Foundation Scotland, Scotland’s community foundation, awarded two major social impact investments totalling £550,000 this month. North Edinburgh Arts will receive £300,000 and Giffnock Soccer Centre will receive £250,000 through the Foundation’s specialist ‘Investing in Enterprise Fund’.
North Edinburgh Arts (NEA) is a purpose built creative and community venue in Muirhouse. The existing 2-storey hub is a well-loved and well-used venue, but the charity seeks to expand facilities to meet growing needs in the area. Muirhouse, one of the most deprived wards in Scotland, is currently the focus of targeted regeneration, building 700 new homes, a health facility, a new nursery and creating a new town centre around MacMillan Square. The £300,000 from Foundation Scotland has enabled the charity to move its ambitious build plans forward. The new ‘MacMillan Hub’ will become an anchor building creating and enhancing community life, offering services for everyone, whilst focusing on the most disadvantaged.
Lesley Hinds, Chair of North Edinburgh Arts, said ”This new capital project will allow North Edinburgh Arts to flourish and bring a first-class facility to Macmillan Square. NEA is a special place for the community of North Edinburgh and is a trusted anchor organisation now fully in community ownership thanks to our recent Community Asset Transfer. The development of NEA and the MacMillan Hub has cross-party support, locally and nationally, with this enthusiasm matched by that of our community. This enthusiasm has kept us going through some difficult times and now, with thanks to Foundation Scotland’s funding and capacity-building support, we are looking forward to bringing a truly inspirational place to the heart of Muirhouse.”
Giffnock Soccer Centre’s £250,000 award from Foundation Scotland will enable the club to work towards the construction of two new 3G pitches at its recently opened GSC Auldhouse facility in the south side of Glasgow. Offering clubs and classes for all generations and all abilities, the club currently supports over 1,300 local people who get involved with football on a weekly basis. The club expects this reach to increase with the opening of the pitches to complement the existing grass pitches and club house.
Jim Docherty Chairman Giffnock Soccer Centre, said: “The contribution from Foundation Scotland will allow us to unlock the potential of our facility at GSC Auldhouse. The creation of a new charity the GSC Foundation will be the centrepiece of the site to deliver social inclusion support alongside the local area. We have exciting plans to make GSC Auldhouse a ‘home for all’ and this financial support makes all the difference”
Chris Holloway, Head of Social Investment at Foundation Scotland, said “These awards will deliver significant social impact within local communities. We’ve worked closely with both organisations to get to this stage, and we will continue to provide support through the next exciting phases. The £300,000 investment from Foundation Scotland in North Edinburgh Art’s new MacMillan Hub will support the charity to increase its footprint by a third. Families will have an affordable, safe and welcoming place to come to and enjoy, young people will be given more opportunities to develop skills, confidence and self-esteem, and older people will feel part of a connected community.
The £250,000 investment from Foundation Scotland in Giffnock Soccer Centre will enable the group to increase its reach to many more local people of all ages and all abilities, supporting the physical and mental health need of the whole community at a time when it’s never been needed more. We can’t wait to come along to the first matches on the new pitches next year.
We know there are other groups that urgently need support to get started or grow, and this is even more challenging in the current climate. We are encouraging all interested groups to visit our website or contact our team directly to discuss eligibility and next steps.”
Foundation Scotland’s ‘Investing in Enterprise Fund’ offers blended finance to eligible social enterprises, community organisations and charities operating in 18 local authority areas.
