A Scottish Parliament petition about the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is now online on the Scottish Parliament website. The petition, which is open for online signatures until May 31, requests a review of the AWPR in the light of growing public concern.

Save Camphill has maintained a neutral stance on the overall merits of the AWPR. This reflects the range of opinions within its broad based support.

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The Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen, John Reynolds, visited Camphill Rudolf Steiner Schools’ Murtle Estate to learn more about its work with children who have special needs.

During his visit, the Lord Provost met with the teachers and children at the Amber Kindergarten, before visiting the school to speak with pupils and teachers.

Camphill Rudolf Steiner Schools has three campuses in Aberdeen:

• Murtle Estate, Bieldside: Residential and day school for children with special needs, Amber Kindergarten and Camphill Medical Practice. Murtle has around 50 children who attend the school and kindergarten.
• Camphill Estate, Milltimber: The original Camphill community, founded in 1939, which has given its name to the worldwide movement. Camphill Estate home to around 40 children with complex learning disabilities and the co-workers who live with and care for them.
• Cairnlee Estate, Bieldside: Cairnlee provides further education on a residential and day basis for young adults with special needs. Cairnlee has abut 30 people, of whom ten are resident students with special needs.

During his visit, the Lord Provost will visit Amber Kindergarten, which provides inclusive education for children, with and without special needs, from three years old. He will then visit the school and meet with pupils and teachers, before visiting one of the homes where the residential children stay.

Commenting on the visit, Vincent d’Agostino, co-ordinator at Camphill Rudolf Steiner Schools’ Murtle Campus said:

“We are delighted that the Lord Provost accepted our invitation to find out more the work of Camphill. Aberdeen is where it all began, more than 60 years ago, and the Camphill Movement around the world still looks to Aberdeen for inspiration.

“The Lord Provost’s visit is also a fitting recognition of the many years of effort by the volunteers and teaching staff to have achieved the Autism Accreditation. Camphill Rudolf Steiner Schools is one of only two centres in the North of Scotland to have achieved this standard of excellence for its provision for children with autistic spectrum disorders.”

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Camphill Medical Practice, the only NHS medical practice of its type in Scotland, was tonight (Thursday, February 9 at 7.30pm) presented with the top quality award from the Royal College of General Practitioners in Scotland.

Dr Denis Durno MBE, a former provost of the Royal College of General Practitioners, was instrumental in establishing general practice quality awards. Unveiling a commemorative plaque, Dr Durno said:

“I’m personally delighted at the achievement of Camphill Medical Practice. The Camphill practice was a pioneer in the way it combined alternative therapies with conventional medicine. In some ways it was ahead of its time as many other North-east NHS practices now offer complementary and alternative treatments.

“The QPA award is a fitting recognition of the dedication of the team at Camphill Medical Practice who, despite the combination of the normal workload of a busy NHS practice and their role within the Camphill communities, recognise that many patients require extra time and attention.”

Responding, Dr Marga Hogenboom of Camphill Medical Practice GP:

“Achieving this recognition from the Royal College of General Practitioners in Scotland is particularly significant for Camphill Medical Practice, because we seek to extend conventional medical practice with the anthroposophical approach to healthcare.

This gives the doctors within Camphill Medical Practice a greater scope for individualised treatment using herbal and homeopathic remedies complemented by a variety of anthroposophical therapies. These include a movement therapy called eurythmy, art, rhythmical massage and therapeutic speech.”

Camphill Medical Practice GP, Dr Stefan Geider added:

“Modern medicine acknowledges that the patient should be viewed as a whole. Physical, psychological, spiritual and social well-being are important for health. This concept is at the heart of anthroposophical medicine and as such offers doctors, therapists and patients greater choices in meeting the challenges of illness.”

Based on Camphill’s Murtle Estate in Bieldside, Aberdeen, Camphill Medical Practice provides NHS primary care services for the local community and also receives referrals from GP practices throughout the North East. In addition, it is responsible for the specialist care required by the adults and children in Aberdeen’s Camphill communities.

The Royal College’s QPA award recognises ‘an excellent standard of care and service’ at the Camphill practice. The review team noted that: “All staff are highly committed to caring for a practice population with a very high proportion of vulnerable adults and children”.

In 1999 the Camphill Medical Practice won the Innovative Practice Award from the Royal College of General Practitioners for its integrated and radical approach to primary care.

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360TV the new Aberdeen internet TV channel is to transmit a programme on Camphill with the live broadcast at 6pm on Friday, December 16. The programme will be repeated on this channel over the coming month.

To view the programme go to www.superchannel.org and select 360TV from the drop down menu. You will need Real Player or Real Alternative to watch the programme.

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Celebrity reactions to the newsI

Rolf Harris:

 “In my travels all round the world, I’ve noticed that oft quoted ‘common sense’ is actually NOT all that common.  However, in this case, common sense has prevailed and I must say I couldn’t be more delighted.  I’d like to use that well known Aussie phrase in praising the Scottish parliament’s decision . . .’GOOD ON YA’!”

“Lots of love to all the residents of Camphill, who must be hugely relieved.” 

Timmy Mallett:

“There are good days and there are GREAT days! Today is a great day!

“My dear brother Martin's Camphill community at Newton Dee in Aberdeen has been saved from the dual carriageway ring road around the city when the Scottish Executive announced today an alternative preferred route!”

Lorraine Kelly:

"Sometimes the powers that be do listen!  I am thrilled that common sense has prevailed. This really is wonderful news and I am delighted for everyone at Camphill!"
Lorraine x

BAFTA winning presenter Michaela Strachan:

"That's fantastic news, particularly as it seemed it was a foregone conclusion it would go ahead. Thank goodness they have seen sense and done the right thing."

Neil Fox:

"Great news! Well done everyone at Camphill! So common sense has prevailed at last! People power works eh?!"

Foxy

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In response to the announcement by the Minister for Transport Tavish Scott, that the route for the Deeside section of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) will not be through the Camphill communities, Dr Stefan Geider, Camphill Medical Officer and Chairman of Save Camphill, said:

“We are enormously relieved at the Minister’s decision to opt for another route for the AWPR.

“After 12 years of objections, the Camphill community and Newton Dee and the Camphill Rudolf Steiner Schools are thankful that they can focus on their work with vulnerable children and adults, rather than fighting for their existence.

“This has been a long and stressful campaign for everyone involved, not least the residents and pupils in the two Camphill communities immediately concerned. 

“What has sustained us all throughout this campaign has been the outstanding support we have had. The backing we have had from the local community in Aberdeen and from throughout the UK and around the world, has been simply incredible. 

“This has included the many thousands of messages of support locally and thousands of letters sent to the authorities objecting to the proposed route. There have also been many events, ranging from art exhibitions to concerts and the most thoughtful donations made in support of our campaign costs.

“Most recently we had 25 professionals from around the world and 46 business leaders writing to the First Minister urging that the work of Camphill should not be jeopardised.

“We have also been very fortunate to have many politicians and experts who have supported us along with the high-profile personalities who helped to raise awareness of our plight by giving us their backing.”

The Save Camphill campaign was launched in February 2004 when residents expressed frustration that the then ten years of formal objections to the proposed route had left their interests not fully heard or understood.

The issue was debated in the Scottish Parliament in June 2004. Among its supporters are Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman, TV personalities Rolf Harris, Lorraine Kelly, Timmy Mallett, Neil Fox and Michaela Strachan, plus actor Trudie Goodwin and best-selling author Ian Rankin. Timmy Mallett and The Bill actor Trudie Goodwin both have relatives who live in the Aberdeen communities, while Ian Rankin has a special understanding of the difficulties the communities face as his younger son has Angelman Syndrome.

The Camphill communities in Aberdeen are the centre of inspiration for an international movement that now has around 100 centres in 21 countries worldwide. Camphill began in Aberdeen in 1939 when Dr Karl König and his followers sought refuge in the city from the Nazi regime in Austria.

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