Arts Guild Greenock

Dismissed? Campaign for Mental Health at Work

Arts Guild Theatre is a supporter of the Dismissed? campaign from the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH). This campaign works to help employers to promote mental health in the workplace, with benefits for both employees and employers. Our support for the Dismissed? campaign shows our commitment to improving mental health in the workplace. Now, we’re inviting other employers to support the campaign, too.

Why? Because sickness absence due to poor mental health costs Scottish employers up to £2 million a day. Coupled with higher staff turnover and presenteeism (where an employee comes into work whilst unwell and fails to work as productively), poor mental health costs employers in Scotland around £2.15 billion a year.

By supporting the Dismissed? campaign you can ensure that these costs are avoided and the mental health of your employees is maintained. Research shows that for every £1 spent supporting and accommodating mental health problems you can generate savings of nearly £10. By becoming a supporter of the Dismissed? campaign, SAMH can help you make these savings, by: 

• Providing free guides to the simple changes you can make in the workplace
• Providing training in mental health awareness for staff and managers
• Working with you to develop tailored mental health policies for your work
• Working with you to promote the campaign and your organisation’s support

 On March 14 2012, the Dismissed? campaign will launch its new research report on experiences of mental health in the workplace. You are invited to attend, to hear about what the research means for your business and to talk to other employers about how to promote mental health. For more details of the campaign and this special event, contact SAMH at policy@samh.org.uk

The Beacon Arts Centre – Inverclyde’s new arts venue, which is currently under construction on the Greenock waterfront, is delighted to announce that it has received a grant of £100,000 from The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation.

The award will assist with the establishment of a youth theatre which will offer opportunities for participation in arts activities to young people from a socially disadvantaged background. The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation aims to support projects which can make a real difference to people’s lives through participation in the arts.  For more information, visit www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com.

The £9.5 million project will deliver one of the most exciting new arts venues in the country. The Beacon will open its doors in summer 2012 and will replace the existing Greenock Arts Guild Theatre which has served the community well, for over 60 years. The Arts Guild has successfully raised over £9 million during the past 7 years and construction of the new building started in November 2010. The construction webcam can be viewed at www.beaconartscentre.co.uk The Beacon is jointly funded by the Arts Guild, together with its main project partners – Creative Scotland, Inverclyde Council, Riverside Inverclyde and The Big Lottery. It will play a major role in the wider regeneration strategy for the Inverclyde area and the Clyde waterfront.

The building will have two performing spaces – a main auditorium (500 seats) with full flytower and trap facilities, a black box studio theatre (130 seats) and ancillary rehearsal rooms. It will also have a vibrant café/bar overlooking the River Clyde. The building is being constructed on the site of a former shipyard and dry-dock and it has been designed by Scottish Design, architectural practice of the year – LDN Architects LLP who have worked on a wide range of theatre projects including the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome and The Usher Hall.

Chairman of Greenock Arts Guild, Elliott McKelvie said:

“We are delighted that The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation shares our vision of the important role which the arts and arts-education can play in helping to improve people’s lives. The Beacon Arts Centre is a pivotal project for an area which is not short of social challenges. This substantial award will assist enormously by making it possible for us to offer the young people of our community, an opportunity to take part in theatre, music and dance. Inverclyde will soon have an arts centre equipped for 21st century demands and The Beacon will be a flagship for the arts in Scotland”

Commenting on the award, Madeleine Lloyd Webber, Trustee of The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation said:

“The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation is passionate about young people and giving opportunities to them within the arts.  The Youth Theatre project at the Beacon Arts Centre aims to provide the young people in this area an outlet for self expression and to encourage life skills using theatre practices.  Through our donation, we hope to make a positive difference in Inverclyde that will be felt for generations to come.”