Community regeneration best practice recognised at SURF Awards

Kilmarnock town centre, a community housing build in Sutherland and an employer’s charter by Wheatley Group have been recognised for best practice in community regeneration.

The projects were among the winners at the prestigious 2015 SURF Awards which were announced at a celebratory presentation event in Glasgow’s Radisson Blu Hotel last week.

Representatives of the six category winning initiatives for 2015 were personally congratulated on their inspiring work by Alex Neil MSP, Scottish Government cabinet secretary for social justice, communities and pensioners’ rights.

The SURF Awards are delivered each year by SURF, an independent network of regeneration organisations, in partnership with the Scottish Government. The purpose is to highlight, celebrate and share excellence and innovation in initiatives addressing physical, social and economic problems in communities across Scotland.

SURF’s panel of 24 independent judges are drawn from national bodies and community groups. They carefully assessed 54 2015 SURF Awards applications in five thematic categories. They visited 16 different shortlisted initiatives across the country, from the Borders to the Highlands & Islands, before selecting the following category winners:

Scotland’s Most Improved Large Town: Kilmarnock. East Ayrshire Council’s holistic Urban Development Plan has created a vibrant town centre for Kilmarnock with restored historic buildings and positive developments in retail, culture, education, housing and tourism.

Scotland’s Most Improved Small/Medium Town: Barrhead. East Renfrewshire Council’s Barrhead Regeneration Initiative long-term growth strategy has rejuvenated the town centre, which is now well-served with amenities, services, and an improved retail offer.

Large Scale Infrastructure: Ullapool Harbour Infrastructure Enhancement. A successful £19.28m harbour modernisation has secured additional benefits for the local community, including a popular music, arts and exhibitions events space.

Creative Regeneration: Laurieston’s ‘Open Spaces’ (Glasgow). An artist-led strategy that complements a major city housing development by making a diverse set of buildings and open spaces – including railway arches and an iconic church – available for creative temporary uses.

Community Led Regeneration: Helmsdale Affordable Housing Project (Sutherland). A community group successfully created four new family homes in an economically fragile remote Highland village to help address depopulation and decline.

Employability: Wheatley Pledge. An effective initiative that has supported 188 clients of the Wheatley Group housing and social care consortium into high quality jobs and training opportunities with external contractors and suppliers.

The six winning projects demonstrate the value of aligning local place-based improvements with substantial social and economic outcomes.

In congratulating the winners, SURF chair Pippa Coutts said the real value of the SURF Awards is in celebrating the considerable efforts carried out every day across Scotland to address physical, social and economic problems in urban neighbourhoods and small towns.

Pippa Coutts said: “The physical, social and economic impacts demonstrated by the projects showcased in the 2015 SURF Awards are remarkable. From high-density urban neighbourhoods to small towns and rural islands, SURF is delighted to recognise and celebrate such inspiring work across the country. We urge everyone involved in the regeneration of Scotland’s communities to take encouragement from their innovative approaches and outstanding achievements.”