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Heavenly shopping for Christmas

Edinburgh shoppers are in for a Hebridean surprise this festive season thanks to an initiative by the Iona Community. They are setting up stall in St George's West Church to sell a wide range of crafts and other items sourced from their regular sales outlet on the far flung Scottish island of Iona, visited each year by many thousands of pilgrims and tourists from the UK and overseas.

Community volunteers setting up 'shop' in the well known Edinburgh West End Church, plan to open for business from November 10 until a few days before Christmas. Hours of opening will be Monday to Saturday between 10.30am and 3.30pm.

"It's been quite a logistical exercise arranging staffing for the stall," explains project manager Jim Black, from Penicuik.

"But the response from Iona Community members, associates and others from in and around the city means it will be all systems go on the opening day."

Jim continues: "A big thanks to everyone who has offered their time to serve customers and keep the till ringing."

The project manager praised St. George's West minister the Rev Peter Macdonald, also a Community Member, and the church's staff for their co-operation in planning the event and setting aside the space needed.

Apart from a warm welcome, shoppers will have the opportunity to purchase Celtic crafts, including jewellery, carvings, glassware, tapestries, customised and other clothing as well as material from the Community's widely respected Wild Goose Publications.

Jim adds: "It's been many years since the Iona Community has had an Edinburgh office, so this initiative in one sense also represents a return to the city, albeit for a short time.

"Currently there are some 150 Community members and associates living in and around the Capital from an overall membership of 270 and 1500 respectively plus Friends in the UK and elsewhere in the world."

Profits from the sales will help boost Community funds that support its work and worship with all age groups in Iona's world famous Abbey, the nearby MacLeod Centre and the recently refurbished adventure camp at Camas on the island of Mull, as well as its mainland activities.

An ecumenical Christian movement, the Iona Community whose mainland base is in Glasgow, was founded during the depression of 1938 by the late George MacLeod, then parish minister in Govan. Earlier in his career, the noted preacher and pacifist was Assistant Minister of St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh and later in his career became Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Ends.

Note to News Desks

nr/73/11/2008

Thursday 6, November 2008

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