UKSPF: Capital investment for local community projects

• Bellfield is a B-listed former church owned by Action Porty, a charitable community benefit society, and now used as a community space.  The Bellfield redevelopment project will further improve the space by removing fixed pews, installing a mezzanine floor at the bottom of the balcony, increasing toilet provision and installing a lift.  A later phase of the project will also see smaller, more flexible spaces created on the ground level to increase usage, address operational issues and conserve energy.  You can read more about Bellfield here. 

• The Bridgend Walls project is rebuilding around 30 metres of historic stone walls at Bridgend Farmhouse community centre using traditional techniques, and providing opportunities for people to learn as part of the process.  Bridgend Farmhouse runs a range of community, education and health related activities including celebrating the culture and heritage of the building and the area, and the adaptions to the walls will both improve access and help to future proof the building for years to come. 

• The Covenanters Memorial Restoration project will undertake conservation repairs to the 1937 category C listed Covenanter's Memorial in the Grassmarket, along with improved interpretation to foster more respectful behaviour around the Memorial.  Read more about the Memorial here. 

• The new Greenway Adventure Playground will serve Dumbryden, Murrayburn, and Hailesland in line with the Wester Hailes Local Place Plan.  The design is based on consultations carried out in 2019-20, and some playgrounds in other areas of Scotland, which use Robinia wood which is very long lasting and makes amazing shapes.  There will be a ‘flying fox’, swings and climbing structures.  You can read more here. 

• The Spylaw Coach House is a community owned asset which will be converted into a community hub providing an open, informal meeting space, gallery and exhibition area, workshop/wellbeing/events space, and a refreshment “Pit-Stop Café” for walkers, cyclists, and visitors to the Hub.  You can find out more via the Facebook page here.   

• At the Byre - An Open Place, a new multi-use space will be constructed within a derelict building on community-owned land at Duddingston.  The work will include building a new wooden structure; connecting the byre to water and electricity mains; resurfacing and lighting the lane providing access; and creating a new bicycle storage area. 

• A new wheelchair accessible path will be installed at Wilson Memorial Church. 

 Joining up the processes and budgets available from these funding streams means that capital budget can now be used to support projects brought forward by the community, despite the short timescales for spend.  Project leads are now working hard to turn these ideas into reality.  In each case the work represents not just an improvement to a physical space particularly valued by local people, but also the enabling and enhancement of activities which are bringing the community together.  We look forward to seeing the positive impacts of these projects in the months and years to come and hope to share updates and photographs here on the UKSPF blog in due course.