The NEN – North Edinburgh News

A Leith church, a community garden in Dunbar and a community hub in Dalkeith have all received support from the Scottish Land Fund, helping local groups bring key community assets into ownership. 

The groups are amongst 24 projects sharing in £3,010,576 from the Scottish Land Fund, which is marking 25 years of helping communities to acquire the land and assets that matter to them.

Leith St Andrews Trust has received £589,750 to buy a church in Leith that closed to worshippers in December 2024 with the intention of making it a home for physical and mental health activities.

Sustaining Dunbar has received £65,094 to purchase Belhaven Community Garden (BCG), an area they have been leasing since 2012.

The site is used as a hub for learning, social connection and developing locally grown food for the community and the group will purchase the asset through a Community Asset Transfer (CAT) from East Lothian NHS. 

And One Dalkeith has been awarded £516,469 to purchase the One Dalkeith Community Hub which they have operated since 2019. The group will continue to use the asset as a local hub, with a performance space, shop, community shed, kitchen, co-working space and rooms available for local groups. 

Since 2001 the Scottish Land Fund has invested more than £138 million of Scottish Government and National Lottery funding in 955 projects across the country, helping to transfer village shops, community centres, church buildings, crofts, land for affordable housing, woodlands, pubs, moorland, community gardens, cinemas and even a 5,000 year old chambered cairn (The Tomb of the Eagles purchased in 2025 by South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust with the help of a £357,705 grant from the Scottish Land Fund) into the hands of local people.

In total the Fund has contributed significantly to the transfer of 853 assets into community ownership, representing 213,803 hectares of land and buildings across Scotland. 

The Scottish Land Fund is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership by The National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

Commenting on the impact of the Fund and of the current grants, Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, said: “For 25 years the Scottish Land Fund has helped communities realise their ambitions in providing vital services, protecting treasured landmarks and building sustainability into villages, towns and cities.

“This round, like so many before it, shows the breadth of ways this can be done – whether through providing much-needed housing, looking after people’s wellbeing or creating a focal point to the community.

“It is incredible to see how the fund has supported real change for so many people across Scotland and I look forward to seeing these projects develop and serve their communities. The Scottish Government has provided a total budget of £111 million to the Scottish Land Fund since 2012. 

“A huge thank you must also go to staff at the National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, who have administered the fund, working closely with community groups, helping to ensure it is a success.”

Cara Gillespie, Scottish Land Fund Committee Chair, said: “As we mark 25 years of the Scottish Land Fund, these latest awards are a powerful reminder of what communities can achieve when they have the opportunity to take ownership of the places that matter to them.

“Over the past quarter century, the Fund has helped transfer hundreds of assets into community hands, unlocking local ambition, creating jobs, supporting affordable housing, protecting vital services and helping communities build stronger, more resilient futures. 

“From islands and crofts to churches, community hubs and green spaces, the story of the Scottish Land Fund is the story of local people stepping forward with a vision for their area and turning that vision into lasting change. The 24 projects supported today are the latest chapter in that story, and demonstrate that community ownership remains as relevant and transformative now as it was 25 years ago.”

Julian Grant, Chair, Leith St Andrews Trust said: “Everyone at Leith St. Andrews’ Trust is absolutely delighted that this beloved landmark will get a new lease of life and remain at the heart of the community.

“This funding will be crucial in delivering our mission to transform the church into a welcoming and vibrant hub for all Leithers while also ensuring that the many community groups who use the building currently can continue to call it home. 

“We’re incredibly grateful to the Scottish Land Fund for its invaluable support; we also offer a massive thank you to our volunteers and members without whom this wouldn’t be possible. There’s a lot of hard work still to come before the Trust’s vision is fully realised but everyone in Leith knows you need to persevere. We are thrilled to be continuing on this journey with the community.” 

Jo McNamara, Chair, Sustaining Dunbar, said: “Belhaven Community Garden is the fruit of vision, commitment and thousands of hours of work by volunteers over the past 14 years. We are thrilled that the Scottish Land Fund recognises this energy and is backing us to take the garden into community ownership giving the garden a much more certain future. 

“Now we will be able to realise our ambitions to involve even more people around our community in growing food and therapeutic gardening.  The mature orchard, wildflower meadow and plots create a valuable setting for events and workshops or simply space to walk & enjoy the sense of wellbeing that it brings.” 

Reflecting on its beginnings, Neil Ritch, Director for Scotland, The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “When the Scottish Land Fund was established with National Lottery funding in 2001, community ownership was still a relatively new idea. Twenty-five years on, communities across Scotland have used ownership to create homes, jobs, businesses, greener places and stronger local economies.

“As a delivery partner for the Scottish Land Fund and with experience of helping communities to own assets for many years, we have seen first-hand how ownership can unlock ambition, attract further investment and give communities greater confidence in their future.

“The projects supported through this latest funding round show that community ownership continues to deliver practical solutions to some of Scotland’s biggest challenges, from affordable housing and local economic development to environmental action and community wellbeing.” 

Sandra Holmes, head of community assets at HIE, said: “The 25th anniversary of the Scottish Land Fund is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the difference community ownership makes across Scotland.

“Over the years, it has helped communities create jobs, provide affordable housing, safeguard vital local services, and develop new facilities, bringing lasting benefits to people and places.

“The grants announced in this latest round will give more communities the opportunity to take ownership of important local assets and unlock their ambitions for the future.”