In Remembrance of Kathy Galloway

We remember Rev Kathy Galloway, who passed away on 26 August 2025. She was the Head of Christian Aid Scotland for 7 years.

THE FOLK THAT GIVE LIFE

She was just a lassie
when she drove her big army ambulance into the camp,
but what she saw then
marked her hale lang life
and for the rest o’ her days, she was a healer.
Never again, folk said, never again.
But of course it was again and again,
and if it wisnae here, it was some place else;
the greed and the cruelty and the sheer rank badness o’ it,
and aye the uprooted yins and the hungry yins
and the pathetic excuses o’ the high heid yins.
But there were aye folk who saw things a bit differently -
saw the weans wrapped in newspaper against the winter cauld
and the auld yins wi naething tae eat but cabbages,
and the hameless folk among the rubble
- and said, this’ll no dae, something’ll need tae be done,
and they did it and wouldnae tak’ naw for an answer.
It wisnae charity, it was mair like a helping hand
it was giving folk a voice, and a pal,
and dignity.
And as the drilling and the logging and the mining and the landgrabbing went on,
and the powerful offered bread and circuses and lies,
and set folk against each other,
the other thing went on as well.
Year after year, mair mountains climbed, mair lang miles walked,
mair red tins filled, mair bridges crossed, mair banners waved,
mair choirs and dancers, shows and speeches, cakes and scones,
mair prayers raised tae the heavens,
year after year after year.
Naebody says ‘never again’ noo.
Naebody would believe it onyway,
but low down, on the ground,
where there’s folk still just getting on wi’ it,
there’s aye the steadfast yins, the cheery yins,
the persistent yins,
and ye ken,
they’re the loving yins,
every day,
they’re the folk that give life.

c. Kathy Galloway
24 March 2025