SEECAT is involved in a number activities in the community. If you would like to get involved in any of these areas, please contact us (via the email link at the side or contact any of the churches involved). Here is a list of our current main areas of involvement.
Liberton Hospital Services
SEECAT holds a service in Liberton Hospital (Lasswade Road) at 2.30pm on the fourth Sunday of each month. (Special arrangements will be made for Christmas/Easter times).
Worshippers and helpers are always welcome.
SEECAT Justice and Peace Group
This small group from the various SEECAT churches meets under the chairmanship of Revd. David Dixon (01875 812985) of St. Barnabas Church. It seeks to look at world issues of justice and peace and to pray regularly and encourage others to do so. Also, to highlight to SEECAT churches action which can be taken in support of those suffering from injustice and conflict, particularly through special events.
Cameron Toll Chaplaincy
The Cameron Toll Shopping Centre lies just outside the SEECAT area, but is widely used by the people living in South East Edinburgh. Its shops, supermarket and cafe are easily reached by bus or car, and together make a major local employer. One of SEECAT's regular annual events is singing Christmas Carols in the Centre Mall.
The SEECAT churches, working jointly with Newington Churches Together (NCT), negotiated with the Centre management in 2001 to set up a chaplaincy in the shopping centre. The current chaplains, Nicola and Shona, have been in the post since October 2006. They work in the centre for a few hours a week on a voluntary basis. Their expenses and insurance are paid by the Chaplaincy Steering Group, which is chaired by Revd. Tom Johnston from Priestfield Church (part of NCT). The group meets twice a year with the Centre Management as well as its regular meetings. SEECAT has two representatives on this Steering Group and the Chaplains report to SEECAT business meetings on a regular basis. SEECAT supports the Chaplaincy financially, prayerfully, and with personal contact.
The Chaplains have built up relations with many of the staff at the Centre over the years, and deliver Christmas and Easter cards (including local church services) to all the retail outlets. They are members of SCIM (Scottish Churches Industrial Mission), who provided their initial training, and who hold regular meetings of workplace chaplains in Edinburgh and Lothian. Nico and Shona also have regular contact with other Edinburgh retail chaplains.
The Chaplaincy provides a Christian "presence" in a commercial setting. Shona and Nico are simply "available" for people to talk to. If they are not in the Centre, they can be contacted via the Customer Services Desk. Their flyers set out the ethos of their ministry:
SEECAT is proud to be part of this important community work.
South Edinburgh Partnership
SEECAT has a representative on the South Edinburgh Partnership whose mission is To achieve the best quality of life possible for the people by accessing, aligning and targeting resources to those in greatest need.
South Edinburgh Echo
The South Edinburgh Echo is the local community free newspaper (funded by Edinburgh Community Newspaper Trust and the South Edinburgh Partnership). It regularly publishes information from SEECAT, including the Christmas and Easter services with a message for the season. It reaches 18,000 homes in South Edinburgh.