DUMFRIES, 3 FEBRUARY 2015
As part of the Scottish Government’s initiative to engage with local communities across Scotland, the Scottish Parliament’s flagship outreach programme, ‘Parliament Day’, is coming to Dumfries and Galloway from Saturday 21, to Monday 23 February, 2015.
One of the key elements of the Dumfries Parliament Day will be the Communities Conference. This is a day-long event to be held at the Easterbrook Hall in Dumfries on Saturday 21 February.
In attendance will be the Rt Hon Tricia Marwick MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and Convener of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, who will be accompanied by local MSPs, Alex Fergusson and Elaine Murray.
The ‘Parliament Day’ initiative is all about taking the Parliament out of Edinburgh and into local communities across Scotland, to listen to the concerns of local people and to inspire them to take an interest in and engage directly with the work of their Parliament. It provides an opportunity for people to meet everyone involved with the Parliament: Members, the Presiding Officer and the staff of the Parliament.
Tricia Marwick MSP
Last year, Tricia Marwick MSP, introduced ‘Parliament Day’ in Dumfries on 20 November, 2014, where she explained the Scottish Government’s commitment to encourage local communities across Scotland to see the Parliament at work, be it ‘official’ Parliamentary business, or on a less formal level.
She said:
“The Parliament Days give us an opportunity to listen to the concerns of local people. As part of our Parliament Days, we are taking a Public Petitions Committee there, where they can directly hear from people about issues that matter to them.”
Communities Conference
The Scottish Parliament’s Communities Conference entitled “Understanding and Influencing Your Parliament” will see local MSPs Elaine Murray and Alex Fergusson share expert advice with interactive workshops run throughout the day, led by MSPs and the Scottish Parliament’s expert staff.
The Conference is completely free to attend, with lunch also provided free of charge and is intended for local community groups, voluntary organisations, charities, social enterprises, civic groups and community activists.
Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries said:
“When an issue matters, and when it is within Holyrood’s power to help, engaging with MSPs and the Scottish Parliament can be a direct way for individuals, community groups and organisations to be heard.”
“We want people from across Dumfries and Galloway to know that we are their MSPs and the Scottish Parliament belongs to them. The conference is all about helping make sure their voice is heard. I hope to meet many people from the south-west region who feel strongly about an issue, so I can share a range of ways the Scottish Parliament can help make a positive difference to people’s lives in their local community, or even throughout Scotland.”
Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfriesshire said:
“We’re looking forward to meeting as many local community organisations, charities, social enterprises, tenants and residents groups, local campaign organisations, volunteers and youth groups from the area as possible.”
“But we also want to hear from individuals with an important issue to share. Only by hearing from people who have perhaps never been involved with the Parliament or politics before can we continue to raise the profile of a wide variety of important issues and give a voice to the people of Dumfries and Galloway.”
(Photographs reproduced with permission of SPCB)
The conference consists of seven different workshops, each focussing on a specific practical route for engaging successfully with MSPs and the Parliament:
· Engaging with Committees
· Help Me to Help You: an MSPs View
· Working With Local Media
· Events & Exhibitions at Holyrood
· Public Petitions
· Engaging Through Social Media
· Cross-Party Groups
Each workshop will be an hour in duration, and will be run four times during the course of the day – allowing delegates to attend four out of seven workshops. Places are limited and must be booked in advance. Workshop places are allocated on a ‘first come’ basis as demand is sure to be very high.
Booking Information: To attend the Communities Conference, please email:
Alice Noble, Scottish Parliament on [email protected] with details of the workshops you would like to attend.
Registration is from 9.00a.m with formal start at 9.45a.m. The event will close at 3.30 p.m.
