Every year members of Corstorphine Craigsbank and East Craigs donate Christmas gifts to the children of those in our prison system. Your generosity is always much appreciated. 2025 will be the 40th year this collection has been running, It will also be Colin O’Flaherty’s 25th & last collection as he is retiring after 40 years in the prison service. Colin has sent the following thank you letter and asked that it be shared with all.
Dearest Friends,
I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Thank you, for your support for the Edinburgh prison Christmas gift collection.
Your kindness and generosity made sure that two hundred and twenty-three children had Christmas presents to open on Christmas morning.
The gifts were given out at the six Christmas parties organised between the family contact officers and the Barnardo’s staff from the visitor’s centre. The Christmas parties took place in the visit room in the prison allowing the children’s parent or guardian to take part. Gifts were also given out directly from the visitors, collected by the parent or guardian of the children.
The number of children that received gifts was down on last year’s wonderful achievement. This was because the number of children that passed through the visitor’s centre was down on last year. We achieved our aim, which is to ensure that every child that visited the visitors centre received Christmas presents.
We did receive some media interest the Scotsman and the BBC did an article about the gift collection. The Justice Minister Angela Constance when she heard about the gift collection, took time out of her schedule to visit the visitors’ centre and helped with wrapping of some of the gifts.
My thanks as always go to you. Without your support the Edinburgh prison Christmas gift collection have stopped a long time ago.
My thanks also go to the Barnardo’s staff in the visitors’ centre Shona, Patrizia and Ann all played an important part in making it a success.
My thanks also go to the senior managers of the prison for supporting me and allowing me to organise the gift collection.
I am already looking forward to this year’s 2025 Christmas gift collection. It will be the fortieth year in a row that the gift collection started by Rev John Murie will have taken place.
Christmas Chaos and Carols – West Craigs Village, Edinburgh
Come and join us for a FREE festive family hour of Christmas Chaos and Carols at Turnhouse Golf Club, West Craigs, Edinburgh. This is a chance to say hello to new neighbours, enjoy storytelling, star themed crafts, coffee and mince pies and lift your voice in Christmas Carols and songs (or just listen in!). Everyone is welcome. New friendships really can last a lifetime.
Don’t miss out on this fun event to get you in the mood for Christmas in your new home. Sunday 8 December, 4pm.
A warm welcome awaits from your local parish churches.
Sunday 8 December 4.00pm – 5.00pm, Turnhouse Golf Club
Come and join us for a FREE festive family hour of Christmas Chaos and Carols at Turnhouse Golf Club. This is a chance for those who have moved into West Craigs and the Western expansion (and those who have lived there for years) to say a relaxed hello to new neighbours – children meet children, adults meet adults – enjoy storytelling for kids, crafts, coffee and mince pies and lift your voice in Christmas Carols and songs (or just listen in!). Everyone is welcome – new friendships really can last a lifetime.
Don’t miss out on this fun event to get you in the mood for Christmas in your new home.
A warm welcome awaits from your local parish churches.
Over the Christmas period our church and church centre have been busy, noisy, welcoming and happy, contemplative places to be. In addition to the many indoor activities (which included concerts, candlelit evenings, carol services, gift services, School services, a Christian Aid lunch, a service of remembrance and our wonderful Messy Church and Junior Music Makers Nativity) the area surrounding East Craigs has been transformed through Bulb Planting. And our Eco Heroes have represented us at Parliament protests. All of this on top of our regular thought-provoking services.
Our musician and singers, hospitality group and Eco team have been particularly busy but none more so than our minister, Alan Childs. We are grateful to each and every one of them.
The last couple of years have been challenging and many of us have lost loved ones. You are invited to a Bereavement service to remember those we have cherished and lost.
This year, the service will be held at East Craigs at 3.00pm on 4 December 2022. If you plan to come along, please contact our church administrator.
All children in Scotland should wake up to a gift on Christmas morning. We want to help make that a reality.
Every year, members of the congregation and friends of Craigsbank and East Craigs, kindly donate gifts for children from birth to mid teens who have a parent in prison in the Edinburgh area. This year the dates for our Gift Service are the first Sunday of December (4) at Craigsbank and the second Sunday of December (11) at East Craigs.
Please dig deep once again. We ask for new gifts – toys/books/soft toys for children of all ages from birth to teens to be brought to the church UNWRAPPED.
Jackie Rankine will collect the toys after the services and arrange for our contact person from Saughton Prison to collect them on Monday 12 December.
Please contact Jackie or the Church Office with any questions.
All children in Scotland should wake up to a gift on Christmas morning. We want to help make that a reality.
Every year, members of the congregation and friends of Craigsbank and East Craigs, kindly donate gifts for children from birth to mid teens who have a parent in prison in the Edinburgh area. This year the dates for our Gift Service are the first Sunday of December (4) at Craigsbank and the second Sunday of December (11) at East Craigs.
Please dig deep once again. We ask for new gifts – toys/books/soft toys for children of all ages from birth to teens to be brought to the church UNWRAPPED.
Jackie Rankine will collect the toys after the services and arrange for our contact person from Saughton Prison to collect them on Monday 12 December.
Please contact Jackie or the Church Office with any questions.
Join the Bohemians and our own wonderful Singers for their Christmas concerts. The highlight of the season!
Three concerts are planned. The one at Craigsbank is on Thursday 8 December at 8pm but tickets for them all are available from Alison McKay -Email by clicking on Alison’s name, phone on 339 2229 or 07708473171, or see Alison after Sunday services to book your place!
