Hub News Blog Posts

  When we took over from the Council in October, we managed to secure £500 from FEL for our planned social cinema project. This funding was intended to help us set up community films that would educate us in a fun way about how to future-proof our families and work together as a community to build resilience and safety towards climate change and environmental concerns. Through these films, we aimed to tackle global issues from our own homes. With the £500 grant and some donated equipment, we got off to a good start by screening our first film on biodiversity loss and rewilding, titled "Why Not Scotland?" This film was shown at 7:00 PM on Thursday, November 28th. We sourced this film for free and obtained permission from the filmmakers to screen it to an audience, followed by a Q&A session. The screening went reasonably well; everyone in attendance enjoyed the film and was invited to have a cup of tea and a biscuit, available for donation or free during the Q&A. The hu...

We Love the Pollinators Our bookings coordinator came to the gardening group in a panic. She had found a wasp infestation in the ladies' toilet. "Oh no!" exclaimed our gardener, "we have an event happening this weekend, and we can't close them off!" We needed to deal with the wasps. He went to investigate the infestation, making sure there were no ladies in the toilets. Sure enough, he found a lot of wasps flying around. He managed to get some out the window, but more quickly returned. He had to figure out how they were getting in. It didn’t take long to realize they were entering through a gap at the bottom of the wastewater pipe, which we easily covered to stop them from accessing the toilets. At least the event would be safe to use the ladies' restroom. Further inspection revealed that many wasps were coming through the brickwork to the underside of the building. We contacted the lead of the local wildlife group, who came to assess the situation ...

Let's be honest: due to a lack of maintenance on the exterior paintwork over the past years, our hub has become an eyesore. The woodwork on the brick end has lost all of its protection, and the remnants of the brown wood stain Are? Lets say quite unattractive. This situation has made it a bit of an embarrassment for the management team to share photographs with potential funders and governmental bodies. However, let's not dwell on the negatives; we don't believe in a blame culture here at the hub. This is how we inherited the situation, and it's now up to us to change it. That process has already begun. In truth, it started quite some time ago, but everything takes a while to set in motion. The need for painting has been a topic of discussion since we began working to save the center from closure. Everyone who cares has pointed out just how much it needs a fresh coat of paint. Painting serves two purposes: it enhances the appearance and also provides much-needed...

PATesting Compliance When we took over on the first of October, we had so much to do that we initially never considered whether the portable appliance testing (PAT) had been conducted? and; was it up to date? was this part of the council's leaving strategy. The council granted us a license to operate under what they referred to as FR Insurance. We pay this insurance to continue our operations with full risk coverage the council dealt with their insurance company, we dealt with ours But pay for both thess insurance`s, As a small group of busy unpaid volunteers, we found ourselves overwhelmed with tasks and compliance requirements during that time. We deserve a big PAT (pun intended) on the back for getting through the first six months, which seemed to the groups that use the hub like a seamless transition from council to community management. We couldn’t anticipate every detail during the takeover period, especially since we received no instructions from the form...

The Wifi In September 2024, before we officially took over the hub on October 1st, the council removed the wifi. This was part of the transition process from council to community ownership, as the wifi would no longer be their responsibility, relieving the district of one more expense. However, the small management team that took over the hub needed wifi to set up the booking system, work on the website, communicate with the council and funders, as well as with the groups that use the hub, trustees, and members. The necessity of efficient communication for a community hub cannot be overstated; without internet access, operations would become slow or impossible, we could have potentially failed. the sustainability manager, took it upon himself to purchase a mobile data wifi dongle for £30 a month to maintain the hub's internet connectivity. This enabled the hub’s email addresses, website, and booking management system to remain functional for all users. More than six months prior...

Water Saving for Zero Waste Targets   Today is the 24th of May 2025, and our gardenizer, Nige at the BFG`s, believes it is the first day it has rained this month! Is this unheard of in Scotland? We asked him? It certainly differs from when you and the management team were young, was his answer! (in other words, think for yourself!) We are in the planning stages for numerous initiatives around water at the hub. Many visitors have commented on how lovely it is that we’re having another nice sunny day, which indicates that hub users may not be monitoring the concerning environmental changes. As the song goes, along with the sunshine, there’s gotta be a little rain sometimes! Our food growing group has been monitoring our seedlings, saplings, sunflowers, planters, potatoes, and trees, all of which are drying up. We had to water them because April was also dry. As the old saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers," but this year, there were very few April showers! This la...

  Our composting and food waste initiatives have officially begun, and this is truly a cause for celebration! It marks a significant step towards a brighter and more sustainable future for our community. By embracing these practices, we're not only reducing waste but also fostering a culture of responsibility and care for our environment. Together, we can make a difference, cultivate our gardens, and inspire others to join us on this journey toward sustainability. Let's celebrate this achievement and continue working towards a greener tomorrow! It’s well-known that the future of agriculture is concerning and in need of change. The global population is growing at about 1 percent per year, with some countries experiencing even faster growth. Feeding this increasing population will undoubtedly pose a challenge as time progresses. At the hub, composting practices have had to be started, waste disposal is now a significant challenge for our charity, the waste removal services have b...