Bridgend Inspiring Growth

Farmhouse Renovation Steering Group

Meeting Minutes - 18th October

Attendees:
− Will Golding, Sally Swann, David Buchan, Georgia March, David Hurst, Karen Carrick,
Moira Stevenson
− Apologises from Chris Macefield, John Knox, Anna Danby, Hugo Whittaker, John Palmer ,
Ron Brown, Simon Beames, Norma Hart and Andy Hunter who could not make it.

Summary of main action points from the meeting:

− Draw up a clear and succinct 2 page plan to send to the council estates department by
Tuesday 26th at the latest (with accompanying appendices showing official notes of support,
use, membership and official documentation)..
− If this is successful – to then develop this into a full business plan and proposal to send as a
funding application to the Big Lottery Investing In Ideas and Growing community Assets
grant funding stage 1, both simultaneously.
− To continue to gather more members, official notes of support and interest, and clear
commitments of future usage from possible partners and groups.
− To form an official charitable status using the constitution and group structure already
established.
− Prepare a presentation and proposal to take to neighbourhood partnership and community
council meetings regarding BIG and the renovation project.

The Plan:

Potential Key users (partners and groups):

− Bridgend Growing Communities, Enable, SEHLI, Woodcraft Folk, Thistle Foundation,
Rangers service
Additional users (who are aware of the possible renovation and may use it):
− Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, Autism Initiatives, Four winds Inspiration
Centre, Richmond Co-op and cafe, Edinburgh University (environmental ed
department), Scottish agricultural college, Craigmillar Community Ability Network,
Forestry Commission, Greenspace Trust, LAHA, Transition Edinburgh South, BOE,
South East Edinburgh Criminal Justice Team, EVOC, Eco-consultancy (orchards),
Suntrap Centre (?)
Other supporters:
− DTAS, Malcolm Fraser, Ian Brooke, Craigmilar Woods Action group, Bridgend
Residents association, Energy Saving Scotland, Transition Town Edinburgh University,
Rudolf Steiner School Edinburgh

Action: Other places still to be contacted:

− Gracemount High school, CastleBrae High school, Liberton High school, Balfour House,
The Suntrap Centre, ArtLink, City Council CLD department, Teens, Volunteer Centre
Scotland, Joined Up Master Planning Leith.
Action: Ask EVOC what other organisations may be looking for accommodation in some form.

Key participants (members of the community, different demographics, as well

as volunteer programs and groups):
 − Current participants of these organisations.
− Young adults with learning disabilities currently without sufficient provision for in
Edinburgh
− Employee support workers to assist some of the participants and users.
− Local residents from Bridgend and the Inch.
− Local allotmenteers.
− Visitors and users of Craigmillar Castle Park.
− Organisations who are unable to get a room or space at the Inch Community Centre and
Liberton Community Centre which are always booked up.
− Local food grower's and residents interested in a possible South Edinburgh farmer's/food
grower's market. (although food grown at an allotment is not allowed to be sold).
− Patients from the Royal Infirmary Hospital.
− Conservation and horticultural students and volunteers.
− Those who are economically inactive in Craigmillar – connecting up with Bridgend
Growing Communities new programs of training and inclusion.

Action: Contact The Link, The Evening News and the Craigmillar Chronicle to create greater
awareness and to try to gather support and more potential users.
Action: Making connections with the Inch Park Pavilion project and Community Sports Club

Key activities and programs (and sources of funding/self-sustainability):

− Cooking and possibly catering. (cookery classes maybe better in the evening when they
might be more well attended).
− It was emphasised that this would certainly not be a sufficient way to provide finance
to the maintenance of the running of the building, but could offer an important
service to people.
− Workshop/training room downstairs – also acting as a public open interpretative centre
when not in use emphasising the historical importance of the place with exhbitions and
activity packs highlighting this
− E.g. the building was often a stop off point for thr Gilmour family along 'Lady
Susan's walk' between the Inch and Craigmillar Castle, and was also a wokring dairy
farm until 10 years ago.
− One or two offices upstairs.
− One or two workshop/meeting rooms/event spaces upstairs.
− Storage in the main hallway bit.
− Inch and Liberton Community Centre are always booked – more space is much needed.
− New program at Enable needs place to be based.
− Importance of technical education – crafts and design – Connecting gap between
knowledge and its application.
− Attracting people into the area more as it is so visible
− Heritage Lottery funding to develop interpretive resources with exhibition, board, events
and re-connection with site and pak.
− Bike Club grant for bike station workshop and rides around park.
− Energy Scotland grants and support around the inclusion of sustainable technology and
energy sources in the building, and development of course in renewable energy.

Action: Find out more from about who and how cookery classes could run. i.e. what the kitchen
would need incorporated and what extra running costs there would be, and who would run and
come to the classes.
Action: Need to identify a commitment of possible usage for different groups or people, so we
have a rough idea of the use and function and financial sustainability of the property if renovation
was to take place.

Key design features (heritage and sustainable development):

− Need for wheelchair access.
− Limit to users at a time – maybe 8/10 per room – or up to 25/30 visitors downstairs.
− It was mentioned that the building lends itself to office and meeting space upstairs, not
open rooms for youth club and activities that need lots of space indoors.

Action: Establish whether this was originally common good land.

Action: Work out costings and possibilities of wheelchair access upstairs.
Action: More research and information needed on the importance of it being on Greenbelt land
and what this means, in our favour, for development and renovation.

Future possibilities and vision

− A self-sustainable centre developing greater connections between local people and their
local greenspaces (Craigmillar Castle Park and the Inch Park) and with each other.
Promoting growth through education, training and social interactions. Supporting the
promotion of outdoor education and healthy living.
− Future development of out house workshop and storage space for woodcraft and work
around renewable technology and conservation techniques connecting up with many of
the additional users and other possible funders or supporters.

The Need (15 minutes)

− Community needs (and how they've been identified):
− Participants at Bridgend Allotments have suggested it would be very important to use the
food fresh from the site, and for people to be involved in its transference from 'plough to
plate'.
− Through public consultation people would like to see its renovation as a community
resource to stop anti-social behaviour.
− Need for respite for young adults with learning disabilities. (Sally has the statistics of
this)
− Needs identified from visitors from Niddrie for a space for training when out of work –
particularly in horticulture and conservation. (Karen has statistics on this)
− Need for space to develop the artistic connection with the park and allotments and the
history of the space.

Action: Collect together and document different quotations and testimonies of what people would
like to see and why.
Action: Write up comments from membership form into documentation of people's views and
preferences.

− Council needs (and how they've been identified)

− Reference to castle park plan.
− Reference to letter from the estates department email.
− Support from Norma Hart, Tom Buchanan, Ian Murray, Conor Snowden, Scott Donkin,
David Hirst, Douglas Jeffrey.

Action: Meet with the Inch Community Council and Liberton Community Council, and with the
Liberton/Gilmerton Neighbourhood Partnership and the Craigmillar Neighbourhood Partnership to
present proposals and work out ways they could best work with the local people and council
services in that area, addressing those needs.
Action: Try to attain more information and statistics on local needs and councils reports on this
and services provided.

− Local groups and organisations needs (and how they've been identified):
− Enable have suggested they need more space, the Inch is always full and that this could
help with their work and having a base to connect the know how with the practice
− Bridgend Growing Communities would still lke to see their original ideas developed.
− Richmond cafe would like to work in collaboration.
− Contacted (on top of those expressing interest); Gilmerton Community Centre, Nelson
Hall Community Centre, Cameron House Community Centre, Gracemount Youth and
Community Centre, Inch Community Centre, Moredun Community Centre, Liberton
Kirk, South Edinburgh Development Initiative, Craigmillar Community Arts, Transition
Edinburgh South, Adult Learning Link, Good Trees neighbourhood centre.

Action: Collate together different official 'notes of support/interest' as appendices for plan and
funding applications.

How we will address the outcomes:

− Initial funding plan and timeline (including purchase, further design, contractors,
consultancy and community work):
− Investing in Ideas funding application and Growing Community Assets Stage 1
application – Mid/end November
− Hear back by January for Investing in Ideas – if successful:
− Pool consultancy for community research
− Sequence of small and repeated events and days of work there.
− Design consultancy with Glasshouse
− Full business plan and appendices and research drawn up
− Full survey and costings.
− Further research into contractors etc.
− Hear back from Growing Community Assets by April – if successful:
− Add all the research and information collected from the last 3 or 4 months and add to
a developed application.

− How we will deal with the roof and security in the meantime:
− Ask all members to donate and raise funds whilst following up if they are able.
− Contact security companies to work out costs of cctv.

Action: Find out costs of fixing the roof in the meantime as a temporary fix.

− Membership, ownership, control and decision making of association:

− Currently an unincorporated association with 4 committee members and over 104
members.

Action: Form as an official charity – setup our bank account and structure and check over
constitution again.
Action: Contact Norma Hart to ask about preferred formal structure and setup in regards to the
Liberton Bank House project and how that was set up.
Action: All who were not on this membership list would fill one in and also send on to others who
would like to be members.
Action: People were to distribute posters as appropriate in different places near to them and around
Gilmerton, Liberton, the Inch and Craigmillar.

− Self-sustainability as a social enterprise after renovation (what the outcomes could

enable in the future):
− BIG café – communication, social enterprise
− BIG courtyard – communication, social / environmental enterprise
− BIG brewery – social enterprise, learning new skills
− Allotment produce – locally produced/sourced food - reducing carbon footprint
− Big Barn - local Farmers market, social enterprise
− Environmental education/activities - learning opportunities (biodiversity etc.) changing
lifestyles and attitudes
− BIG eco shop – social enterprise, learning new skills

− Community events/activities and programs during the design and build process.
− Christmas fayre and Hibernation Festival (December 4th) – Including artistic visioning
and design for the renovation.
− Conservation and Landscaping volunteer days (fortnightly/weekly from January)
− Providing free info heritage pack on the building and its connection to the area
(February 2011)
− Trailer workshop and recycling awareness. (March 2011)
− The Hive outdoor education weekend (more info avalable if anyone wants) (easter 2011)
− Food grower's market day (spring-summer 2011)

Action: More work and planning to take place to prepare a stall and artistic visioning of the
farmhouse for the christmas fayre event on December 4th.

Involving the community

− Process of community engagement for next stage.
− Events covered in the last bit.
− Initial fund-raising for roof and membership plans
− Discussions with neighbourhood partnerships (and what we will present).
− How we could link with over developments in the area – Bio-quarter, Rok...
− Attending local community council meetings and drop-ins to speak to people there.
− Possibility of including funded apprenticeships in the build process.
− Fortnightly session in the farmhouse gardens from the new year onwards – cleaning,
planting, preparing, etc. As an official charity and voluntary organisation other
volunteers might be interested and this could build and establish itself over time.

Next Meeting: To be arranged following on from our meeting with the estates department on
October 29th.