Debbies Story

Introduction

As a learning partner for WM2U, I attended the final day of the Values Based Leadership Academy (VBLE) delivered by Columba 1400, with a group of Whitfield practitioners from the third sector, community development, health, and housing. The purpose was to explore what they gained from the experience, and how they envisioned putting their values into action. That’s where I met Debbie, the only paid member of staff at The Lifegate Church. She coordinates and delivers activities, including community work, supported by volunteers. Debbie came to the VBLE with a bold aspiration… to raise £125,000 to purchase The Lifegate Church building from the Church of Scotland, who had put it up for sale. What follows is her first-person story, capturing the journey she’s been on since attending the WM2U VBLE. 

Debbie's Story

In May 2024, I attended the Values Based Leadership Academy (VBLE) with WM2U and Columba 1400. I don’t work for the council or any council-affiliated group, so at first, I thought, ‘I don’t even know if I should be here.’ But I had such a great time, and the most valuable thing I took from it was the connections I made with others working in the community.

What really made the experience meaningful was the follow-up. I came back from the VBLE with one clear purpose - to realise the vision that our community must not lose the Lifegate building. To make that happen, I needed to stay in touch with the people I’d met, especially the community learning and development (CLD) and health teams.

At first, I wasn’t sure I’d have time to follow up with everyone, but we started meeting regularly at the church. We explored each other’s journeys and looked for ways to collaborate. Their support was great - sharing funding links, offering encouragement, and helping me think through next steps. One CLD worker and I now run groups together, and she is amazing. We have a ‘pram-pushing’ walking group for young mums, which has created a real sense of peer support. We also host a Friday community café serving up to 60 people, and tea dances for the elderly - seeing them all get up to line dance together is just lovely. We also run Resolve and Evolve, a drop-in recovery group, which has been really popular. Recently, the group had a chance to attend a dinner and play at Dundee Rep after one of their staff led drama workshops with us - it was such a highlight.

Geoff, the WM2U coordinator, has been a lifeline. He’s kept me up to date with funding opportunities and always encouraged me to keep going, especially when things were tough. Geoff never gives up - he’d send regular emails with suggestions and new ideas, always steering me in the right direction. Even during the slump when we weren’t getting any money in, he stayed positive saying ‘Let’s keep going. We can try this fund and that fund.’

There have been challenges along the way. I was diagnosed with stage four cancer and need a hip replacement, which meant I lost momentum at times. My husband has been such a source of strength. Having this project to focus on has been a welcome distraction. We're already planning the next phase - decorating the building and making it more accessible. We’re working with the local community justice team, who’ve agreed to help decorate if we provide the materials. People in the community have also offered to pitch in. We will be applying for refurbishment funds again - some funders who couldn’t support us the first time have shown renewed interest.

And yes, we managed to raise the £125,000! £90,000 came from three different organisations, and the remaining £35,000 was raised by individuals who simply responded to the call on social media. We were even featured on STV News! The community has been amazing – a real driving force behind keeping the building open.

One story that stands out is a woman who comes to our community café asked how much we still needed. I told her we were £2,000 short. That same day, she turned up at my door with £1,000 and said, ‘I’m so sorry it’s not the full amount.’ I was speechless. That’s just one example of many. Our wee church doesn’t have a huge congregation, but our members raised nearly £10,000 - just digging into whatever they had to keep Lifegate open.

If we hadn’t raised the funds, the community would’ve lost out in so many ways, there would’ve been more isolation, fewer opportunities, and greater mental health struggles. People in Whitfield have been let down too often. The community centre was closed and never replaced, despite promises. The foodbank and single-parent support area were also shut down. There's hardly any space where people can meet informally, and it's no wonder young people feel like there’s nothing for them.

If Lifegate had been lost, the message would’ve been clear: ‘You’re not worth it.’ But instead, the message we sent was: ‘You are.’

Read our next story here.