Images: Brothers Path wildflower meadow, Possilpark -Depot Arts; Secrete Cinema events held in Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia - Jenny Humberstone, HERE+NOW; and Concrete Garden, Possilpark -Blair Cunningham https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_622132_en.pdf

Stalled Spaces Scotland is an inspirational project to help communities breathe new life into underused parts of Argyll and Bute.

Argyll and Bute Council, in partnership with Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS), invites community groups to apply for small grants to encourage the temporary use of stalled development sites, underused green spaces and vacant and derelict land in: Bowmore, Campbeltown, Cardross, Dunoon, Helensburgh, Inveraray, Oban, Rothesay, Sandbank, Tarbert and Tobermory.

This is part of a national programme being delivered by A+DS, forming part of the Commonwealth Games Legacy.

Successful Round 1 Projects

The successful community groups, and identified sites, are as follows:

• Green area of land adjacent to 32 Argyll Road, Dunoon - Argyll College will facilitate, and assist in maintenance of the project, and propose to work in partnership with Kirn primary school, Dunoon Grammar School and The HELP Project.
• The former playground of the Rockfield Centre, Oban - Oban Communities Trust will facilitate, and take responsibility for the maintenance of the area, but will also work collaboratively with Argyll College and Youth Café.
• The former bowling green area of the Blarbuie Woods within the grounds of Argyll and Bute Hospital, Lochgilphead - Blarbuie Woodland Enterprise Ltd has established a community growing group to develop and implement this project and is made up of NHS, Argyll and Bute Council, Lochgilphead Community Council, Community Resource, Health and Wellbeing Network and members of the public.
• The vacant lot in front of Park Terrace and next to the Guide Hall on McCallum Street, Campbeltown - South Kintyre Development Trust (SKDT) will facilitate, and arrange maintenance for the project, and will work in partnership with Campbeltown Community Orchard and Garden (CCOG), Argyll and Bute Council Adult Learning and Youth Services, Kintyre Youth Enquiry Service (KYES) and Argyll College UHI.
• The gap site at 39-47 Watergate, Rothesay - Argyll College will facilitate, and assist in maintenance of the project, and propose to work in partnership with the following Argyll and Bute Council, Achievement Bute, Bute Youth Forum, Zero Carbon Bute, Local Employability and Training 16+ Group (will provide a programme of training) and Fyne Homes.

Information Sessions

Argyll and Bute’s Stalled Spaces Scotland project was launched with a few encouraging words from Argyll and Bute Provost, Councillor Len Scoullar on 29th April 2015.

The aim of the launch, and the ‘drop in’ sessions held across Argyll, was to inform and support a broad range of communities to progress their project ideas. You can view examples of Stalled Spaces projects elsewhere by downloading our slide show.

Presentations were given by Lorna Pearce, who is facilitating the Stalled Spaces Scotland project and who provided information on grant eligibility and the timeframe for applications; by Emma Halliday of Architecture and Design Scotland, who provided detail on the Scotland wide project; and by Irene Graham, who inspired the audience with her project specific example of how she went about setting up and running the Greyfriars Garden project in Glasgow.

Funding

Stalled Spaces Scotland grants are available to communities within Bowmore, Campbeltown, Cardross, Dunoon, Helensburgh, Inveraray, Oban, Rothesay, Sandbank, Tarbert and Tobermory who wish to help improve their local environment. Round two will focus on Bowmore, Cardross, Inveraray, Sandbank, Tarbert and Tobermory.

Up to £2,500 is available for projects which have growing, healthy living or youth activity at their heart and also propose to improve underused, vacant or derelict spaces within town centres.

Making an Application for Grant

Application forms and full guidance notes are available for download or you can apply online.

Purpose

Stalled Spaces Argyll and Bute is part of Stalled Spaces Scotland, a Legacy 2014 programme inspired by Stalled Spaces Glasgow, and supported by Architecture and Design Scotland, Argyll and Bute Council and the Scottish Government.

The main objectives for the project are to:

1. Support the community to enhance stalled spaces within their town centres
2. Involve young people
3. Encourage people to lead healthier lifestyles
4. Encourage potential for learning and sharing of skills at each of the sites

Images: Dorchester Avenue in Cleveden, Glasgow -John Young;  Greyfriars Garden - Lenny Warren; The VACANT LOT programme -what if: projects ltd   www.what-if.info; and Barrowland Park, Glasgow - GCC, Development and Regeneration Services

The desired outcomes from which are:

• The wider community recognise the area is visibly improved
• Young people feel more engaged with their community
• People feel that the project has helped them to lead a healthier life
• People feel that they have learned new skills

There are a number of community gardens across Argyll which may provide inspiration for your Stalled Spaces Scotland project:

• Glenfinart Walled Garden
• Bute Produce
• Tarbert Healing Garden
• Glenorchy & Innishail Community Orchard
• Oban Community Sensory Garden

Support

To enquire about a grant to enhance your town centre, contact:

• Lorna Pearce T: 01700 501 374 / E: lorna.pearce@argyll-bute.gov.uk or
• Anna Watkiss T: 01546 604344/E: anna.watkiss@argyll-bute.gov.uk

 Guidance and Application Forms

Social Enterprise Topic Sheets

You can search for sources of match funding from the Council funding web page.