How would you want to use the farmhouse?

Dear BIG members, friends, partners and affiliated groups,

A lot has been happening since our last blogpost. The committee have been busied with getting things together and in motion for our feasibility study. So to let you know where we are at:

After looking at various consultants (individual and organisations), we interviewed three and then finally appointed Sandra Macaskill (of Caskieco) to carry out our Options Appraisal with us. We have also appointed Malcolm Fraser Architects, Elliot & Company and David Adams Group to simultaneously carry out more structural and architectural feasibility work on the building itself.

Work has begun by all parties and all important meetings, details and legal issues have been considered. We are pleased with progress so far on this work and things are moving forward positively. 

We are also very excited about working with two different students from the University of Edinburgh. 
Hannelore Christiaens is writing her Masters thesis this summer on sustainable 

renovation, and doing research into the farmhouse as a case-study as part of this. 
Then, from September to December we will be joined by Darla Eno, a 4th year architectural history student, who will be on placement with us, looking at community engagement in design and development.

The committee have also been on a study visit to Lambhill Stables in Glagsow to look at 
a similar project to ours which gave us some great ideas and inspiration for the farmhouse renovation. 

The feasibility study we are carrying out involves two stages. 

1. An options appraisal researching three possible options for development and consulted 

groups and individuals on these to find the most appropriate. This will last until September. 

2. A detailed feasibility study, including business plan and financial feasibility, into one of 

these options. This will be carried out between September and December, presented at the 

next AGM.

At the moment then we are carrying out a community consultation into options for use and 

development of the farmhouse. We have a short questionnaire that we are asking all interested

groups and organisations and potential users of the farmhouse to fill out. This is really

 important in influencing the final choice over use and development, so please do take just a 

few minutes to fill this out, and to alert others to it.

The link to the questionnaire is here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BridgendFarmhouseConsultation

We will be presenting the outcomes of this community consultation at an event on Saturday 7th September 2-4pm at Bridgend Allotments. There will also be storytelling sessions for kids (so bring the family) and refreshments for all on the day.

As always, if you are interested in getting more involved, helping out, 
or have any ideas for the building, this project, or for support and funding, 
please do get contact us on bridgendfarmhse@gmail.com.

Please help influence the farmhouse development and have your 
say on what you would like to see happen in and around the building 
by filling in the questionnaire above, and attending the presentation event.

Hope you're all enjoying the great sunshine and Mediterranean heat!

BIG Trustees

Moving onwards with great strides....

Hello all,

We would like to inform you all about some very good news. We have been awarded £11'000! This is from the Big Lottery Investing In Ideas funding and the Royal Institute of Architects Scotland.

This is to carry out an options appraisal, feasibility study and develop a business plan for the developments of Bridgend Farmhouse over the next 8 months or so. We have ensured that built into this is community events and opportunities along the way for the progress of this to be presented to all interested in commenting and taking part in shaping the study and final report. News of these will follow as we work them out.

We would like to invite you to our upcoming meetings, which will be to update on recent support we have been receiving from Just Enterprise and shape the last parts of that, and also to meet with consultants to decide how we will spend this grant funding we have just received. If you would like to attend either of the meetings below please let us know.

• Monday April 29th 6-8pm, Bridgend Allotments Portcabin
• Thursday May 9th 6-8.30pm, Bridgend Allotments Portcabin.

Attached is the minutes from our last meeting in March here.

Thank you for all for your continued support, in many ways, and we hope that this great addition of funding and professional expertise will move us significantly forward to realising all our dream for the farmhouse,

Onwards and upwards into 2013....

Dear members, friends and affiliates,

Happy 2013 to you all! We hope the season of hibernation brought you some good rest and you feel invigorated and full of hope for the new year. We certainly do with the farmhouse renovation project, and things are starting to build and look positive at the moment.

We had a successful AGM in december, and would like to welcome on to the committee: Jamie Ross, Steven Hendry, Chris Macefield and Iain Chantler who will join John Knox, Anna Danby and Will Golding as the full members of the current committee. 

Plans have been put in motion for this year, and all minutes from the AGM are available here

Our first meeting of the year to check the progress of these things and put more into action is:

Sunday 27th January, 2-3.30pm at Bridgend Barn, Bridgend Allotments, EH164TE.

This is open to everyone, so we would love to see some of you down there. If you can't make it but want to feed something in beforehand just send it over to us or call on 07949230245.

We are looking forward to making great strides this year towards the renovation and to seeing some of you soon.

From, all of the committee

Bridgend Inspiring Growth AGM and Winter Celebration

Hello everyone,

We hope you have all had a fruitful and encouraging year so far and are preparing your hearths for the coming winter.

We apologise to all for the lack of updates we have been able to send out recently, but would like to let you know that behind the scenes we have been continuing to work hard to collaborate with various local groups on developing ideas for the farmhouse renovation, applying for funding, and starting to develop a business plan for the renovation. As always, any extra assistance, support and expertise would be hugely appreciated, however big or small, and would make a significant difference towards the renovation project.

This year we have so far:

• Established ourselves as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (No SCO42769) and got public, volunteer and employers liability and insurance
• Carried out an intergenerational storytelling project with Liberton Primary and Inchview residential carehome. A printed and electronic book of stories produced documenting this and collecting stories told and written is available on request if you would like one. Please email or call to ask for a hard copy, or for a free one online for ipads go to: https://itunes.apple.com/book/id575931767?mt=11 
• Held a workshop led by Development Trust Association Scotland which identified and assessed various uses for the building, looking at their social and financial benefits, and developing an outline for best uses of the farmhouse in the future
• Began developing a business plan and Social Return on Investment audit for the farmhouse
• Written and soon to submit an application for funding to develop an options appraisal to be presented back to all for comment and further participation

Now, we are coming to the end of the year and wanted to host a Winter Celebration to accompany our Annual General Meeting. This will be: Sunday December 9th 2-3.30pm, Bridgend Allotments Barn, 41 Old Dalkeith Road, EH164TE. There will be winter baking and hot drinks available to keep us all warm (but dress in layers too!) We have gone with a Sunday because a lot of people said they could not make the dark evenings, and others are working during the week.

A poster is available if you would like to help us distribute which you can see below.    

All members, organisational partners and non-members are invited to attend this event. If you would like to stand as a trustee or nominate anyone this would be fantastic, and please get in contact and we can send you the appropriate form. Equally, if you cannot make the meeting but would like to cast a vote on the election on trustees then let us know and we can ensure you are able to vote by post. An agenda for the meeting will be available on the day, but if you would like to see in advance or add anything additional then please let us know as well.

We are currently looking for 3 or 4 key partner organisations who would be interested in collaborating on the farmhouse renovation. If you are interested please get in touch

We look forward to seeing some of you there or hearing from you soon, and thankyou for your continued support.

Hello all,

I hope those of you who were able to got to look through the notes and list produced on possible sustainable activities in the farmhouse if renovated which came out of our most recent workshop. To follow on from this we will be having our next meeting to try and put some of this into action and start assessing the potential for the different activities on the site.

Please do come along, your input is really valued and there will be practical tasks for people to go away with should they wish, so we do need you there.

It is MONDAY 14TH MAY 6.30pm - 8.30pm at Inch House Community Centre, EH16 5UF.

If you need any support or assistance in getting directions there or access to the park in the dark then please let us know. 

Also, please see here for information about our next public event. It is the final event in an intergenerational living memory project being carried out gathering local tales and stories with pupils from Liberton Primary school and residents from Inchview residential home. Do come along to hear some of the final stories that were created and also some special tales from professional storytellers, even one specifically about the farmhouse. There will also be other workshops and refreshments provided. 

Please let us know if you may attend on Monday, or send apologies if you cannot make it but would like to.

Bridgend Farmhouse developments; the next steps...

Dear members and affiliates,

Just to let you all know the report that came out of our recent workshop with the aim of identifying key aims and outcomes for the group. It is available here. We'd like to emphasise these are Draft working aims, but will help to guide us towards clarifying them over time and giving us a clearer direction.

Over the next 6 weeks we will be researching the different possible key and important uses of the building. If you would be able to help with this at all please get in touch and we can elaborate more on this. Especially for those who attended the workshop last thursday whom we don't know your specific email addresses.

We are also beginning a living memory project in May with Liberton primary school and Inchview residential carehome, if you'd like to get involved in that at all. We particularly are looking for people interested in material and resource making and gathering of different types.

Finally, our next meeting for all to attend will be Monday 14th May, Inch Community Centre, 225 Gilmerton Road. Postcode, EH17 5TT, 6.30-8.30pm.

If you need any extra directions or would like to walk through the park with someone just let us know beforehand.

Anything else do get in touch in the meantime.

Bridgend Farmhouse; From vision to action

To all members and affiliates,

You may have thought things had gone a little quiet with developments around the Bridgend Farmhouse renovation project, but we have been working away developing the suggestions put forward, planning a local living memory project, and organising a community action workshop on what we can do next and who can do it. We are still in need of time, expertise, energy and assistance though, so please get in touch if you can help in ANY way. We have many suggestions if you are wondering what would be useful.

We are now very glad to be able to invite you to attend this workshop though to look at what are the next stages and how we get there. Please see here for more details.

Bridgend Farmhouse: From Vision to Action

Thursday March 15^th 6-8.30pm

Inch Community Centre, Bottom floor, Inch House,

225 Gilmerton Road, EH16 5UF (in Inch Park)

Bridgend Inspiring Growth (BIG) is a small voluntary group who have come together to work towards the renovation of the farmhouse for community benefit and ownership

Over the past year, BIG has consulted the local community, users of the allotments, and potential partner organisations to identify what local needs the farmhouse project could and should meet. We are now looking at ways to go forward with those and turn them into a reality.

Purpose of this event

This workshop is for local people to come together to review the information gathered and agree on:

1. The local priorities (strategic aims) that the farmhouse project will meet

2. Key activities (operational objectives) that will turn these aims into reality

3. A clear work programme that sets out the main steps required to achieve progress towards these objectives over the next year

Who should attend?

This event is for anyone in the local and wider community who is passionate about making the farmhouse a working resource for the local area and is able to commit at least some time to help make this happen (over whatever period of time you can manage).

All other details are on the poster, but if you have any additional requirements or assistance needed to attend, or have any further questions beforehand please let us know.

Please RSVP to bridgendfarmhse@gmail.com to indicate if you may be attending.

Meeting Minutes - 26th January 2012

Hello folks,

Attached are minutes from the most recent committee meeting here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/79767633

We also have recently held some planning meetings for an intergenerational living memory project in the area. If you are interested in hearing about this or getting involved please let us know: bridgendfarmhse@gmail.com

We will be meeting to consolidate the project plan and vision on February 19th. Please send us anything you want added before then.

Following that we will be running a workshop with Development Trust Association Scotland around project planning and identifying priority actions and activities. This will be in early March. if you would be able to attend this please do and please let us know.

Following this we will produce a new leaflet to send out to members and local residents outlining the next years plan of action and how you can contribute and be involved in the project.

Any ideas, suggestions or thoughts in the meantime do get in touch.

Thinking BIG - Where next for the farmhouse renovation in 2012...

Hello all,

We wish you all goodwill, warmth and fun times over this winter break.

There are a few things to catch up on and also a few notes of what will be happening with the farmhouse renovation project in the New Year.

1. On December 3rd 6 of us went to visit Moffat CAN (http://moffatcan.org/). Everyone seemed to have a really good afternoon and we were treated to a wonderful tour and history of a very inspiring project that has grown from a local recycling scheme to a very impressive renewables and allotments project and building restoration. We are very thankful to Alis, her son, Katrina and some of the local gardeners for their kindness and time. Pictures can be found on the Gallery tab of this blog.

2. We have had 2 meetings in the last month. They have began the plans for the local history and storytelling project that we will be carrying out in Spring 2012. We will be working to engage both younger folk at school and older people in the area in residential setting so limited in now accessing the farmhouse. We have some amazing storytellers and storygatherers involved so far. There is a great deal of historical research being carried out locally through the Greater liberton Heritage Project currently, particularly to do with the old chapel that is on the site of the farmhouse. The results look to be very revealing and interesting. If you would be interested in getting involved in anyway please get in touch.

3. In the New Year we will be be running a workshop with DTAS Community Ownership Support Service to design our next action plans based on the consultation and discussion done locally so far. This will help us in filling out funding applications and taking the project forward. Details still TBC. Any interest please contact us.

4. We will be looking to go on a second study visit to Lambhill Stables in Glasgow. If you could help to organise this or would like to come please let us know.

5. Finally, we aim to begin carrying out a Social Return on investment on the potential prospects of the farmhouse renovation. Any help in compiling local research for this would be very useful.

6. We would like to thank all at Daisy's Diner for their fine hospitality and kindness in hosting our meetings over the past month.

In terms of the situation with the farmhouse we are still trying to build capacity and filling out funding applications to continue trying to save the farmhouse from further degradation. This is essential and any help in this regard would be absolutely vital to the possibility of this happening. Please assist with this if you can.

In terms of planning:

• please look at the Edinburgh Local Development Plans for 2012. They include a variety of pieces of greenbelt land being removed as greenbelt. This may or may not directly affect the farmhouse property, but certainly does other greenspace land in the city. Please visit the website to add your views and comments before plans are finalised from January 27th.
• Currently the farmhouse is under the governance of Fields in Trust as Greenbelt protected land. if it was to lost this status it would be under sole governance of Edinburgh City council and thus could be disposed of with their consent and without needing fields in Trust. For more info on Fields in Trust to consider these implications follow this link
• Also, please be aware of planning application currently in for a huge development up the road: Follow the link and click on the top search for more info. Comments are welcome at this stage. Please consider possible impacts on this development on the area and of course the farmhouse.

Lastly then. We will continue to work towards the farmhouse renovation and to continue trying to broaden our engagement and work within Bridgend, The Inch, Liberton and the wider communities. We will keep on trying but without extra support and help we may not be able to continue. if you are able to support the project in anyway please come forward in the New Year. It really could make all the difference.

Have a wonderful winter and new year and see you in 2012!

Meeting Minutes and Study Visit

Hello All,

Here is a link to the minutes from our recent meeting. We have tried to make them short and clear, just outlining the business and actions decided. We are considering moving some of the meetings to a local cafe in the evenings. Please let us know if there's one you'd particularly like to suggest or offer as a venue?

Also - we will be going on a study trip and training day soon as a group to see Building Restoration Project and various sustainable and environmental initiatives recently developed at Moffat CAN. This will be on Saturday 3rd December.

If you are interested in coming along to this please let us know by November 7th.

In the meantime, if you have any other ways you would like to get involved or support the project, to help with local history project, youth engagement work or developing the business plan, then do get in touch.