Tag: community hubs

Edinburgh project receives backing from the Scottish Land Fund

Gracemount Mansion Development Trust has been given £167,340 to buy Gracemount Mansion in the south of Edinburgh in order to redevelop and reopen the asset as a community hub.

The grant is amongst 11 totalling £1,833,622 that have been given to communities across the country in the latest round of awards by the Scottish Land Fund.

The Scottish Land Fund reopened to applications in April 2021. The programme is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership by the National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), both of which have extensive experience of helping communities to acquire and develop their assets for over a decade.

Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary, Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, said: “Over one million people across Scotland now live in communities where assets have been acquired with funding from the Scottish Land Fund. This is a remarkable milestone and displays just how large an impact the Fund has had on communities across Scotland.

“Community ownership is an effective way to revitalise local areas and improve the lives of residents . The latest recipients are no exception and I know that their projects will bring countless benefits to their communities.

“I’d like to congratulate the groups involved and I look forward to seeing their projects, and their communities flourish as a result.”

Lindsay Aitken, Chair, Gracemount Mansion Development Trust, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded funding from the Scottish Land Fund. The funds awarded will enable GMDT to purchase Gracemount House and surrounding grounds from the City of Edinburgh Council, as well as a significant contribution towards the essential works required to partially reopen Gracemount Mansion as a community hub in 2025.

“With further funding, the full reopening of Gracemount House will bring back a much needed and desired facility and resource for the community and beyond.

“We must say a huge thanks to the Project team who have progressed the project, GMDT charity Trustees and Members, Friends of the Mansion, the local community, stakeholders, CEC, and of course to the SLF and National Lottery for the funding.”

Cara Gillespie, Scottish Land Fund Committee Chair said: “Like all the groups that have been successful in this round of funding, Gracemount Mansion Development Trust will use their awards to make purchases that will directly improve the lives of people in their community.

“Targeted funding such as this gets right to the heart of local issues.”

And Sandra Holmes, Head of Community Assets at HIE, said: “The successful projects announced today across Scotland are all great examples of people taking control of local resources for the long-term benefit of their communities.

“Through the purchase of land and properties including a community hall and a former church, groups will be in a position to deliver economic, social and environmental benefits to the community. These latest awards will further strengthen the sense of community and empowerment.”

“All these projects announced today will help retain the population, attract visitors and create jobs. Ownership will give the community groups greater control over important assets that will reap rewards for people now and for generations to come. We wish all the successful groups the very best in their new ventures.”

Other groups receiving funding are:

Wigtown and Bladnoch Community Initiative

Award – £88,474

Wigtown and Bladnoch Community Initiative (WBCI) will acquire a former Church Hall in Wigtown. The acquisition will bring social benefits by providing space for meetings, classes and skill sharing workshops, as well as exercise, entertainment, and health & wellbeing activities. Alongside the social benefits, opportunities for digital access will also enable employment and enterprise skills.

Tighnabruaich District Development Trust

Award – £61,443

Tighnabruaich District Development Trust (TDDT) will purchase 2 retail units in Tighnabruaich, Argyll and Bute. The group will continue to use one of the units as the location for their heritage centre and will rent out the second unit.

Cockenzie House and Garden

Award – £227,400

Cockenzie House and Gardens will acquire the Cockenzie & Port Seton Old Parish Church and Hall, in East Lothian, and will use the asset as a community hub, offering community space for groups to meet, social activities, pop-up hospitality and childcare provision.

Dunvegan Community Trust SCIO

Award – £361,096

Dunvegan Development Trust will acquire a building known locally as the ‘Gaeltec Building’ in Dunvegan, Syke from a private business. The group will develop the asset into an energy efficient, multi-use commercial and community hub that includes office space, a gym and  childcare facilities to address a range of community needs in a remote, rural community.

Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust

Award – £267,948

Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust will purchase the Taversoe Hotel on Rousay, Orkney. The hotel is the only current hospitality venue on all three islands. The group will operate the asset as a hotel, pub,

restaurant and community space. This asset will serve as a year-round gathering place for the community that will assist in combating rural isolation.

Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust

Award – £262,188

Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust  will purchase a Manse in Rousay,Orkney from the Church of Scotland. They group will convert and renovate the asset into up to 3 separate housing units that will be used for affordable rent.

Toryglen Community Hall

Award – £171,272

Toryglen Community Hall (TCH) will acquire the building in Glasgow that they’ve occupied for 35 years. Community ownership will provide security enabling TCH to improve and extend the building thus, continuing to provide activities aimed at a range of groups.

Bailliefields Community Hub SCIO

Award – £27,500

Bailliefields Community Hub will purchase a small area of land adjacent to the boundary of their existing Community Hub. Acquisition will allow the group to extend existing walking/cycling routes and increase local walking access with a focus on active travel.

Raasay Development Trust

Award – £99,961

Raasay Development Trust will acquire an empty 2-bedroom house in Inverarish on the Isle of Raasay. The group will renovate the house to create affordable rented accommodation for the community.

North Yell Development Council

Award – £99,000

North Yell Development Council will acquire the units 3-4 at Sellafirth Business Park, North Yell, Shetland. The group will use the premises to provide a multi-use office, heritage, events and training space which will be used by local agencies, individuals and community groups.

Community Cinema screenings across the city

City Council supports Community Cinema Hubs Project

granton:hub is leased to announce details of the Local Cinema film programme taking place across community hubs in Edinburgh.

The Local Cinema film programme has been funded by the City of Edinburgh Council via the Creative Community Hubs Network, which brings together eight building-based hubs who are engaging with their local communities in creative ways across Edinburgh.

This is the first shared creative programme produced by the hubs network to date, in a pilot project entitled the Community Cinema Hubs Project that is hoped will be extended more widely across Edinburgh into the future.

Check this link for the full programme: https://www.whalearts.co.uk/community-cinema-hubs-project/

Please contact screening venues directly for more information and to reserve tickets for all other individual screenings.

granton:hub will be showing The Old Oak (Ken Loach, 2023,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o198HdWc998)

on Thursday 30 November (7pm).

An eventbrite booking link will be made available later on in October. There will be limited spaces due to the capacity of the venue.

Urgent call to secure Edinburgh and the Lothians’ community halls

In an era marked by evolving community dynamics and changing societal needs, village and community halls across The Lothians have developed into central hubs for an ever-growing variety of activities.

In addition to the traditional group meetings, toddler groups and pantomimes, these spaces now foster the growth of small enterprises, facilitate community engagement, and house community businesses, such as post offices, cafes, and libraries.

However, the threat to their continued success lies in the balance as the addition of activities and changes in purpose bring new risks that may invalidate their insurance coverage.

Ansvar, the expert insurers for the charity and not-for-profit sectors, are urging centre committees to verify the adequacy of their existing protective coverage to guarantee the protection of these venues for future use.

There are approximately 3,000 centres[1] across Scotland that host thousands of events and celebrations every year. With some of these halls and centres being built before World War I or to commemorate it, many have been vital community spaces for over 100 years.

The varying usage agreements and quality of provisions and building materials differ considerably across the country. As such, they can face various risks, from accidental damage and fire hazards to potential liability claims.

Adam Tier, Head of Underwriting at Ansvar, emphasises the importance: “Village and community halls are no longer limited to being mere event venues; they have seamlessly woven themselves into the fabric of everyday life.

“From hosting yoga classes and farmers’ markets to providing space for personal trainers, art workshops and post offices, these halls have become the lifeblood of community interaction. This evolution has created vibrant ecosystems where entrepreneurs can thrive, neighbours can connect, and shared resources can flourish.

“Indeed, by acting as vaccination centres during the Covid-19 pandemic and, due to the current cost of living crisis, as places families can go to receive emergency food provision, their importance to a community has been reaffirmed. The transformation of village and community halls into multi-purpose hubs is a heartwarming reflection of communities adapting to changing times. However, this also calls for a reassessment of the protective measures in place.”

Due to recent inflationary pressures and the rapid increase in the cost of materials, a significant number of village halls and community centres will now be underinsured.

Adam Tier added: “Being underinsured can have devastating consequences in the event of a large loss or significant damage to these buildings, where policyholders are forced to find the shortfall to reinstate the property.

“These delays in getting back up and running, or in severe cases back open at all, can leave a big hole in the local community. Therefore, it is imperative that a buildings valuation is regularly updated and contents and other items are frequently inventoried.

“We understand the immense value community halls hold and want to ensure they are protected. Without adequate coverage, these community spaces and the clubs and local businesses they support can face significant financial strain or even closure.

“Working with a specialist insurer will ensure that the essence of what makes these community spaces thrive is preserved. They will understand the unique challenges community-driven initiatives face and provide tailored coverage to address those needs, ensuring peace of mind for community organisers and members.”

[1]https://www.gov.scot/publications/land-reform-review-group-final-report-land-scotland-common-good/pages/42/

CleanupUK launches litter-picking hubs as climate emergency continues

A new initiative from UK-based charity CleanupUK has launched, offering communities access to free litter-picking equipment to protect their local environment from the impact of litter and to connect communities.

CleanupUK has established litter-picking hubs to mitigate the effects of litter on neighbourhoods and local wildlife in the UK whilst tackling loneliness and isolation that can take place during the winter months.

The Cleanup Hubs have been developed in partnership with local community groups such as youth centres, Councils for Voluntary Services (CVS), city farms, and a local mental health charity. Through collaboration and collective action, these organisations are coming together to serve the local community and to help foster a sense of pride in otherwise challenging times.

CleanupUK will offer litter-picking equipment including high-vis jackets, litter-picking hoops, and litter-picking sticks to local hubs which can be borrowed free of charge by the local community.

CleanupUK and partnering organisations believe that this will:

  • Support communities to look after their natural environment in a way that suits them
  • Give communities a place where they can come together and take practical action for the environment
  • Allow communities to make an immediate positive impact on their local neighbourhoods
  • Encourage people to connect with those they may otherwise not engage with and help foster a sense of community and local pride

The development of Cleanup Hubs comes against the backdrop of 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) which will see leaders from across the world gather to discuss the impact of climate change on our planet.

CleanupUK Chief Executive George Monck says, “We know that all of us can make an extraordinary impact on society and litter-picking is a great example of that.

“By coming together, local people can prevent harmful litter infiltrating parks and entering our rivers and waterways, all whilst building a stronger sense of community and having fun.”

A full list of current CleanupUK Hubs is below:

  1. The Wharton Annexe, TS24 8NS
  2.  Kilmarnock Children’s Centre, TS25 3NU
  3. Jellystone Park, TS4 2SL
    Belle Vue Community Sports & Youth Centre, TS25 1QU
  4. Primrose Hill Community Centre, TS19 0HL
  5. Mind, TN34 1HG
  6. Stepney City Farm, E1 3DG
  7. St-George-in-the-East, E1 0BH
  8. Women’s Inclusive Team, E2 9LJ
  9. Love Bethnal Green, E2 OTB
  10. Jaywick Sands Community Forum, CO15 2LU
  11. Baggator, BS5 0HH
  12. West End Refugee Service, NE4 5JE
  13. CVST Harwich, CO12 3AJ
  14. CVST Clacton, CO15 1NZ
  15. Eastbourne Sports Complex

Video consultation scheme for patients rolled out to community hubs

Up to 40,000 consultations taking place every month

The Near Me video consultation scheme is being extended so patients can use it in community settings such as libraries, community and health and care facilities as well as their own home.

The platform is already being used for around 40,000 consultations a month, helping to ease pressure on the health service, and saving people time and money travelling to appointments.

Near Me consultations include hospital outpatient appointments, GPs, and a wide range of other services including care homes, dietetics and mental health support. Patients should be offered the option of a Near Me appointment, if appropriate, by the hospital, GP practice or other service, along with details of a website address for its video clinic.

Now patients will be able to visit 55 hubs across Scotland which have set up areas for private video consultations thanks to funding from the Scottish Government.

The new hubs provide private confidential space, good connectivity, and help for those with low digital confidence or no access to a suitable device. 

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf praised the innovative use of technology to benefit patients and ease the pressure of the NHS.

Mr Yousaf said: “Face to face appointments will always be there for people who need them, but Near Me has many benefits to patients, including saving time and money. It is valuable in giving them options on accessing healthcare in a way that is easy and comfortable for them.

“It allows multiple family members to join consultations and saves patients having to take time off work or organise childcare.

“The platform has also reduced the need for travel, saving an estimated 57 million miles of travel since January 2020. That is so important at this time when we are looking at fuel costs and the impact on the environment.”

Andrina Robb, Near Me Support Manager for NHS Highland, said:  “The Near Me system is safe and secure, and very straightforward to use. There is no app to download or registration required. Your details remain private, just like any other appointment.

“All you need is a device for making video calls, like a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, and an internet connection. If you don’t have these things, Near Me rooms are now available in some GP surgeries and other locations such as libraries. You can even invite along a friend or family member for support, and they can join the call even if they live far away.”

A feedback survey of nearly 25,000 users reported an average saving of 36 miles per visit – around 1.4 million miles a month. They survey also revealed 92% said the system was easy to use and 97% would use it again.

Video Appointments (nearme.scot)