Apologies for not updating this section of the blog for a while, I have been tending to put our media info on the main page. Here are a few links to some of our latest media involvement.
Keith Fergus wrote a wonderful 5 page article on us in the Scots Magazine though you have to subscribe to their website to read the actual version, the text is below.
GalGael – Galvanising Govan
By Keith Fergus
The district of Govan in Glasgow is perhaps more closely linked with shipbuilding than anywhere else in Britain and during the latter half of the 20th century the vast majority of its workforce lived in Govan. The legacy left by the dramatic decline of the River Clyde’s great shipyards is one of communities battling high unemployment and social deprivation.
Today Govan has an above average unemployment rate whilst drug and alcohol abuse are distressingly high. But there is a willingness and desire by Govan’s resilient residents to challenge their circumstances and a project proving massively successful in helping this to happen is GalGael. Situated in the heart of Govan, and only a stones throw from the River Clyde, GalGael uses traditional boat building to revive a sense of pride in individuals and the community they live in as well as teaching and celebrating Scotland’s cultural heritage.GalGael, which translates as Foreign Gael, was founded in 2004 by Colin MacLeod who set up premises in a small hut in Govan. Colin had been the instrumental in the M77 motorway protest in Pollok Park in the early 1990’s and was greatly inspired by the galvanising effect the protest had on many and the sense of community it imparted. After the protest finished, and with the realisation that this energy and spirit could be used to good effect, he established GalGael. Their first project was to build a Birlinn (a small galley boat used primarily in the Hebrides in the Middle Ages). Such was the build quality and superb craftsmanship, it became the first boat to be launched on the Clyde in the Millenium – the Birlinn, and the historical and cultural significance it represents, has since become the iconic symbol of GalGael. Sadly Colin passed away in 2005 aged only 39 and now his wife Gehan, alongside an able and highly motivated staff, runs the project.
GalGael’s Project Support Worker is Tam McGarvey who met Colin during the M77 protests and has been with GalGael since its inception. He explained to me at the 11,000 foot workshop GalGael now calls home the importance of such a project to the people of Govan. “I think Scotland is one of the world’s most beautiful places with an amazing history which many can’t access due to their circumstances. At GalGael we give people from disadvantaged backgrounds a sense of purpose. By providing a venue, some tools and training, as well as the right environment, then people can gain back a little of their dignity”.
Many of the people arriving at GalGael have been referred to them by the likes of social services and these include the homeless, long term unemployed, ex servicemen and women, or people with mental health issues and GalGael can grant a first step back on the ladder to improving their outlook on life which will hopefully lead to an improvement in their quality of life. “We live in a very materialistic and individualistic society which can make people feel isolated”, Tam points out. “But the Scots have always been quite a tribal people and here we provide a safe haven and with a bit of respect and hospitality we can steer people away from the lifestyle we see here in Govan”.
This hospitality begins with the simple detail of offering anyone who comes through the door a cup of tea. On my first visit to GalGael when I was waiting to meet with Tam I was offered a cup of tea by what must have been a dozen different people (I also had to respond a dozen times that I don’t drink the stuff – maybe I should start) and it is this welcoming environment that can make people feel at ease and put their trust in the project. Step into the workshop and you will find people working together, conversing, sharing a joke, and getting along which may not have been the case under previous circumstances. It is a hive of activity with an incredibly vibrant atmosphere and real pride being taken in the variety of projects being worked on.
These range from elaborate carvings, striking furniture, and beautifully crafted boats, one of which was being worked on by Mark Thornton who came to GalGael in 2008 with drug and alcohol issues. Mark readily admits that without the project he may not have overcome his addictions. “It’s a great group to be with and it is good to know that people like Tam are always here for you. It’s just good to be with people, a variety of different people. I always had a talent with wood but never did I think I would get an opportunity to build my own boat”.
The idea of using wood to build boats and integrating this with our culture and history is something that sets GalGael out from similar schemes. “There are a lot of good projects in Glasgow but I like to think we are unique”. Tam explained to me as we walked around the workshop. “The boat building is great because you are working as a team to build this beautiful craft whilst learning these transferable skills. The boats we build have been entwined in our history for maybe 1000 years and so you are learning about our history and heritage, and how people used to live and work together”. Once built, some of the boats are used for trips with one such expedition sailing all the way to Ireland.
Each person using GalGael will initially be put through a twelve week project in basic woodwork and if they are successful they will attain a woodwork certificate which is accredited with Cardonald College. They then move on to a personal project which Tam explained the importance of. “The personal project is incredibly significant as the individual gets to make something to give back to their families or friends and it is symbolic of the progress they have made and they are doing something creative with their lives. We try and get people away from this culture of taking all the time, like benefits for example, and to instil in them that it can be incredibly rewarding to give”.
After the personal project is completed some may then go on to college or get back into the workplace whilst many volunteer with GalGael and become involved in commissions that come into the workshop or work on their own projects. However, it is how a person is able to deal with the real world, which many couldn’t before becoming involved with GalGael, which is most important. “It is building up an individual’s self confidence and their ability to make their own decisions, the right ones”, Tam stresses. “But we are always here for them and we provide reassurance that even if you don’t use the facilities anymore you are still part of the clan. We like to describe it like Hotel California – you can check out any time but you can’t leave”.
GalGael also recognise that homelessness, addictions, or mental health issues are not restricted to urban areas – all of these problems are equally prevalent in rural environments. Therefore GalGael is working closely with similar projects in Argyll and have a ten year lease on a farm beside Loch Awe. “We have two staff members living there and working with local organisations”, Tam explains. “Every month a party from Govan visits to do up the house, plant native woodland, and to learn more about their culture”.
Other projects on the go include the Dorna Project which aims to incorporate similar groups in countries such as Spain, France, Portugal, and Ireland to look at traditional boatbuilding and what benefits it can offer to communities as well as looking at the tourism opportunities that could be developed.
But all of this requires money, and in these incredibly harsh economic times Tam is concerned funding may be cut although he puts a different slant on it. “The financial climate is worrying, and we don’t take all the credit, but the amount of money we save the state by keeping people out of prison, off drugs and alcohol is incredibly good value for money. You’d like to think the government would continue to support projects like this”. Or as Patsy Anderson, who along with her husband use the support and facilities provided by GalGael, puts it, “If there was more projects like GalGael there would be fewer problems”.
This means GalGael, which is a charity and not wishing to go cap in hand, have to become creative in ways of raising funds which includes utilising the sawmill for commercial timber processing to selling some of the products that are made in the workshop. But GalGael has never been driven by monetary gain – reconnecting people with their communities has always been their ultimate goal. “I like to think that other groups will look at us as a model”, Tam proudly asserts, “and how people relate to each other, taking pride in, and respecting, each other. We need to build a culture of respect. I don’t know what Plan B would look like if the economy crashed but I like to think it would look something like GalGael”.
Having witnessed what all at GalGael do, the galvanising effect the project has had on the community and the, dare I say it, all fashioned values being instilled in people then I hope Tam is right.
www.galgael.org
