Guts and heart!

Just come in from Ocean Terminal, the shopping mall in Leith at the waterfront. Bumped into to someone I first met 7 years ago in Leith Library when the local community councils ran an event to interest local people in the future of Leith -a sort of Imagine Leith type event. Ken had a dream then of a skateboard park for young people. He and his friends had done their homework and talked to all sorts of people about it- the sort of people you might expect who would have an interest in helping young people do something constructive with their time, stay out of trouble and off the streets and take exercise etc etc -all the things the council and government documents say! The only thing is that for Ken and his friends nothing happened so they set about making it happen for themselves. So what worked? A small group of like minded people got together , worked out the sums and what the park would look like and then took a lot of risks themselves.

It was their money and in some cases their homes that were on the line to make sure it happened. Persistence,hard work, chance meetings and support and encouragement from the Centre Manager Dennis Jones at Ocean Terminal as well as others made it happen. My big question is-why does it have to take 7 years? How many young people could have enjoyed this facility in those 7 years, how many parents would have had their minds at rest knowing where their children were? Everyone knows this is what works, people with passion persisting and joining together and refusing to give up. Government, councils, and everyone for that matter pay attention. This is what works! Heart and guts!? Well Ken and his colleagues have lots of guts and Ocean Terminal is a shopping centre with a heart. Well done to all concerned in making this happen. Imagine if more things like this happened in Scotland and happened more quickly!