Thank You to Morris & Spottiswood for Supporting Our Community Work

We are delighted to share that Morris & Spottiswood Group have kindly supported Soul of the Junction SCIO with a donation towards our Community Wish initiative.

As a small grassroots charity based in Carstairs Junction, every piece of support helps us move forward with projects that aim to strengthen our village community and create positive environmental change.

Our work currently focuses on restoring and revitalising our local Community Hall while developing a range of community initiatives including:

Climate Ready Places workshops

Community gardening and food growing projects

Volunteer environmental activities

Inclusive community events and learning opportunities

Support from organisations such as Morris & Spottiswood makes it possible for us to continue developing these initiatives and engaging local residents of all ages in meaningful activities that improve wellbeing and strengthen community connections.

We are incredibly grateful for their support and look forward to keeping in touch as our projects continue to grow.

Thank you for investing in our community.

—Soul of the Junction SCIO

Community Cinema Reflection: Still Pushing Pineapples at Carstairs Junction

Last Saturday, our community gathered once again at The Wooden Hut for an evening of shared storytelling through film, as part of our growing Community Cinema programme at Soul of the Junction SCIO.

This time, we screened Still Pushing Pineapples — a film that quietly yet powerfully explores themes of resilience, identity and human connection. What made the screening particularly special was not only the film itself, but the conversations it inspired afterwards.

Community cinema offers something uniquely different from traditional film viewing. Watching together allows stories to land differently. People reflect, share experiences, and often see parts of their own journeys mirrored on screen. Still Pushing Pineapples encouraged exactly this — thoughtful discussion, empathy, and moments of recognition among audience members.

For many in rural communities like Carstairs Junction, access to independent and culturally diverse cinema can be limited. Events such as these bring meaningful cultural experiences directly into the heart of the village, removing barriers of travel while strengthening local connection and wellbeing.

The Wooden Hut once again transformed into an intimate cinema space — warm, welcoming and informal. Attendees stayed beyond the credits, chatting over refreshments, exchanging thoughts, and simply enjoying time together. These moments remind us that community cinema is about far more than film; it is about belonging.

At Soul of the Junction SCIO, we see community screenings as part of a wider vision — creating accessible cultural spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together, learn, reflect and feel connected. Film has the power to open conversations, reduce isolation, and spark curiosity about the wider world.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the organisers and partners who make screenings like this possible. Opportunities to showcase independent film within small communities are invaluable, and we look forward to continuing to grow our local cinema programme in the months ahead.

Because sometimes, the most important stories are the ones we experience together.

Burns Day & a Warm Welcome: Soul of the Junction Joins the Warm Welcome Spaces Campaign

There are some days that feel especially meaningful in a community — and this one is exactly that.

Today, as Scotland marks Burns Day, we’re celebrating the spirit of togetherness, warmth and belonging… and we’re also proud to share some wonderful news:

Soul of the Junction SCIO is now officially a registered Warm Welcome Space.

This is more than a badge or a listing online — it’s a commitment. A promise that, especially through the colder months, our community will have a friendly place to turn to when warmth, connection and kindness are needed most.

Why Burns Day feels like the perfect moment

Burns Day is a celebration of Scotland’s culture, humour and heart — but it’s also a reminder of something deeper: that we are shaped by community.

Robert Burns wrote about people, fairness, friendship, and the human experience — not from a distance, but from right inside it. He captured the everyday strength of ordinary folk, the importance of compassion, and the idea that no one should be forgotten.

That’s why today feels so fitting to announce this step forward.Because a Warm Welcome Space is built on those same values:

warmth, dignity, care and belonging.

What is a Warm Welcome Space?

Warm Welcome Spaces are a UK-wide movement, helping communities respond to winter pressures by offering places that feel safe, friendly and welcoming.

As part of this campaign, we are proudly offering a space where anyone can:

• Come in out of the cold

• Sit down and feel comfortable

• Enjoy a warm drink

• Have a friendly chat

• Spend time in a welcoming atmosphere

• Feel less alone, even just for a little while

Sometimes that’s all a person needs — not a solution to everything, but a gentle reminder that support exists and people care.

Why this matters in rural villages like ours

In a small village, people often assume everyone is “fine”.But the truth is, rural life can be quietly challenging.

Winter can bring isolation, high energy costs, transport barriers, and the kind of loneliness that isn’t always visible. For some, January is the hardest month of the year — financially, emotionally, and physically.

A Warm Welcome Space doesn’t judge. It doesn’t ask questions.It simply says:

“Come in. You’re welcome here.”

And sometimes, that simple message is life-changing.

A warm welcome — with the Soul of the Junction spirit

At Soul of the Junction SCIO, our mission has always been to bring life, connection and possibility back into community spaces.

We’re working hard on the long-term regeneration of our community hall in Carstairs Junction — and whilst that journey continues, we still believe in showing up for people right now, as we are, in the spaces we can use and open.

Becoming a Warm Welcome Space is one of the most natural steps we could take, because it aligns with everything we stand for:

• community-led action

• inclusive, welcoming spaces

• kindness and support without barriers

• dignity, safety and human connection

  
  

We’re proud to take part in Warm Welcome Week

Warm Welcome Week runs 19–25 January, and it’s a moment for communities across the country to celebrate what warmth looks like in real life — not just warmth from heating, but warmth from people.

In the middle of winter, the smallest kindness can feel like the brightest light.A cup of tea. A conversation. A smile. A place to go where you don’t need to pretend you’re okay.

This is what we want to offer — and this is what we want to grow.

Find our Warm Welcome Space online

You can now find Soul of the Junction SCIO on the official Warm Welcome Spaces map here:

https://www.warmwelcome.uk/space?l=27812

If you know someone who might benefit from having this link, please share it.You never know who might be searching quietly for something like this.

A final Burns Day thought

Burns Day reminds us that Scotland’s greatest strength has always been its people — our humour, our resilience, our ability to gather even when times are hard.

So today, we raise a warm cuppa to that spirit.

To connection.To looking out for one another.To community.

And to everyone who needs to hear it:

You are welcome here.

Warm regards,Soul of the Junction SCIO