie until she was

colour and how they should wear that colour.

18, left the region for the bright lights of Glasgow

1-1 Style and Image Sessions: Suzanne will advise

and although she admits it took her some time to

clients how to choose the right clothes, based on

return to Dumfries and Galloway, she is excited

their body shape and style personality.

to be back. She said: “When it came to leaving school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. All I

Small Group Sessions: For clients who would

knew was I wanted to go somewhere else and I

like to explore their ‘colours’ as part of a group,

chose Glasgow as the shopping was good! Having

Suzanne also offers sessions for small groups of

worked in local hotels in Dalbeattie and Kippford,

friends and colleagues.

I opted to study Hotel Management, but after

Personal Shopper: For clients who don’t like to

graduating I chose to use the skills and knowledge

shop or who would like some help along the way,

that I had acquired by working in Property

Suzanne can be their personal shopper!

Management, prior to forging a corporate career in Facilities Management. In 2009, I decided to

Wardrobe Weeding: For clients who have too

take redundancy to avoid working alongside my-

much in their wardrobe and still can’t find

then Fiancé and that’s when I trained in Colour

anything to wear, Suzanne can also help out with a

Analysis and Style and Image.”

bit of wardrobe weeding!

Suzanne who has always had a love of clothes

Want to find out more?

and colours said: “My love of clothes and colours probably came from my Dad who shopped in

Contact Suzanne and have a chat about what

Carnaby Street, London in the 1950s - a pale blue

you would like to achieve and she’ll put together

Teddy Boy suit was one of his many purchases!

a package to suit you and your budget. Although

My Mum received a sewing machine for her 21st

sessions can take place in the studio, it is also

Birthday and later used it to make clothes for both

possible to meet and host events in other venues

of her daughters, so I guess they both influenced

and locations.

me from a young age.”

Tel 01387 702111 - Mob 07504 310010

Lockdown has given Suzanne time to work on

Instagram @colourstylefun

setting up her business and settling into life at The Crichton, albeit a slightly different life than she

COLOUR STYLE FUN | CARMONT HOUSE www.facebook.com/ColourStyleFun 17

QUBITI CONNECT BUSINESSES AT HOME AND IN THE WORKPLACE

it soon became clear that we were in a position to help businesses find new ways of working that would enable them to deliver services to their customers throughout the pandemic by maximising use of technology.”

Qubiti aim to ensure that your space connects your people and your technology seamlessly and consistently. James Slater from Qubiti said: “We are passionate about helping businesses become better versions of themselves by connecting people, technology and environment. We are a small team made up of myself, Ritchie, John, Paul, Peter and Katie. We all have an important role to play in the success of the business and we take great pride in providing a welcoming and friendly service to all of our customers.

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, the team at Qubiti utilised their skills and expertise to get businesses set up to work from home. James said: “No one knew when businesses would be able to get back to the normality of working in offices and business premises again, so we set out to help businesses get access to their files and IT systems from their own home. We have continued to offer IT advice and support to our customers throughout lockdown to ensure they, and we,

Like most businesses, news of Covid-19 came as a shock to us. Not knowing whether we would be able to continue working was a worry, but

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metre social distancing guidelines, including space planning, screens and IOT sensors to measure building occupancy and track and trace occupants to protect colleagues and customers in shared spaces, as well as provide and set up more flexible IT solutions to make businesses more resilient.

have the equipment and resources needed to work remotely.

It was an immediate response to the crisis, but in many ways it has encouraged businesses to review how and where they work, increased the use of cloud technology and of course changed the way we communicate, with a significant increase in the use of video communication software such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.”

James said: “It has been a particularly challenging period for everyone, but it has been a pleasure to be able to support our customers, old and new, during these difficult times.”

Qubiti also took to social media to offer tips and advice to help their followers set up their work stations from home and how to safely make use of household furniture and equipment as a temporary workspace.

Anyone interested in getting in touch with Qubiti can contact them through all social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or on 01387 442919 or hello@qubiti. co.uk.

As lockdown measures start to ease slightly, Qubiti have turned their attention to supporting businesses as they plan for a safe and phased return to the workplace.

Qubiti can help businesses set up their office spaces and work premises to comply to the 2

QUBITI | GALLOWAY HOUSE www.qubiti.co.uk 19

POSITIVE STEPS INTO ONLINE THERAPY FOR POSITIVE STEPS PHYSIOTHERAPY

Positive Steps Physiotherapy is based at Solway House in The Crichton Business Park, but like many businesses they had to swiftly adapt their business model to deliver online therapy sessions from home throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Erin Traill and Katie Begg are the team behind Positive Steps Physiotherapy and while Katie continues to work for NHS, both Erin and Katie stepped in to support NHS Dumfries and Galloway on the frontline at the start of the pandemic. We caught up with them recently to find out more about what they do and the challenges they have faced as a result of Covid-19.

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How has Covid-19 affected Positive Steps Physiotherapy?

What do you do?

At Positive Steps, we provide a private specialist neurological physiotherapy service to Dumfries and the surrounding area.

Like many businesses, we were forced to close our doors in March due to Covid-19, and as well as working to support NHS Dumfries and Galloway on the frontline, we have been working hard to deliver some of our services online.

What is Neurological Physiotherapy?

Neurological Physiotherapy is important in the rehabilitation and management of many neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, Stroke and Brain Injury and is beneficial at various stages of a condition.

Our classes have been running online since lockdown began and although it was daunting to start with, we are really pleased that the majority of our clients have managed to attend their online weekly class. It has been a great way to keep in touch with our clients and it has enabled us to do what we can to keep people on track.

For example, after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s, even when symptoms are minimal, it is important to see a neurological physiotherapist to ensure the most efficient exercises are being carried out to promote changes in the brain and minimise progression of symptoms. For clients with more progressed Parkinson’s we are able to give various plans on exercises as well as using other techniques to help with improving strength, mobility, balance and function.

We are also seeing some of our clients for one to one exercise sessions online. This was new to us too, but is becoming second nature and we can see a place for this in our future practice.

Looking ahead Erin said: “We are currently getting organised to see clients face to face again, taking every care that we be getting everything right for our clients. We are taking guidance from our own professional body as well as the government to ensure this will be done properly. Covid-19 has certainly been a challenging time for Positive Steps Physiotherapy, but it has encouraged us to develop our service in other ways and to think outside the box, which I guess is a positive step for us!”

Recovery after a stroke, can be a long and frustrating journey. Working with a neurological physiotherapist will help improve muscle strength and mobility, as well as improving function such as walking.

This can take a long time, but clients do see improvements months and years after having a stroke.

What services were offered by Positive Steps Physiotherapy pre-Covid?

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were able to provide a wide variety of face-toface services to clients from our clinic at The Crichton and/or from the comfort of their own homes. We would see clients on a one to one basis to provide specific exercise therapy, as well as manual techniques and acupuncture.

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about Positive Steps Physiotherapy can get in touch with Erin and Katie to discuss their requirements.

We also provided group exercise sessions in the clinic for people with Parkinson’s. These took the form of a weekly class and were of varying levels and intensities.

POSITIVE STEPS PHYSIOTHERAPY | SOLWAY HOUSE www.physiodumfries.co.uk 21

VETERANS GARDEN AT THE CRICHTON CONTINUES TO PROVIDE A VITAL SERVICE The Veterans Garden Dumfries has been located within the grounds of The Crichton for two years now, and throughout these difficult times the garden still continues to provide a vital service to the Veterans community in Dumfries and Galloway, especially those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other health related conditions.

VOLUNTEERING DURING LOCKDOWN

Mark Harper has been leading the way by engaging members and followers on social media.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, additional measures

Mark has put regular posts on the Veterans

had to be put in place to limit capacity within the

Garden Facebook page and maintained interest

garden, but the committee and their volunteers

and engagement with his push-up challenge! He

have taken this in their stride and have risen to

encouraged members to take part in the ‘25 push-

the challenge. Appropriate PPE was provided and

ups for 25 days’ challenge in support of those

social distancing measures were put in place to

suffering from PTSD and to raise awareness of

allow a small number of volunteers to continue to

the condition.

visit the garden to take care of day-to-day matters and to look after the livestock. There was good

Mark said: “We have been delighted with the

news for The Veterans Garden during lockdown

feedback we have received from this challenge.

too, with the birth of 8 new chickens and 5

Good mental health is absolutely necessary at

new ducks!

times likes these and we want our members to know that we are still here, and we are still raising

Mark Harper, secretary and daily volunteer

awareness of PTSD and other health related

said: “We are very fortunate that some of our

conditions, as well as looking after the gardens.

volunteers have still been able to visit on

Our volunteer therapist, Margaret Casey, is still

a daily basis and I would like to thank those

on hand assisting and supporting our Veterans

who have been supporting us to keep the

through COVID-19 and continues to offer

garden functioning.”

telephone appointments and one to one sessions

HERE TO SUPPORT OUR MEMBERS

to those who are in most need”.

Unfortunately, the monthly breakfast club at the

FUNDRAISING EFFORTS

garden had to be postponed during lockdown,

The Veterans Garden Dumfries is currently in

which means it has been even more important to

the process of raising funds to repair the roof

keep in touch with their members via telephone

of the sandstone building they now lease within

and social media, and face-to-face where it has

the garden. During lockdown they received

been necessary.

VETERANS GARDEN DUMFRIES | THE CRICHTON www.facebook.com/Veterans-Garden-Dumfries 22

confirmation of an award for £15,000 from the

the Victorian Greenhouses in the garden. This

Scotland Veterans Fund. The volunteers are

is a major project for the Veterans and so they

delighted with this news. With funding also

are delighted to know that they will now get

received from the Weatherall Foundation and

the opportunity to attend the 2021 Highland

the outcome of another funding bid still to be

Show. In the meantime, they will continue to

confirmed, they are getting closer to meeting the

make preparations for this restoration project in

cost of the repairs. Repairs to the roof have been

conjunction with The Crichton Trust.

postponed due to COVID-19 conditions, however

Mark Harper and the rest of the committee

plans are in place to begin work on the roof when

would like to take this opportunity to thank

the restrictions are lifted.

all volunteers, members and partnership

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW

organisations and the local community for their continued support of the garden.

The Veterans Garden Dumfries was the preferred charity in Dumfries and Galloway to attend the

In normal circumstances the garden is open to the

Royal Highland Show in 2020, but unfortunately

public, so the Veterans look forward to welcoming

it was cancelled due to COVID-19. The Veterans

you for “a brew and a natter” when restrictions

had hoped to raise a substantial amount of funds

are lifted.

at the show to go towards the restoration of

Proudly supported by

23

UWS SUPPORTS FRONTLINE SERVICES DURING COVID-19

printer to use by producing protective visors for the NHS.

Staff and students across University of the West of Scotland (UWS) have been coming together to make their contribution to the fight against coronavirus.

Researchers have been adapting existing projects and launching new studies to help find solutions to COVID-19-related problems.

Academics in the University’s Institute of Thin Films, Imaging and Sensors have been working in partnership with Glenrothesbased semi-conductor foundry Semefab to produce an infrared sensor chip which will be embedded in non-contact thermometers – helping to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The firm has received orders for more than 12 million of the chips already from around the world.

With campuses in Dumfries, Ayr, Lanarkshire, Paisley and London, members of the UWS community across the country have been volunteering their time, effort, knowledge and resources to support the NHS and other frontline services.

Around 1,200 nursing, midwifery and biomedical science students have volunteered to join the workforce on paid placement, supporting the NHS, care homes and laboratories across Scotland.

Academics in the University’s Computing department have been working with Edinburgh Napier University to produce a computer games technology-based training program which can be used by healthcare workers to help recognise the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The program prevents large gatherings of people for training sessions, and can be updated as new symptoms are recognised.

Donations have come from across the University to support the NHS and other frontline services. Thirty-three hospital beds have been sent to Glasgow’s NHS Louisa Jordan from the University’s state-of-the-art nursing and midwifery training wards, four of which were donated from Dumfries Campus.

The University has provided simulation equipment for training purposes to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in the form of venepuncture arms. The prosthetic arms, which are used by students to train in cannulation or IV insertion, will be used by key workers at a number of NHS facilities, as well as personal protective equipment (PPE), such as facemasks, from the University’s own supplies. In the School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences, staff have been putting the University’s cutting-edge 3D

In the School of Health and Life Sciences, UWS academics have teamed up with researchers from the University of Stirling and fabric architecture firm tensARC to produce a prototype facemask which could help prevent the spread of the virus. UWS researchers have been testing the mask’s effectiveness at the University’s dedicated microbiology facilities.

UWS | DUDGEON HOUSE & BROWNE HOUSE www.uws.ac.uk 24

THOUSANDS TURN TO ONLINE LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT DURING LOCKDOWN

collection of content for anyone who wants to learn about geography. You’ll find a range of varied materials, from discussions about Brexit, to our podcasts about urbanisation, environmentalism and globalisation.

While people across Dumfries and Galloway are staying at home and social distancing, The Open University has hundreds of free online courses to help stay informed, engaged and entertained. OpenLearn is the OU’s home for learning online; all the courses are free and there are no entry requirements or start and end dates. There are more than 950 courses to choose from across nature and environment; society, politics and law; science, maths and technology; history and the arts; languages, health, sports and psychology; money and business; education and development. OpenLearn also has experiments and activities for families perfect for keeping children entertained at home.

Once their course is completed, students gain a statement of participation to share their achievement with others. More than 60 courses award digital badges for completion and passing assessments. You might like to try your hand at our new badged online course on the Scots language and Culture; developed to enhance the understanding and awareness of Scots language, literature and culture and contribute to widening the relevance of and access to Scots to as broad an audience as possible.

The Open University has seen a significant spike in visitors to OpenLearn; the site usually sees an average of 40,000 daily visits but numbers have surged to four times that amount in recent weeks. Its dedicated pages on Coronavirus provide information and links to UK government advice as well as advice from OU academics about the spread of the virus and a wealth of free resources dealing with associated concerns such as mental health issues.

The Open University’s unique partnership with the BBC continues to flourish and evolve with our academic experts involved in a wide range of BBC productions and inspiring people to take their interest further through the OpenLearn website. You can go behind the scenes of the recent BBC2 series ‘Travels in Euroland with Ed Balls’ and This Fishing Life or relive the phenomenal impact of Blue Planet II. We’re delighted to be co-hosting a new landmark natural history series ‘A Perfect Planet’ which will be presented by Sir David Attenborough in autumn 2020. This five-part series will explain how the living planet operates; showing how the forces of nature – weather, ocean currents, solar

OpenLearn short courses range from one hour to weeks of study. You can start right away or at a time that suits you.

You can find out more at www.open.edu/ openlearn and explore our geography related resources. Geography Matters is a OPEN UNIVERSITY UWS | www.open.edu/openlearn

continued overleaf…

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT DUDGEON HOUSE & BROWNE HOUSE SCOTLAND www.uwsac.uk www.myworldofwork.co.uk 25

energy and volcanoes – drive, shape and support Earth’s great diversity of life.

Thousands of visitors to the OpenLearn website have gone on to study at the OU having experienced the quality of the free learning we offer..

In addition, people who have been furloughed or made redundant in Dumfries and Galloway are being encouraged to develop their skills with the help of a brand new online resource.

Skills Development Scotland has introduced a portal in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to connect people with thousands of free-toaccess online learning materials.

The site has been designed with the support of The Open University in Scotland providing access to its award-winning OpenLearn platform of free courses - including hundreds of employability and skills related courses many of which offer digital badges.

Anyone can learn new or develop existing skills through flexible and convenient online learning from twelve different providers across a range of subject areas, such as digital, languages, business and technology.

Skills Development Scotland delivers Scotland’s career service, including information and advice online at My World of Work. As well as being home to a wealth of career expertise, users can access additional support using the CV tools and skills builder, to help with applications. Working closely with learning providers, additional opportunities will be included in the coming weeks and months.

For more information visit www.myworldofwork.co.uk/learn-andtrain/find-free-online-courses

26

27

AILEEN ACHIEVES HER LIFE-LONG AMBITION OF BECOMING AN ARTIST Life takes some unexpected twists and turns and

she is so pleased that she did. She said: “I have

although Covid-19 meant Dumfries and Galloway

just finished a wonderful three years at Dumfries

College students couldn’t hold their end of year art

and Galloway College, studying Higher National

exhibition as planned, lockdown results brought

Diploma in Art and Design. Luckily for me, in my

good news to Aileen MacEwan, who has endured

50’s, the College welcomes mature students. I

a lifetime of twists and turns in her journey to

had always wanted to study art, but never had,

become an artist.

but I realised it was never too late and it has been the best thing ever. I was delighted this week to

Aileen’s love of art started when she was at school

receive a Grade ‘A’ and I want to say thank you to

and although she has continued to enjoy art as

everyone who has supported me in this journey. I

a hobby, she was not able to follow her dream

have learned so much across many art disciplines

to become an artist until her mid 50’s when she

- painting, ceramics, printmaking, mixed media,

embarked on an HND in Art and Design and set up

sculpture and digital art.

her own studio here at The Crichton.

Latterly, I have been developing my painting, in

Aileen tells us about her journey to becoming an

particular large-scale, semi-abstract landscapes in

artist and her plans for the future. She said: “I

acrylics and oil pastels. I plan to continue with this,

loved art at school and I remember when it was

possibly incorporating collage as well. Once I have

time to pick my subjects, art was at the top of my

made a body of work, I will set up exhibitions and

list. The subjects were in columns and you had

of course I would be happy to do commissions.”

to pick one subject only from each column. To choose art meant I couldn’t choose French, which I

As well as being a student at Dumfries and

would have been happy to do, but it wasn’t a case

Galloway College, Aileen also has a part-time

of ‘the computer says no’, it was that ‘father says

job at Easterbrook Bistro and rents a studio in

no’. That was that and O’ level art was not to come

Carmont House from The Crichton Trust. She

my way.

said: “As a tenant and employee of The Crichton Trust, I feel like the Trust is showing great care in

When leaving school, I trained as a shorthand

these hard times. I am very fortunate to have my

typist with (wait for it) French! It gave me a good

studio in Carmont House which is a great space

living, as did my job as a Tutor and Assessor of

for my artwork. To top it off, my studio window

NVQs in Administration, but art was still special to

frames a spectacular view of Criffel and I look

me. I have painted for leisure over the years and

forward to spending more time there now that I

been involved in many crafts, making items for the

have finished my studies.”

Stewartry and Dumfries Shows – everything from basketry and soap carving to leatherwork.”

Anyone who is interested in viewing or buying artwork from Aileen or is keen to discuss

Aileen, who is married and has a grown-up

commissions can contact Aileen by email (details

daughter, was born and has lived most of her life

below). The recent Pathway Exhibition can also be

in Dumfries and Galloway and has always been

found on page 30.

inspired by our breath-taking landscapes. Three years ago, Aileen made the decision to study Art

Instagram: aileenmacewanart

and Design at Dumfries and Galloway College and

AILEEN MACEWAN ART | CARMONT HOUSE aileenmacewan@btinternet.com 28

29

STUDENT ART EXHIBITION FOLLOWS A NEW PATHWAY Pathway is the name of the graduation exhibition displaying a collection of work from 12 HND Art and Design students from Dumfries and Galloway College. Like most events this year, Covid-19 put a stop to the end of year exhibition, which was due to take place at the Gracefield Arts Centre, but The Crichton Trust and other local organisations helped showcase the exhibition online.

It charts the students’ individual journeys through art to the future. Each student was exploring a different theme and the gallery of their work showcases this through a range of techniques and materials including ceramics, painting, printmaking, digital media and textiles.

A sample of the exhibition can be seen below.

Aileen MacEwan (1, 2, 3, 4) Debbie Kennedy (5, 6, 7, 31) Janey Stewart (8, 9, 10) Heather Burton (11, 12, 13) Karen Auld (14, 15, 16, 17) Darren McLellan (18, 19, 20) Sophie Smith (21, 24, 34) Elle Findlater (22, 23, 25) Jayne Ashley (26, 27, 32, 33) Eddie Hockey (28) Leia Walker (29) Megan Baty (30)

To view the full exhibition and to find out about the artists please visit www.crichton.co.uk/blog 1

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Dumfries and Galloway College www.dumgal.ac.uk 30

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EVENTS

ALL YEAR

Here are just a few of the events we can look forward to:

24 April - Royal Burgh of Dumfries Tattoo

14 May - Gary Meikle Surreal Tour

11 June - Gary Faulds Live

30-31 July Doonhame Festival

13 August - Blazin Fiddles with Hannah Rarity

9 September - Eddi Reader

Looking to host a wedding or event at The Crichton?

We have limited weekend availability in 2021, please call now on 01387 702020 to discuss your requirements and dates.

32

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

NOW TAKING BOOKINGS FOR 2021 t: 01387 702020 e: events@crichton.co.uk w: www.crichton.co.uk

Easterbrook Takeaway Service and Outdoor Bar Opening 23 July 2020

33

t: 01387 702500 e: takeaway@crichton.co.uk w: www.crichton.co.uk

UP THE MIDDLE ROAD The Crichton Royal Hospital Oral History Project

Earlier this year, The Crichton Trust began an oral history project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and The Crichton Foundation. It aims to record, and share, memories of the Crichton Royal, through a new online archive. Ultimately, we want to curate a high-quality touring exhibition for museums, with an education package to explore the history and impact of rural, edge of town ‘mental asylums’ on the community within, and outwith, its walls.

We want to build knowledge, pride and understanding of the Crichton Royal Hospital’s significance in the development of modern psychiatric care. This project will give the people of Dumfries and Galloway, and beyond, a voice to celebrate the memories they have of this important institution.

People will learn about the heritage of The Crichton -- a place of healing, but also of fear for some. We hope that the project may help to change people’s attitudes towards The Crichton and towards those with mental illness, allowing communities in Dumfries, and beyond, to be enriched.

Founded in 1838, the Crichton Institution – later the Crichton Royal, locally known as ‘up

the middle road’ – has inspired several books.

Morag Williams, curator of the Crichton Museum (1989 – 2014), wrote a History of the Crichton Royal Hospital 1839 – 1989.

Patient art, drawing on the creativity which was at the heart of the Crichton’s treatments, has been explored by Maureen Park, in Art in Madness. Two collections of poetry draw on patient and staff experiences: Tom Pow’s Dear Alice. Narratives of Madness and Maureen Sangster’s The Unseen Hospital.

Sue Peebles’ novel Snake Road remembers the Crichton’s past, and its patient magazine, The New Moon. Staff members’ accounts, like James Rogers’ Metamorphoses, remember children, and adult, patients, and the Crichton’s own archives are held in the Ewart Library, Dumfries. Many documents are already available online, through the Wellcome Trust’s digital archive.

Up till now, though, there has been little in the way of detailed oral history work with former patients and staff – indeed, there has been little of this kind of work done within Dumfries and Galloway as a whole. Over the past decade, the University of Edinburgh’s ‘Dumfries and Galloway: A Regional Ethnology’ project has attempted to

THE CRICHTON TRUST | GRIERSON HOUSE 34 www.crichton.co.uk

By Dr Valentina Bold, Heritage Project Co-ordinator

and our volunteer interviewers. I would like, too, to extend my particular thanks to these people who have already came forward, to share their experiences, before the project paused. I would like to offer reassurance, too, that we will be back in touch. Meantime, if you would like to become involved, you can e-mail me at the address below, and I will contact you when the project resumes. Thank you for your interest in this important, and continuing, oral history work.

remedy this. Now, building on this work, the Crichton Royal project seeks to engage with this special place and all the experiences it contains: positive and negative, collective and individual.

Before Coronavirus emerged, I had trained eight volunteers to interview face-to-face, record and transcribe the memories they collected. As the crisis intensified we moved, briefly, to telephone interviewing. At the time of lockdown, and furloughing, the Project was temporarily paused.

References www.wellcomelibrary.org/collections/digitalcollections/mental-healthcare/crichton-royalhospital/

We are, however, very conscious of the need to return to work as soon as we can.

As one of the first interviewees put it: ‘this is part of our heritage we have to look after -- not as an asylum but as a reflection back on how careful the people actually were.

They wanted to create an environment that would look after people, with a very caring community’. There are many nuanced stories, based on real-life experiences, we know: ready to be told, waiting to be recorded.

www.dumfriesandgalloway.hss.ed.ac.uk/ Contact Dr Valentina Bold, Heritage Project Co-ordinator valentina.bold@crichton.co.uk +44 (0) 1387 702447

It looks likely, when we restart, that our first interviews will be by telephone or zoom.

We want to protect both those who are generous enough to share their memories,

35

The story of Elizabeth Crichton and the creation of the Dumfries Asylum This is the second article in a series on the life of Elizabeth Crichton by Dave Dewar, Cultural Connections.

An asylum for Dumfries

Superintendent of the Montrose Asylum Dr W.A.F.Browne. It revealed that most asylums in Britain were fearsome places where residents were shut off from the outside world in atrocious conditions. There was rarely any attempt to treat, only confinement.

After the failure of her attempt to create a university for Dumfries, Mrs Crichton turned to the creation of a mental asylum for the area. Mrs Crichton believed that as her late husband was a physician, he would have approved of the use of his bequest to help such people.

Mrs Crichton was most impressed by Dr Browne’s book, which argued for a more humane treatment of mentally ill people.

She travelled to the Montrose asylum without prior warning, from her home at Friars Carse, and asked to see around the institution. She came to the point quickly. She wanted Dr Browne to be in charge of the new Dumfries Asylum and he agreed.

It 1833 the trustees granted permission for the asylum to be established. 40 acres of the Mountainhall estate two miles from Dumfries were purchased. However, many people in Dumfries, including local clergy, opposed the asylum.

“It was the fashion among many of our friends in this district to sneer at Mrs Crichton and consider the scheme of her building a madhouse as a foolish whim if not worse”

Dr W.A.F. Browne Born and brought up in Stirling, he graduated in medicine from Edinburgh University. After university he travelled to Paris and studied there under an enlightened French physician Jean Esquirol at the city’s mental hospital for women. He was very influenced by the benefits of compassion in the treatment of the insane.

Dumfries and Galloway Courier 29 August 1838 Mrs Crichton was so upset by the opposition to the asylum and contemplated abandoning the idea, but friends dissuaded her. In the dedication ceremony for the asylum in 1835, her dedication prayer praised God and the new asylum, but also indicated her distress.

“I am alone, weak, feeble and friendless.”

Returning to Stirling, he worked as a physician for a short period before accepting the post as Superintendent of the Montrose Asylum, as specialist physician in mental illness. His new job in Dumfries, as in Montrose, would allow him to introduce his novel ideas on mental health treatment as clearly outlined in his book.

Work started on the asylum in 1835. In 1837 or early 1838 Mrs Crichton received a book from a friend entitled ‘What asylums were, are and should be’ by the Physician

36

The opening of the asylum

private patients. At the top paying the most at £350 per annum were highly privileged patients who had their own furniture, accommodation for their servants and a superior diet. This moved downwards to the sixth class who paid only £30 per annum. facilities.

The Dumfries Institution for Lunatics, its official title, opened in June 1839. The word ‘lunatics’ was the common term used at this time. The institution opened with 82 patients, 35 non-paying paupers and 47 private patients. By this time public and press opposition had become less hostile.

The Dumfries and Galloway Courier of 29 August 1838 praised it as “the most perfect in Europe of its kind.”

The first patient was an interesting case.

Mary Candlish (age) was a blacksmith’s wife from Dumfries. Her illness apparently originated when her husband shared his snuff at church with an attractive lady in an adjoining pew. She arrived at the

The pauper lunatics were those unable to pay. While Mrs Crichton was less disposed to them, they could not be turned away.

The trustees agreed that the three county authorities of Dumfries, Wigtown and the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright would pay a small fee of £15 per annum for inmates from these areas. This would rise to £18 for pauper residents from outwith these areas.

Surprisingly, even the paupers had their own room and meat three times a week.

Crichton emaciated, dirty with sallow skin and was intent on self-destruction. She attempted to drown herself in the river Nith while on another occasion tried to strangle herself with a curtain cord.

In terms of management, the trustees, including Mrs Crichton, laid down policy while Dr Browne and his staff carried on the day-to day affairs. More trustees, and also directors, would be added in the following year.

Thankfully, after five years of treatment she recovered “was nearly good looking” and discharged.

The operation of the asylum One year after the opening of the asylum, an act of parliament granted the institution a royal charter which gave it a firm legal and charitable footing. Henceforth it would be known as the Crichton Royal Institution.

Many interesting and harrowing cases would follow.

The structure of the asylum

To understand the operation of the Crichton, we must understand the philosophy behind Dr Browne’s inspiring leadership.

Mrs Crichton not surprisingly favoured those from her own social class. The internal structure of the asylum was linked to the ability to pay. There were six classes for the

Look out for more from Dave in future editions.

37

By Joanna Campbell, Principal, Dumfries and Galloway College However, we’ve also gone far beyond that.

We’ve offered free online classes and held a recent virtual open week to help those who are considering our college get a feel for our world-class offering. Life may not have gone on as usual but, thanks to the hard work of our staff, students, and others, it has at least gone on online.

DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY COLLEGE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND TO SUPPORT THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND RESPONSE TO COVID-19

We’ve gone further still. We recognise that we have responsibilities to our wider community, especially now. I’ve been delighted to see people from across our college step up to help those who need it across the South of Scotland.

Our IT experts have bolstered our NHS, putting in place innovative and life-saving tech systems where they are most needed.

COVID-19 has meant that our community has faced serious difficulties, unlike anything many of us have faced before. To help keep our family, colleagues and friends safe, we’ve had to come up with new ways of working and take hard decisions that impact everything about life in the South of Scotland.

We have donated our supplies of food to those who can benefit most from them.

We have despatched our fleet of vehicles across the region to get goods and supplies to those who need them.

Dumfries and Galloway College has been proud to have done our part in the effort against coronavirus. We will continue to do so and pledge to use our unique position and assets to help our region recover from the effects of this pandemic.

These are just a few of the ways in which individuals from our college have gone above and beyond to pitch in against COVID-19 – there are many more unsung heroes, all of whom should be as proud of themselves as I am of them.

We moved quickly to respond to COVID-19.

As a college team, we took the difficult decision to close our campuses in Stranraer and Dumfries and move to remote teaching and learning so that our students could still learn and do so safely. This approach has been a huge success and has made me very proud of the team and community I lead.

It would be foolish to pretend that we’re near the end of this process but we have all done so well so far and should be proud of that.

Going forward, the South of Scotland, with our combined efforts, will recover and thrive.

DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY COLLEGE www.dumgal.ac.uk 38

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

39

GLYNIS SHARES THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF HER GLEAMING CAREER

Covid-19 has had a significant impact on most people and professions, but it’s fair to say that we now have an even greater appreciation for those who carry out essential duties as part of their day-to-day work. Sadly, it is all too easy for us take the work of our colleagues for granted, but Covid-19 has certainly made us more aware of the importance of our colleagues and what they do.

Glynis went on to rhyme off the names of her team members. She said “There is Erin, Sherry, Catrina and Mary and Gina, Linda, Roy and Margaret and Janice, Jackie, Jacqui, Helen, Agnes and Beatrice and said: “I really do want to thank everyone for the work that they do every day and to thank them for being flexible when we needed them to carry out additional duties before lockdown. They are a good bunch to work with and most of us pull together when a job needs done! It hasn’t been an easy period for anyone, but as a team we had to adapt quite quickly to respond to a new cleaning routine including more frequent visits to most buildings and deep cleans too. Of course, this came to an abrupt stop when lockdown started, at which point most of us were furloughed.”

Glynis Halliday, Cleaning Supervisor at The Crichton Trust, has spoken to us about her role and the impact of Covid-19 at The Crichton.

Glynis started her career as a cleaner at the age of 17 years and in the early part of her career had cleaning roles in various NHS hospitals including Cresswell Maternity Hospital, Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary and The Crichton Royal Hospital, before transferring to work for The Crichton Development Company (now The Crichton Trust) on the 1 April 1997. 23 years later and she is still here and continues to take great pride in looking after the properties and her team of cleaners at The Crichton.

Glynis, like many of the others, missed the routine of coming to work and her interaction with colleagues and tenants, but has now returned to work to help develop new cleaning practices and schedules ahead of others gradually returning to the work and study on the estate. This is no easy task, with over 80 business and academic tenants to look after and the responsibility for cleaning 13 commercial properties as well as Easterbrook Bistro, a swimming pool and a church – that’s quite a to-do list. Thankfully for Glynis and her team, the responsibility for cleaning Easterbrook Hall lies with Donna Martin and Glynis is full of praise for Donna’s work.

Glynis said: “Numbers vary, but on average I have a team of 14 cleaners, some full-time, some part-time. Some members of the team work early morning shifts, while others work in the afternoon and evenings to suit the needs of the tenants in each building. The cleaners tend to look after a certain building or buildings. I think this continuity is good for the cleaners and for our clients.”

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As well as managing the team, Glynis also has responsibility for the procurement and purchasing of cleaning supplies, but she admits to missing hands-on cleaning. Glynis said: “I actually miss cleaning these days. I like to be able to look at a building after it has been cleaned and see the difference. I also used to enjoy cleaning the church for a wedding or event and leaving it gleaming.

The church is my favourite place at The Crichton and I like to see it looking pristine!”

had been a lot of renovation work so you can imagine the dust - we had to very work long hours to get the work done – it was a big job, but we did it! The second, was more recently in 2013 when a lot of masonry work was carried out in the church. All of the windows in the southside of the church were repaired and refurbished at that time – cleaning up after that was possibly one of my biggest cleaning achievements!”

Glynis added: “In all the years I’ve worked here though, I haven’t experienced anything like the current lockdown and the impact of coronavirus. We know things will continue to change and we already have a growing supply of PPE, hand sanitiser, antibacterial wipes and the likes in our store and the buildings are being fitted with sanitising units too, which will really help. We will continue to do everything we can as cleaners to keep everyone as safe as possible at The Crichton.”

It is clear that Glynis takes great pride in her work, which she puts down to the woman who trained her in the hospital many years ago. When we asked her to tell us about her most memorable parts of the job she said: “There are two projects that stand out for me. Not long after I started working here, we had to clean the Rutherford McCowan Building ready for staff and students from The University of Glasgow moving in. There

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A NEW HOME FOR INNOVATION AND THE CRICHTON COMMUNITY The ongoing development and success of The Crichton to date is due, in part, to the commitment of key business and academic partners, who for many years have worked in collaboration to strengthen their partnership and build a sustainable future for The Crichton. It is fair to say that partnerships and collaboration sit at the core of The Crichton Community. With over 80 organisations and four academic institutions already based here, The Crichton Trust is committed to developing The Crichton as a centre for learning and rural business innovation and we are keen to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange between people across the business, education and third sector communities.

As we considered what we could do to enhance The Crichton experience we realised that we were missing a heart and a home for the extraordinary people that have chosen The Crichton as their place to work, study, live and visit. We saw an opportunity for a centre for knowledge exchange that could build on and celebrate the community we have become and help us develop and grow further into the community we want to be. A home that would become the place to connect within and outwith the grounds.

We have called this new home Crichton Central and we are excited about all it will represent and the many new inspiring connections it will enable and nurture here and beyond.

After developing our thinking, testing ideas and business models, The Crichton Trust secured capital funding from the Scottish Government through South of Scotland Enterprise (SoSEP) in late 2019, which together with investment from The Crichton Trust itself led to the plan to redevelop Criffel View (previously home to Fresco’s Cafe) and one of our least utilised buildings.

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As digital connectivity improves we are becoming less and less limited by our geographic location – we can live and work in inspirational physically remote places.

Crichton Central will augment this new reality by offering a place to encounter and connect with others once or twice a week, a home from home with gigabit connectivity and a range of business support services and access to advice and investors. I was already excited about the prospects of Crichton Central, but I am even more confident that it will be a great asset to the South of Scotland as we respond to the ongoing challenges of Covid-19.”

Following a 3 month delay due to Covid-19 restriction, we were delighted to see work commence on Crichton Central at the end of June 2020.

Gwilym Gibbons, Chief Executive of The Crichton Trust, said: ”As more and more people are working from home, the demand for flexible and affordable collaborative working spaces is predicted to rise. Arguably we have never understood more fully what we miss and don’t miss about the traditional office. Many of us realise now how much we enjoy escaping the home and escaping the workplace back home at the end of the day. We also recognise a need to connect with others to innovate our approaches to life and work if we are to successfully build back better post this Covid-19 crisis. All new collaborations start with an encounter, a meeting between people that sparks new ideas, relationships and partnerships. The more diverse the better.

Pending any additional challenges from the Covid-19 delays, Crichton Central will open in early 2021 and will become a terminus and interchange for ideas and a central station for collaboration and innovation at #TheCrichton. continued overleaf…

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Criffel View is a beautiful building which as we peel back decades of alterations is revealing so much character and history.

Ideally located between the academic campus and business park, making it the perfect place for informal knowledge exchange between business and research.

We believe Crichton Central will become a destination of choice for mobile workers, researchers, freelancers, entrepreneurs and innovative thinkers, as well as a place where members can collaborate, drink coffee, hold meetings, work, study and do business.

Intergenerational and accessible, with a Changing Places toilet and shower (a first for a co-working business centre) which will also enhance accessibility for those wishing to visit The Crichton grounds, for those cycling to work we will offer bike charging and

storage along with showers. To add to our green credentials we plan to heat Crichton Central from waste generated within the grounds and the Crichton Royal Farm. At its heart will be an affordable cafĂŠ including a quick sell service options, a small shop and bar. In the evening it will become a venue for live-streamed and professionally broadcasted talks, seminars and live music and comedy events.

We look forward to sharing more information about Crichton Central membership, facilities and opportunities over the coming months.

In the meantime follow Crichton Central on social media and enjoy the transformation of Criffel View into Crichton Central! #CrichtonCentral

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GET INVOLVED IN THE CRICHTON COMMUNITY Email: news@crichton.co.uk | www.crichton.co.uk Share your news for The Crichton Blog

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Attend our monthly Crichton Briefings (first Tuesday of the month at 4pm on Zoom)

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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

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This magazine is published by The Crichton Trust Photography by Mike Bolam

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