Musselburgh: Glimmer of hope for the Hollies Community Hub's future

Staff of the much-loved High Street facility for the over-60s, previously known as Hollies Day Centre, were told at an emergency meeting last Wednesday that they would be made redundant and it would close on November 2.

READ MORE: Hollies to close permanently in November

The centre, which has been operating in Musselburgh since 1962, has been plagued with funding problems in recent years and its old building is in need of expensive repairs.

The hub is responsible for maintenance of the building, which is leased from East Lothian Council.

As a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), it is independently run and relies on funding from outside agencies to allow it to provide its cafe and five-day-a-week lunch club, as well as transport.

Supporters of the facility say it provides a lifeline to senior community members and prevents loneliness and isolation.

In April last year, it received £32,000 from Musselburgh Common Good Fund, administered by the town’s four ward councillors, to tide it over for a few months after its future looked bleak.

But despite fundraising efforts since then and backing from the community, including a petition to keep it open, the Hollies has struggled to meet its overheads and the situation reached crisis point when an application for a £40,500 grant from the Common Good Fund was rejected earlier this month.

Councillors to meet

The centre is due to close next week but the Courier has learnt that three of the town’s ward councillors – Cher Cassini, Shona McIntosh and Ruaridh Bennett – met as the Musselburgh Common Good Fund committee on Tuesday to discuss possible grant aid for the High Street facility.

Because of the importance and complexity of the situation, the Courier understands that the councillors want to bring the matter before the meeting of East Lothian Council on Tuesday.

This could be the Hollies’ last chance for a reprieve, but any grant funding would again only provide short-term relief.

The town’s fourth councillor, Andy Forrest, who was not at the Common Good Fund meeting on Tuesday, said: “It would be a shame if the Hollies Community Hub were to close.

“I have asked the Labour Group to look at this and see what we can do to help the Hollies to continue operating.”

'Deeply alarmed'

Town MSP Colin Beattie said: “I am deeply alarmed by the announcement of the imminent closure of the Hollies Day Centre in Musselburgh.

“The Hollies has provided vital support and a welcoming and safe place to meet for many of our more vulnerable community members.

“I have called on East Lothian Council to urgently intervene to save this resource, which has faced the threat of closure far too many times. Time is short and prompt action must be taken for the sake of the many users who rely on it.

“The focus must be on the wellbeing and requirements of the users of the Hollies.”

The facility has faced financial challenges for several years, relying on fundraisers and sponsors to keep operating, and launched a campaign to save the Hollies.

'Running on empty'

Liz Shannon, manager at the Hollies, told the Courier: “We’ve been running on empty for years.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the community for their offers of support and donations from all of us at the Hollies; also all comments received, whether good, bad or indifferent, were also welcome.

“This is a very difficult time for us all staff, volunteers, trustees and most importantly our members/customers.”

Actor James Martin, a Musselburgh resident who played Eric in the hit TV sitcom Still Game, has been a great supporter of the Hollies over the years.

He said: “In the past I have enjoyed organising a number of fundraising events which were always well supported and now, due to [being] 92 and sight impairment due to macular, the Hollies is my haven.

“With help I can manage to walk there and, once there, my wife knows that it is a safe and welcoming environment and can safely leave me.

“The staff do not just serve coffee or food but they know and care for all the patrons and are happy to give any assistance that may be required. The Hollies has very many regular patrons, all of whom can have a substantial meal at a very reasonable price and thus avoid the need to cook at home.

“The lunch club [members] are picked up by the Hollies bus and returned safely to their homes. They also receive a substantial meal and are out of their homes and mixing with other people. What will these vulnerable people do without it?

“I would like to make a personal plea to the council to support the vulnerable people of Musselburgh and give some financial aid to the Hollies.”

'Nothing like the Hollies'

Ewan Mclay, from Musselburgh, who has driven the Hollies’ minibus for the past two years and raised funds for the hub, said: “People who are not fit enough to walk in are going to suffer and will be stuck in the house, and that’s after the Covid pandemic when they were on their own.

“There is nothing like the Hollies in East Lothian – it will be sadly missed if it has to close.”

One of those who took to social media on a personal level to call for support for the Hollies was Ian Hanratty, who first attended with his gran more than 50 years ago.

“Then my late father used it when he had dementia and loved the lunch club,” he said.

“Recently, I have started using the Hollies as a member of the Musselburgh and District Veterans Group.”

He issued a rallying call to the public to help save the Hollies by donating funds and urged people to use the cafe as much as they could between now and its expected closing date.

Ms Shannon, who has worked at the Hollies for 12 years, shared her concerns about what losing the centre would do for those who needed it on a day-to-day basis.

Liz Shannon outside the Hollies

She said: “It would be devastating to the older community, absolutely devastating.

“It’s far more than a day centre, Covid changed a lot of that.

“It’s a safe environment, especially for the elderly, they know they’ve got a blether, even with the staff.”

She added that there was also an added toll on the staff who had been working hard for many years for older people in Musselburgh.

She said: “Their heart and soul is in it. Some of them are quite new but they are so well known and they know the customers’ names. It’s far more than just a cafe.”

Before Tuesday’s meeting of the three Common Good Fund councillors, Ms Shannon admitted hopes of the centre staying open were slim, but pleaded for any sponsors to come forward and help save the Hollies before the “irreplaceable” service disappeared forever.

She said: “They’ve heard for years saying we’re skint. We are and we have been.

“We need sponsors and we need a massive cash injection to get us on our feet.

“It’s been such a lifesaver for many, many people for many, many years. It’s irreplaceable.

“It cannot be moved from here either – this building is the Hollies.”

'Sad news'

When the November 2 closure date was announced last week, Councillor Shona McIntosh said: “This is really sad news and is undeniably a huge loss for the community.

“I know that the Hollies’ staff and trustees, with support from both VCEL and numerous officers from East Lothian Council, had been working hard to try to find a sustainable solution to the long-running financial problems.

“I would like to thank everyone who has worked or volunteered there for all the effort they have put in to provide such an important service for the community.”

A spokesperson for East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP) said: “ELHSCP are sorry to hear The Hollies will be closing on November 2.

“ELHSCP continues to fund a successful ‘meeting centre’ in Musselburgh which offers tailored support for people with mild to moderate dementia, their carers and families.

“Furthermore, ELHSCP is currently seeking applications to deliver a new older people day service in Musselburgh which will provide a blended model of high-quality centre-based and outreach community support for older adults with complex needs, regulated by the Care Inspectorate.”

A community funding page for the Hollies has so far raised more than £2,600. Visit gofundme.com/f/help-we-need-somebody-help to donate.