Two community organisations including a youth hub and preserving a women’s group historic documents are to be given grants from the Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) after approval at committee.
The City Council’s Finance and Resources Committee agreed on Thursday to the groups getting the funding and they are Northfield Youth Hub, which will receive £59,657, and the Scottish Women’s Institute (SWI) which will receive £15,212.
Committee Convener Councillor Alex McLellan said: “These local projects will both help to grow our communities going into the future along with safeguarding the past.
“We hope these funding grants helps to establish a hub for the young Northfield community which will be a tremendous asset for the area, and also support the Scottish Women’s Institute in preserving its important cultural history.”
The Northfield Youth Hub is to use the grant for its Building a Brighter Future project which is joining two 20ft containers, which have been donated by local companies, and a large disused brick building in the area between Northfield Academy and the AstroTurf pitch to provide a youth hub following engagement with local young people.
The three items will be adapted to provide one large space, clad internally to assist efficiency and fitted out in collaboration with the young people in the area. This will include interior and exterior decoration to give the young people that sense of place and will be facilitated by a street artist who will co-design and help paint the mural with the young people.
From lessons learned at the previously opened hub at Tesco in Rousay Drive, this approach has worked well in preventing any vandalism to the structure and giving the young people a sense of pride, community and learning new skills. The project is aligned with an ongoing diversionary activity provided by StreetSport and improvement works being carried out by Sport Aberdeen.
For the Scottish Women’s Institute grant, the money will be used .for the group’s Archive Room Project. The Aberdeenshire SWI Federation has 70 institutes across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire and has had many more which have closed over the last century.
When institutes close, they return their papers - which include financial records, minute books, photographs and trophies which can date back over 100 years - to the regional office for safe keeping.
The grant will be used towards ongoing renovations to the group’s premises including lining the basement to safely house and protect these many historical papers and items including art works and tapestries.
The Scottish Government’s PBIP gives funding to councils to support projects which include community-led regeneration town centre revitalisation, community wealth building, and 20 minute neighbourhoods. A total of £590,000 was allocated to Aberdeen City Council in 2023/2024, of which £484,596 was approved for allocation by committee on 29 March 2023 and £105,404 remained available.