Dundee West Church have announced the recipients of the Sheila Tennant Co-Design in the Community Awards, an initiative which supports community activities in the city.  The funding comes from a substantial bequest from Sheila Tennant, a former member of the congregation who passed away in 2014. This year Dundee West Church has created the Sheila Tenant Design Awards in recognition of the coming of the V&A Dundee, celebrating the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016. £10,000 was awarded to 4 community groups in support of community design activities on Friday 26 August at a public event.

Contributions to the awards included:

• Mike Press: Chair of Design Policy at DJCAD
• Gillian Easson, Executive Director at Creative Dundee
• Peter Nurick from V&A Museum of Design Dundee
• Musical contributions
• Dundee West’s own catering

Sheila Tennant Co-Design in the Community Award Winners include:

Hot Chocolate Trust

Hot Chocolate Trust is a young community charity based in the Steeple Church. Hot Chocolate’s young people take great pride in how they have been able to shape their environment and the individual rooms reflect their sense of home and a place where young people can feel welcome, safe, valued and able to be themselves, throughout the transition from child to adult.

The project will pair 6-8 young people with 6-8 designers to work together to redesign/redecorate the space, bringing a clean, warm, contemporary feel to the current dark interior area.

Lochee Music Group

Lochee Music Group is a community music drop-in session for people aged 16 or over, ran once a week on Wednesday mornings in Lochee Parish Church hall. The origins of the group stem from a group of local people currently in recovery from substance misuse and/or suffering mental health issues that access the Lochee Drop-Inn; they had a desire to play and learn music, but lacked the equipment to do so and a safe place in which to do it.

The funding from the Sheila Tennant Design Award would allow them to buy new music and arts equipment and to cover heating/electricity overheads and refreshment costs for a year.

Togs for Tots to Teens

Togs for Tots to Teens is a social enterprise clothing and equipment bank for Dundee and the surrounding area, providing aid to families struggling to afford the essentials needed – after food and fuel – to raise children with healthy bodies and minds.

The aim is that no child goes without their ‘five to thrive’:

1. Weather appropriate clothing for all seasons and key ‘occasions’

2. Well-fitting shoes for all seasons

3. A comfortable and age-appropriate bed with bedding

4. Key equipment and toys for cognitive and physical development

5. Experiences that promote the development of strong family and social bonds

With the support of the Sheila Tennant Design Awards, they will develop a co-design process to work jointly with people who have benefited from their service to design a programme of experiences to develop strong family and social bonds.

DOT (Diabetes out There)

Dundee has an above average population of 1837 people living with Type 1 diabetes. The Diabetes Clinic in Tayside Children’s Outpatient Department within Ninewells hospital have 220 children in Tayside and North-east Fife , ages 0-18, within their care. To make better use of waiting time and make for an improved experience the team at the clinic are keen to find ways they can develop activities during this time. They would provide useful education and support experiences for both child and family members.

Practical skills such as community gardening evidently contribute to a sense of control and identity, builds self esteem and fosters and strengthens groups and communities through peer support and learning. These are all things they want for the young people and their families that attend the children and young persons diabetic clinic.

DOT will prototype a restructure of the way the clinic operates to get rid of waiting times and instead host valuable workshops and activities within Ninewells community garden.

Gillian Easson, Director, Creative Dundee said:

“The Sheila Tennant 2016 awardees are a great example of how community organisations can embed design into projects and enhance their activities and benefit communities across Dundee. It’s been a pleasure being involved in selecting this year’s awardees and I look forward to seeing their projects blossom and grow”.

Peter Nurick of the V&A Museum of Design in Dundee said:

“Design is all about solving problems and improving people’s lives – not just by changing the way things look, but the way things work. This is true of all of our four incredibly worthy winners, be it re-designing the clinical experience for children living with diabetes, improving well-being through the co-production of music, co-designing a service to improve family ties and develop stronger relationships, or giving young people ownership of a much used, but currently unloved space.”

Gordon Sharp – Locum minister and community development worker, Dundee West said:

“Creativity is what faith is about – never certitude. Creativity is about finding a way forward, often bringing together what is disparate. When community and creativity combine then there are really no limits. That is why in Dundee West we say that we are a place for all faiths and none – for everyone.”