History – CYCA

In 1957 the Gorbals Group was established by three Church of Scotland Ministers, Geoff Shaw, John Harvey, and Walter Fyfe. These ministers were inspired by the worker-priest movement in France and by their own experiences of the East Harlem Church in New York. They saw the consequences for health and wellbeing of the overcrowded, dangerous tenements of the time in Gorbals, the lack of safe spaces for children, and the lack of recognition of the community voice in local government or elsewhere.

The group members and their families came to live and work in Gorbals with the intention of sharing in the problems of the area with local residents. They developed a form of community ministry based on direct help and support to the very poor and vulnerable families. The group worked from their own homes, making themselves available to anyone, and having a commitment to personal involvement and direct action. Practice was developed on a model that linked private troubles to public issues. It assumed that society is structurally unequal, so that to change inequalities requires the collective organisation of people around expressed needs; ‘organising among the unorganised’ to distribute resources more fairly.

Key achievements include:

1950’s/60’s

The utilising of empty tenements to meet local needs: ‘safehouse’ for young people leaving care or released from young offender’s institutes; childcare rooms for working families; sand-pits and supervised play areas in the back-courts. All initiated and run by local people.
Publishing Scotland’s first and longest running community newspaper The View; a much loved and admired vehicle for local action, campaigning and information sharing.
Setting up of a holiday scheme for children and families. This initiative evolved into the current Glasgow’s Children Holiday scheme which Crossroads still partners with to ensure the most deprived children in Gorbals have fun-filled breaks.

1990’s/00

Building of the new (and current) Playbarn Youth & Community Centre; supported local campaign and fundraising for £500,000 for a better community facility for young people and wider community. Crossroads has ownership of this facility.
Student Unit: First agency in the UK to be approved and have practice teachers accredited by the Central Council in Education and Training in Social Work. Training for social work students that was based inside communities.
TASK – community work support for local women to address the lack of childcare services in Gorbals, culminating in the establishment of TASK Early Years and Child Care Centre in Gorbals still managed by the original campaigners.
Advocacy service and community development project working with local people from Slovakian/Czech/Roma communities on a range of issues including housing, health, welfare and access to employment.
Refurbishment of the Barn Centre; new roof, windows, and kitchen extension
Hosting a Link Up community development programme for over nine years. Link Up is an Inspiring Scotland backed project operating in nine communities across Scotland in a sustained effort to realise a Scotland without poverty and disadvantage. Link Up is amongst the largest and longest-running individual and community wellbeing programmes in Scotland.
Fairer Food Project: alongside six local partners in Gorbals a strategic effort to address the worst effects of food poverty on young people. Over 200 fresh healthy meals cooked by young people for young people served weekly. 4 sessions per week introducing culinary skills and dietary awareness to young people for longer term healthy outcomes.
Gorbals 3rd Sector Forum: instrumental in the organising of Gorbals 3rd sector organisations into a collaborative body strategically linked to public sector services and working closely with local people. This body is crucial in the delivery of Gorbals Thriving Place priorities.

The scale and of the Gorbals Group work grew over the next ten years, and their radical community work approach began to be admired and noticed by others seeking to make positive social change. By 1967 the reach and influence of this work had further developed, so the Group decided to register the youth & community work activities as a stand-alone charity to secure more resources and cover the extent of the work required. The group named this new charity Crossroads.

Crossroads track record spans six decades supporting local people to create positive change, stimulating community empowerment and contributing to the regeneration of the Gorbals and Govanhill.

1970’s/80’s

First fieldwork Unit in Scotland for social work & community development students established in collaboration with Glasgow University and Social Work Services Group. (700+ students over these years).
Dampness Monster Campaign; community workers helping to organise local fears and discontent of people living in the most substandard housing in Europe, culminating in their demolition and construction of new better housing.
Construction of the first Playbarn; a space dedicated to providing young people with a place to call their own.
Street Warden Pilot Scheme; organising local concerns regarding public safety particularly for the older community. The project evolved into the establishment of Dixon Halls Centre for Older People in Govanhill.
Asian Women’s Action Group; a highly influential action research project in collaboration with local Asian women and Stirling University culminating policy change and changes to anti-discrimination practice in Scotland.

Crossroads Story