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Respect – what it means to us
RESPECT! Find out what it means to us…
Aretha Franklin famously sings about Respect and the need to ‘find out what it means to me’ and that’s exactly what we discussed at a recent Members’ Meeting.
Respect is a core value at Grassmarket Community Project and the members, staff and volunteers who attended all acknowledged that we are generally very good at being respectful to each other.
Sometimes, however, words can be difficult to define and they can mean different things to different people. As we discussed in the meeting, sometimes even a word like respect can feel like a loaded term, with bad memories of people in authority demanding respect, rather than earning it and being respectful themselves. It is always worth clarifying exactly what such words mean to us.
Respect at The Grassmarket Community project?
During the meeting, we started by brainstorming what we mean by respect.
Then working in smaller groups, led by Jonny, Perry and Shelly, we considered potentially difficult scenarios, such as dealing with noisy people in class, and the best way to help solve the situation whilst still being respectful.
The result?
Throughout the session, the group used similar phrases to describe respect including,
- always being kind, friendly and welcoming
- avoiding being rude or judgemental
- always trying to be sensitive to other people’s beliefs and situations
We should always treat others like we wish to be treated ourselves and appreciate other people’s personal boundaries.
At the end of the session, Perry summed up what respect means to us :
At the Grassmarket Community Project we always seek to communicate kindly and clearly with others and show each other empathy and compassion.
Members Meetings
Members Meetings are held monthly and are not just about discussing our values. They are also a useful forum for staff to update members on new or changing activities and events. Most importantly, it’s one of the many ways for members to feedback to the team. So look out for next Members Meeting date and come along. Your input and ideas will be most respectfully listened to and will help us keep improving The Grassmarket Community Project
Interested in becoming a Member of The Grassmarket Community Project?
There are lots of opportunities for individuals to participate and join in! Everyone is welcome.
Find out more about Membership of The Grassmarket Community Project
A BIG THANK YOU
The Grassmarket Community Project’s Members Programme relies on the generosity of our customers, funders and donors. Our key funders for this area of our work are Nationwide Community Grants, The Robertson Trust and EVOC/Scottish Government Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. We thank them for their essential continued support.
