Medic speaks out against violence at Greenhills Church

Jun 29 2011 by Shona Mitchell, East Kilbride News

A REPRESENTATIVE from Medics Against Violence addressed the congregation of Greenhills Parish Church at the weekend.

The church’s minister, the Reverend John Brewster, noticed the Medics Against Violence logo on sweatshirts at the town’s recent march against knife crime in memory of PJ Douglass.

He invited them to talk at the church, an event which was attended by PJ’s mum Maureen.

He told the News: “Karyn McCluskey explained how Medics Against Violence are an organisation which work with all kinds of groups and clubs, schools and prisons as well as the general public to try to promote behaviour which is responsible, respectful and safe.

“Karyn has been a staff nurse working in A&E departments in hospitals in Glasgow and Liverpool, as well as in Belfast during the worst of the troubles.

“She saw that highly skilled surgeons were often having to delay essential work like repairing cleft palate in babies because of emergency admissions for victims of knife crime.

“Now she is part of 160 consultants in the West of Scotland who give of their time to try to address the causes of violence and to foster a greater spirit of empathy for those who are victims. Young people in particular are finding that the toxic combination of weapons and alcohol can have very serious consequences for everyone.”

Karyn has since been invited to address Greenhills Guild this session and Councillor Archie Buchanan invited her to meet Greenhills Youth Club.

Karyn said: “It was a lovely service. It was warm, meaningful and I know Maureen who sat beside me was enormously comforted by it.”

For more information on the organisation, visit www.medicsagainstviolence.co.uk