Community groups in Winchburgh have been awarded a £32,000 grant to improve facilities at two sites in the rapidly expanding community.
Three groups will benefit; the local Scout pack, Winchburgh Albion football club and Winchburgh Growers.
West Lothian Council’s regeneration fund will fund new storage containers with money collected from developer contributions.
The award delighted SNP group leader and local councillor Janet Campbell.
A meeting of the Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh Local Area Committee heard the developments will be at Craigton park pitches and Auldcathie Park.
The Scout pack, founded in 2015, acted as the lead in the application. In their application the group said: “Storage facilities for equipment and refurbished changing rooms for the three groups is essential for their development of their voluntary groups who have all grown substantially in recent years with the growth of the village – large numbers of young people and older people involved in community activity bring about needs for more equipment and storage and improved meeting and changing provision.
“The scouts have no space for their tents and outdoor equipment , the football club storage cabin has fallen apart ,their changing rooms are not usable to disrepair and no investment from the council and the Growers work with the Builders Den and wider school use requires an additional cabin for week day activity and bringing equipment on site to support the growth of groups who use the area.”
The money will give the Scout pack – which is currently 68 strong- a secure and dry storage container at Craigton park. An old wooden garage was being used but this lease is about to come to an end, and it wasn’t fit for purpose in any event as equipment keeps getting damaged due to damp etc.
The new storage container was described as a “lifesaver and absolute game-changer the cub and scout pack.”
The football club will also have a new secure lined storage container as well as see the existing changing pavilion at the park refurbished.
The club was founded in 2018 and now operates nine teams ranging from our academy which is a mix of boys and girls starting at five years old upwards. There are 26 club coaches and eight helpers. There are 140 boys and girl registered with the club . The club is fully SFA registered and play in the southeast region
Winchburgh Growers will have their new container- as the others- a 20ft long wood lined container sited at Auldcathie Park.
The group- properly Winchburgh Community Growing Group- was established in 2018 by a couple of volunteers who wanted to see healthy food growing for the whole community for use.
In their bid the group said: “We started with 10 planters in the community expanding to 50 across the village in the first year. This was part of the bigger dream to have our own land in the New Auldcathie park.
“We obtained 1.5 acres from Winchburgh Developments within the park and opened our area in 2021. We have expanded the area every year expanding to an award community triple times silver with Keep Scotland Beautiful while bringing a sanctuary for old and new residents to people to meet their neighbours through ‘growing together’ We have now over 100 regular people enjoying our space in huge variety of ways plus the nursery primary schools and secondary schools using the growing area for learning.”
They added: “This year we set up in conjunction with the WCDT the Builders Den project offering space for men to come together to enjoy the outdoors and building planters and other things of their choice but using the area for time to be together and socialise.
“The project has taken off but we need an additional cabin to store the new tools they have and our own equipment so we can let them use our established cabin for their socialising and the new cabin for working on projects as a workshop and tool area.”
The new container will be clad outside with wood by the Builders Den.
All three containers should be in place for Christmas.
Speaking after the committee meeting Councillor Campbell said: “ I am delighted to be able to support three equally deserving organisations in Winchburgh receiving funding from developer contributions.
“Thanks to Winchburgh Developments the local football team will now have safe storage for their equipment and refurbished changing facilities for all of their teams.
“Winchburgh Albion has developed world class players in the past and this finding will allow them to continue developing the stars of tomorrow.
“John West and his team of volunteers at Winchburgh Growers have achieved an amazing transformation of an unused piece of ground- I would thoroughly recommend a visit, the Auldcathie Cathedral is a wonderful structure, just right for some quiet contemplation.”
By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
