Greenbank’s Social Justice Action Group is active in a number of areas, promoting practical actions to influence public policy and raise awareness of poverty and inequality in Scotland and also at global level.
In Summer 2024 the group promoted an election hustings meeting in advance of the General Election, open to the public, in conjunction with neighbouring churches. A large public attendance was achieved, with all candidates able to express their manifesto intentions and answer questions.
This was followed by active engagement with our MP, Ian Murray, and the Group is committed to maintaining links with him in various ways.
Raising awareness of injustice is addressed through promoting events and worship content which draw attention to gross inequalities in society. Recent activity has focussed on Prisoner’s Week in Scotland, where workshop events and publicity have ensured that the many injustices in the prison system have been highlighted.
Child poverty is also a priority focus of the Group. It has assisted in preparing worship material, and the wider dissemination of information in the church newsletters and magazine.
An established project, An Open Hand, has been operating since 2021, addressing the specific need to provide birthday presents for children in deprived households. Feedback from supported families is extremely positive, and the demand remains at high level. The project operates entirely with volunteer support, and is linked to a network of referral contacts which ensure targeted delivery of the gifts.
The Group aims to increase its impact via events and other initiatives which highlight social justice issues.