Oyster Trust

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Oyster Trust is an Arbroath organisation which is already dear to the heart of a number of people at St Andrew's. The Trust's name symbolizes a belief that like the oyster shell, people contain great potential - a "pearl" - which is often hidden beneath a hard and unattractive exterior. Such people, particularly those going through "the troublesome teens", can find themselves marginalized and excluded from mainstream opportunities. The vision of the Trust is to help them to find and develop their potential.

Oyster Trust owns 2 shops in the West Port, and has been working for several years to turn these into places where the vision of the Trust can be brought alive. The smaller shop opened for business as Oyster Crafts in November 2000, selling Fair Trade handicrafts, food and drink. As well as supporting marginalized small-scale producers in the developing world, all the profits from Oyster Crafts are channeled into supporting the operation of the much larger premises next door. This opened for business in July 2004 as OB's (Oyster Bar) - an alcohol-free bar which is a social gathering place for young adults (late teens and early twenties). It has all the ingredients of a "local": snacks and drinks, pool tables and musci. It is a base for relationship-based support work with people who have outgrown the "youth club" culture but who sometimes need a "listening ear" or help to work through a problem.

Oyster Trust has a range of bite-sized opportunities for service:

• The Trust is looking for ways of publicising its vision and work amongst the Arbroath community. Do you belong to an organisation who would like to have a speaker about the Trust at one of its meetings, or would like to have a guided tour of the shops?

• Oyster Crafts is staffed by a team of volunteers who keep the shop open 6 days a week. Increasing interest in Fair Trade has also led to requests for Oyster Crafts to provide stalls at churches, group meetings, fairs etc. Would you like to sell Fair Trade goods on a regular or occasional basis in the shop or at weekend/evening stalls?

• The bar has a team of volunteers who prepare and serve snacks and drinks, both at lunchtime and in the early evenings. There is also a cleaning rota. Again, both regular and backup staff are needed. Is this something that you would like to do?

If you would like to respond to any of these opportunities, or if you'd like to have a look around the Oyster bar, please speak Sheila or Fraser Dunphy at church, phone them on 873-218 or email them at [email protected].
Oyster Trust also has its own website at www.oystertrust.org.uk where you can find out more.