Some of the many highlights of our journey so far:
After almost exactly 8 years since the seed of an idea formed to turn the derelict Bridgend farmhouse into a community resource we offically opened the Farmhouse and its it new-build workshops with a BIG party.
This page gives some of the many steps in this amazing journey with more detail in the attached poster(click on the image to get the full-sized view)
Related to this, our own John Knox had an article published in Holyrood Magazine in 2017 where he talks about our first 7 years and much of the effort needed to realise that initial idea of the restored and functioning farmhouse. You can read the full text here.
Plus other examples of our publications here
This page gives some of the many steps in this amazing journey with more detail in the attached poster(click on the image to get the full-sized view)
Related to this, our own John Knox had an article published in Holyrood Magazine in 2017 where he talks about our first 7 years and much of the effort needed to realise that initial idea of the restored and functioning farmhouse. You can read the full text here.
Plus other examples of our publications here
2010 THE SEED IS SOWN A few local residents and volunteers at the allotments get together and hold a public meeting in the Bridgend Barn to discuss renovating Bridgend Farmhouse and creating a community resource.
2011 WE SET UP A SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation) - Bridgend Inspiring Growth (we had BIG ideas!). We will restore the derelict farmhouse and turn it into a thriving community centre, focusing on the outdoors and the environment - a gateway to Craigmillar Park.
2012 CONSULTATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT continue. We seek many ideas and get 'Investing in Ideas‘ funding from the Big Lottery. With this we develop a business plan, feasibility studies, options appraisal and various architectural drawings all based on the suggestions from people we speak with in the area.
2013 WE APPOINT OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORKER, who joins us to run outreach programmes both sides of the park (Craimillar/Niddrie and Inch & Moredun). We engage with many different people who all feed into the farmhouse design and the services that will be offered there.
2014 THE FARMHOUSE GOES UP FOR SALE! CEC put it on the open market and we bid alongside 14 others. After a long campaign and council committee meetings Edinburgh councillors agree to give BIG 1 years’ license to use the building and to raise the funds to renovate it or it goes back on the market. We immediately start weekly volunteer sessions, beginning to clear and renovating the site and also start to develop new programmes at Bridgend Farmhouse itself.
2015 WE CONTINUE CONSULTATION with many events, meetings, programmes and workshops. We finalise plans for the renovation, and work hard for funding from the BIG Lottery fund, the Robertson Trust, Historic Environment Scotland and others to support the £1.1 million needed for the renovation. After much campaigning and debates with CEC, councillors offer an amended recommendation which agrees to transfer ownership of Bridgend Farmhouse BIG for £1.
2016 VOLUNTEERS DEVELOP THE SITE as we add a 2nd weekly volunteer session. We start working on the land and building a shelter for when the farmhouse is being renovated. More activities are run on-site. Fundraising continues as still more is required for the renovation. On 24th of November our ownership is finally confirmed and the farmhouse transferred to BIG. We appoint our Build Manager to help take us through the renovation.
2017 A BIG YEAR! WE APPOINT CORNHILL BUILDING SERVICES (CBS) for the renovation work. Hard-Hat tours ensure members see the progress. BIG volunteers take on a lot - Timber Charring and Cladding for the workshops, landscaping work, internal painting and decorating. At the end of 2017 CBS complete, delivering a fantastically renovated farmhouse. Outreach and on-site projects and activities continue throughout.
2018 WE APPOINT TWO FULL-TIME WORKERS to run our Centre for Learning, Eating and Exercise. Volunteers finish the farmhouse internally then prepare for the site launch.
Finally, on March 24th 2018, we opened to the public for regular hire, workshop use and many activities. The BIG seed planted has grown and come to fruition. We now plan: a volunteer build of an eco-bothy in the byre starting early summer 2018, new projects, classes, workshops, volunteer days, and more to come...
2011 WE SET UP A SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation) - Bridgend Inspiring Growth (we had BIG ideas!). We will restore the derelict farmhouse and turn it into a thriving community centre, focusing on the outdoors and the environment - a gateway to Craigmillar Park.
2012 CONSULTATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT continue. We seek many ideas and get 'Investing in Ideas‘ funding from the Big Lottery. With this we develop a business plan, feasibility studies, options appraisal and various architectural drawings all based on the suggestions from people we speak with in the area.
2013 WE APPOINT OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORKER, who joins us to run outreach programmes both sides of the park (Craimillar/Niddrie and Inch & Moredun). We engage with many different people who all feed into the farmhouse design and the services that will be offered there.
2014 THE FARMHOUSE GOES UP FOR SALE! CEC put it on the open market and we bid alongside 14 others. After a long campaign and council committee meetings Edinburgh councillors agree to give BIG 1 years’ license to use the building and to raise the funds to renovate it or it goes back on the market. We immediately start weekly volunteer sessions, beginning to clear and renovating the site and also start to develop new programmes at Bridgend Farmhouse itself.
2015 WE CONTINUE CONSULTATION with many events, meetings, programmes and workshops. We finalise plans for the renovation, and work hard for funding from the BIG Lottery fund, the Robertson Trust, Historic Environment Scotland and others to support the £1.1 million needed for the renovation. After much campaigning and debates with CEC, councillors offer an amended recommendation which agrees to transfer ownership of Bridgend Farmhouse BIG for £1.
2016 VOLUNTEERS DEVELOP THE SITE as we add a 2nd weekly volunteer session. We start working on the land and building a shelter for when the farmhouse is being renovated. More activities are run on-site. Fundraising continues as still more is required for the renovation. On 24th of November our ownership is finally confirmed and the farmhouse transferred to BIG. We appoint our Build Manager to help take us through the renovation.
2017 A BIG YEAR! WE APPOINT CORNHILL BUILDING SERVICES (CBS) for the renovation work. Hard-Hat tours ensure members see the progress. BIG volunteers take on a lot - Timber Charring and Cladding for the workshops, landscaping work, internal painting and decorating. At the end of 2017 CBS complete, delivering a fantastically renovated farmhouse. Outreach and on-site projects and activities continue throughout.
2018 WE APPOINT TWO FULL-TIME WORKERS to run our Centre for Learning, Eating and Exercise. Volunteers finish the farmhouse internally then prepare for the site launch.
Finally, on March 24th 2018, we opened to the public for regular hire, workshop use and many activities. The BIG seed planted has grown and come to fruition. We now plan: a volunteer build of an eco-bothy in the byre starting early summer 2018, new projects, classes, workshops, volunteer days, and more to come...
