MIDSPAN

Midspan celebrating 30 years

Celebrating 30 years of the Midspan studies took the form of two meetings being held over consecutive days in November 2005.

The first meeting was a formal, scientific meeting funded and co-hosted by the Glasgow Centre of Population Health, in the Teacher Building, St Enoch Square on Friday 25th November 2005. This meeting focussed on Midspan findings in key areas and their relevance now and in the future to health policy and practice. A selected audience of 120 of the greatest and best of Scotland's expertise in public health, health promotion and health policy, at local and national levels were invited and a stellar cast of professors were presenting.

In recognition of the participation of so many of the local population over the years a public meeting was held in Paisley Town Hall, on Saturday morning, 26th November 2005 to provide feedback of results from the Renfrew/Paisley study. The meeting, hosted by Renfrewshire Council, was opened by the Provost of Paisley, in the presence of the Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire and also Victor Hawthorne, Emeritus Professor at University of Michigan, Michigan, who set up the MIDSPAN studies. Professor Phil Hanlon of the University of Glasgow was chairing this meeting which included a 30 minute presentation of main findings by Professor Graham Watt, Chair of the Midspan Steering Committee. The main findings were included in a newsletter which was sent out to the offspring of parents in the original study who themselves participated in the Family study in 1996. A transcript of the formal speeches given at the meeting is to be found by visiting the speeches page.

An unexpected and very welcome outcome of the whole event was a private member's debate in the House of Commons led by Ann McKechin MP (Glasgow North) on the Midspan studies on Tuesday 29 November 2005.