A Polwarth Parish Church elder has received a community hero award from the local MP, Ian Murray.
Dawn Purves said she is “absolutely delighted” to be recognised for the wide range of activities she organises for the congregation and benefit to the wider community.
Mr Murray said Dawn is a worthy recipient who makes a big difference to people.
Described as the “glue” that holds Polwarth Parish Church together, Mrs Purves was involved in the campaign to raise funds to buy a canal boat for education and church activities in 2021, and is a member of the management board.
Named “All Aboard”, the 60-ft long bright blue and yellow wide-beam vessel is moored outside the church on the banks of the Union Canal and a key element of the congregation’s mission outreach work.
The retired teacher is the driving force behind a range of activities held on Wednesdays, including a group for men and women who engage in pursuits including gardening, baking and crafts.
The boat offers opportunities for church members and locals to meet up in a bid to combat loneliness. The group is involved in community work and raises money for charity through the sale of goods they make.
As well as her duties as an elder, Mrs Purves is also the church’s voluntary health and safety officer and makes sure that the building, affectionally known as the Kirk on the Canal, is properly maintained.
“I am absolutely delighted and I have no idea who nominated me for this award because I didn’t know anything about it until I was told I had won,” she said.
“But it is important to say that it is not just me who works hard, it’s everyone in our small church family and all that we do is in service to the Lord.
“I would like to thank my husband Len for supporting me and my message to the congregation going forward is ‘we are making a positive difference to people’s lives and we have to keep on going’.”
Members of the congregation gathered at the church on Friday to see Mr Murray present Mrs Purves with her award.
Session Clerk Mhairi Sandeman said: “We are delighted that Dawn has been recognised for her hard work.
“We’re really proud of her and all that she does for everybody, she is the lifeblood of the church. She is a whirlwind, full of energy and never seems to sleep so she’s always here, making things happen.
“Dawn is a devout person who puts her heart and soul into everything she does and cares for everyone, not just people in our church but in the wider community. She is always putting others before herself, she’s a wonderful person.”
Community Hero Awards
Mr Murray started his Community Hero Awards during the Covid-19 pandemic five years ago to recognise people who went above and beyond to help those in need during lockdown.
Addressing Mrs Purves, he said: “In community and church organisations there are certain people who are the glue that holds everything together and that is reason you were nominated.
“Whether it is organising the Wednesday morning groups, making jam, organising activities for kids, keeping the building upright, it couldn’t happen without individuals like you, putting in time and effort and you do more than most.
“The people who nominated you wanted that to be recognised and to say a big thank you.
“This isn’t my award, it is being presented on behalf of the community for all that you do here at the church and for the wider community, because it couldn’t happen without you.”
In addition to Sunday worship services in a sanctuary that has a labyrinth, Polwarth Parish Church is a hive of activity most days and runs and hosts a wide variety of social groups and members participate in ad hoc special events such as the Canal Festival.
The congregation’s Wellbeing Director Sheila Thomson runs a pop-up café on Tuesdays, which helps to support programmes such as improving digital access for people, and raises money for charities like Children in Need.
She runs a Scrabble club and regularly visits elderly and vulnerable people in the community to check up on them and make sure they have enough food and appropriate care support packages.
Asked if he thought the Church is still relevant in today’s society, Mr Murray replied: “Absolutely and probably more relevant than ever.
“If you look at the kind of spaces in our communities that have always been there, that people can identify with, it’s your primary schools, high schools and churches and other places of worship.
“Churches are right at the heart of communities and we need the glue that hold communities together more than ever today, when you look around at what’s happening with societies splintering, lives becoming fragmented and extended families no longer being around.
“That’s why it’s really important to have places of worship in communities, to see them grow and be celebrated.”
