BCAM 2008 AGM 2008 Silent Vigil Charity Scam Again Contraceptive Pill Study The Royal Highland Show 2007
In June, SBCC, in conjunction with Brotus Rural Crafts, took a stand at the Royal Highland Show at Ingleston, near Edinburgh. This was quite a daunting undertaking for the Campaign and well outwith our comfort zone of the tried and testing shopping centre displays which we have done in past years. However, spurred on by the enthusiasm of Kenny Grieve (Brotus Crafts), with whom we had entered into a working partnership, we went with our instincts and said more than a few prayers that “it would be alright on the night.” As our photographs testify – and despite the horrendous weather – it was.
The rain did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the thousands of folk who turned up at the show in what, at the time, seemed like the worst weather of our Scottish summer. Little did we know that the weather that weekend was a precursor of worst to come. However, we managed to work the weather to our advantage and with a little entrepreneurial skill, SBCC made a modest profit on a hasty new addition to our merchandise range – pink wellies! Every cloud .....................
The object of the exercise, however, was not to sell wellies. We had two serious objectives. One was to reach as many women of Scotland as was possible in order to find out their views on breast cancer issues in Scotland. The second objective was to launch and promote our pink wooden ladies.
Our first objective was easily reached. We were overwhelmed by the number of women – and men – who visited our tent and shared their experiences with us. This information is invaluable to us – only by learning what is wrong – or right – about our services are we able to lobby the Scottish Executive on your behalf. To everyone who came and spoke with us, many, many thanks. Even if it was just a two minute chat to let us know we have your support and that you appreciate the work we are doing on behalf of all the women of Scotland, it was very welcome.
Our second objective, the pink wooden ladies, was also a huge success. As our photographs show, they made quite a visual impact. Eight six-foot high ladies lined the way to our tent and throughout the show, Kenny not only manufactured hundreds of 3 feet high wooden ladies but also constructed a 15 feet high lady which was completed on the Saturday of the show and duly christened ‘Eileth’.
The three feet high wooden ladies were – and still are – for sale at a cost of £5 (this is to cover the cost of materials and manufacture). The idea for the pink ladies came from the Breast Cancer Network Australia and it is with their permission that we are using the ‘pink lady symbol’. The ethos behind the pink ladies is that our emphasis is on the woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer not on the disease itself, unlike the pink ribbon which tends to be associated with research into treatments for the disease. To see what the Australian women did/do with their pink ladies log onto their website www.fieldofwomen.org.au.
Although we can never hope to emulate the Australian event, we are planning to have a much smaller vigil with 326 pink wooden ladies - the number of women in Scotland diagnosed each month with breast cancer. We hope that the visual impact of 326 women carrying a symbolic ‘pink lady’ will draw attention to the ever-increasing rates of breast cancer and spur the Executive to accept the links between cancer and our environment. More information on this event will be posted when we have finalised the details.
I hope you enjoy our little picture gallery. Without the help of so many friends and supporters, the whole event would not have been possible nor would it have been such a pleasure to do. If you would like to be involved in similar SBCC awareness raising campaigns, please get in touch – we would love to hear from you.
Kenny Grieve who masterminded the project and opened the door to the RHS for us. www.brotus.co.uk
Margo McDonald, MSP, our patron, and Yvonne Murray, MBE, for attending the show and giving us their support.
Roy Stirrat who ably assisted Kenny, not only in the early stages of planning the event, but also in setting up the marquees, transporting all of the materials and being a general ‘gofer’ for the entire week of the show. He – along with his wife, Jan – very generously allowed their home to be used as a ‘b an b’ for an assortment of helpers.
James Campbell, professional photographer, for donating to SBCC a photographic record of the event and for giving us permission to use these photos on our website.
Eoin Cox, MBE, of buy Design in Jedburgh who donated the wood for ‘Eileth’. www.buydesign-furniture.com
The following people who gave their time to help ‘man’ our stall
Lorna Findlay, Keith Cancer Link
Jennifer Duncan, Keith Cancer Link
Jeannie Erskine, Killin
Wilma Mann, Bearsden
Joyce Mitchell, Balerno
Chris Simpson, Balerno
Janet West, Balerno
Catherine Buchanan, Balerno
Jackie Lowe, Edinburgh
Kerry McKue, Edinburgh
And last, but by no means least, to the men who worked through, what can only be described as, a monsoon to help Kenny and three sodden and exhausted directors dismantle two marquees in a showground which made the fields of Glastonbury look like a summer’s meadow. They were:-
Lawrence Mitchell, Harry Simpson and Jim West, all from Balerno – I take my hat off to you, sirs.