Helensburgh Community Hub Update

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Helensburgh Community Hub – CPG update February 2024 
Reading Minds – Helensburgh’s Book Festival
Following the success of last year’s pilot (funded through the SG Communities Mental Health and
Wellbeing Fund), which was attended by more than 200 people, we are continuing this collaboration
with Jean’s Bothy and H&L Carers Centre. The second Helensburgh Book Festival will take place from
22-24 March at the three organisation’s venues.
This year we have secured Scottish Book Trust Live Literature funding and are able to offer a wider
range of events, including two school events (at Hermitage Academy and Colgrain Primary) and a
weekend session aimed at young people. 
Booking is through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/helensburgh-book-festival-
59725571793 and hard copy programmes are available at various locations in Helensburgh.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
We now have 157 Helensburgh children registered and we have been chosen as one of four Scottish
programmes to be part of an exhibition in the Scottish Parliament being hosted by The Dollywood
Foundation in March.
Further Reading for Pleasure related activity
We hosted a pre-Christmas visit for Hermitage Primary P4s who played games in the hall and chose
books in the Book Nook.
We are working with NHS staff from the School Health and Wellbeing Pathway team and Parklands
bus monitors to provide them with appropriate books for various uses.
Working in partnership with Helensburgh Writers’ Workshop we are starting a weekly Young
Writers’ Workshop in the Hub from mid-February. 
Volunteers 
The Hub now has more than 30 volunteers who support us with the Book Nook, crafting sessions,
the website and organisational governance through our volunteer Board. To thank them we hosted
them at The Tower for a special screening of the Dolly Parton classic 9 to 5. We are interested in
collaborating with other organisations to repeat last year’s highly successful Volunteers’ Week
Scotland event that was organised by the Hub, Visiting Friends and photographer Kath Polley.
Like many community organisations we rely on the great work of our volunteers and again like many
other groups we always need to recruit more. There is a need to better support volunteering across
Helensburgh and Lomond with signposting, recruitment, management and recognition.
Hub Garden 
We badly need help to regenerate the garden in front of the Hub, and there are other community
groups with outside spaces that need maintenance (eg Recovery Cafe) so we would like to
collaborate with others to try and create a funded gardening project that could benefit organisations
across Helensburgh and Lomond.
Development Manager Gill Simpson 01436 678088 / manager@helensburghcommunityhub.org.uk
Registered Company SC645409        Helensburgh Community Hub        Registered Charity SC050459