{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}} {{Use British English|date=January 2015}} thumb|Crummy in 2010 '''Helen Crummy''' MBE (10 May 1920 – 11 July 2011)<ref name="Scotsman obituary">{{cite news |last=Black |first=David J |date=18 July 2011 |title=Obituary: Dr Helen Crummy MBE, social activist |work=The Scotsman |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-dr-helen-crummy-mbe-social-activist-1667851 |accessdate=27 June 2022}}</ref><ref name="Scotsman 8Dec2008">{{cite news |date=8 December 2008 |title=Author pens third novel at age of 88 |work=The Scotsman |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/author-pens-third-novel-age-88-2465458 |accessdate=27 June 2022}}</ref> was a founder of the Craigmillar Festival Society, and served as the Organising Secretary for the group until 1985.

== Biography == Helen Crummy was born in Leith, Helen Murray Prentice. She became one of the first residents in a new council housing estate at Craigmillar in 1931 when her family moved to the estate which became one of the poorest areas of Edinburgh.<ref name="Scotsman 8Dec2008" /> Her family were also neighbours of the family of Jack Kane, the first Labour Lord Provost of Edinburgh.

== Craigmillar Festival Society == The Craigmillar Festival Society started in 1962, after she asked the headmaster of the local primary school if her son, Philip (who would later become Director of Archaeology at Colchester Archaeological Trust and also a recipient of an MBE), could be taught to play the violin.<ref name="Campbell">{{cite book| author = Donald Campbell| title = Edinburgh: A Cultural and Literary History| year = 2003| isbn = 978-1-902669-73-1| page = [https://archive.org/details/edinburghcultura0000camp/page/216 216]| url = https://archive.org/details/edinburghcultura0000camp/page/216}}</ref> He replied by telling her that it took the school all its time to teach these children "all three R's".<ref name="Campbell" /> Helen with the local mothers group decided to show how talented their children were and started The Craigmillar Festival which grew to gain international acclaim.<ref name="Campbell" /><ref name="Hannan">Hannan, Martin (2010) "[https://www.scotsman.com/news/author-pens-third-novel-age-88-2465458 Martin Hannan: Sink estate that can turn the tide]", ''The Scotsman'', 23 March 2010, retrieved 2022-12-07</ref>

thumb|Statue in memory of Helen Crummy at Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh

Her youngest son is the artist Andrew Crummy, creator of the Great Tapestry of Scotland and her niece is the writer Janis Mackay.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stephen |first=Phyllis |date=2014-03-05 |title=Winners of Scottish Children's Book Awards announced today |url=https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2014/03/winners-of-scottish-childrens-book-awards-announced-today/ |access-date=2026-02-01 |website=The Edinburgh Reporter |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Honours == She was awarded an MBE in 1972,<ref name="Campbell" /> and an honorary doctorate by Heriot-Watt University in 1993,<ref name="Scotsman 8Dec2008" /> and is part of The Edinburgh Women of Achievement trail. She is also in the "Travelling the Distance" sculpture at The Scottish Parliament and mentioned in The Bill Douglas statue at Newcraighall Railway station. On 21 March 2014 a statue, created by Tim Chalk, in her memory was unveiled by Richard Demarco and Ruth Wishart outside the East Neighbourhood Centre on Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Helen Crummy MBE LLD 1920 – 2011 Founder of The Craigmillar Festival Society |url=https://wealothianwomensforum.org.uk/BreakingtheMould/hcrummy.html |access-date=27 June 2022 |website=WEA Scotland}}</ref>

== Publications == Her book ''Let The People Sing!'' has been sold in many countries. It tells the story of The Craigmillar Festival Society. Her third book is the novel ''Whom Dykes Divide'', published in 2008.<ref name="Scotsman 8Dec2008" /> Other publications are "Mine a Rich Vein" 2003; essay and editing: Arts The Catalyst Catalogue, 2004; The Heritage and Arts Trail for Craigmillar, 2009; Edited with Douglas Galbraith: Craigmillar Gold, Community Musical songs, 2004. She was involved in most of the publications that came out of the Craigmillar Festival Society from 1962 to 1985, including "The Comprehensive Plan for Action" (CPA) 1976, which is recognised as a milestone in Community Planning.

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crummy, Helen}} Category:2011 deaths Category:1920 births Category:British activists Category:British women activists Category:People from Leith Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire