Bridgend Inspiring Growth Saving Trust)

Meeting Minutes 14 – 03 – 2011 Action Points

Apologies: Anna Danby, Simon Beames, Lyndsey Mclellan, Helen
Ewing, John Palmer, Roz Pollock, Sophie Unwin, Nigel Green,
Matina Bakratsa

Present: Jade Littlewood, Will Golding, John Knox, Caz Barron,

Chris Cook

Minutes of last meeting and any matters arising

• All agreed and everything confirmed as accurate

Building and Design

• Jade presented the beginnings of some drawings of the Jade to complete once she has
interior based on research done on other community groups more detailed dimensions of the
and similar spaces. building
• Still awaiting feedback from the Glasshouse Design about a Will to follow up
possible design workshop with the local community
• We need to be aware that new technological fixes are not
necessarily as energy effective and sustainable as a good
renovation, and that we need to take wider in terms of the
most sustainable use of the building for the community who
will use it.
• Need to consider how best to utilize the surrounding land,
environment and location in the design, and strengthening
insulation and ground source heating rather than adding
particular new features
• Clearer idea still needed of use, function and users though This to be further discussed and
before further design can go forward. part of the aim of the funding bid
• Chris suggested looking into Hemp plaster.
• Possibility of sliding doors between rooms brought up Someone to look up
• Best to think simply and clearly about these elements
• Further dimensions of the inside are needed for further
Will to ask for and to forward on
internal drawings
• Emphasise needs to be on developing ways to allow for
community involvement throughout in the renovation
process.
• Chris mentioned the importance of healthy living and local
food growing knowledge to the educational aspects of what
use could enable.
• The importance of 'early intervention' was discussed,
emphasizing the importance of accommodating areas for
children. The need to work closely with local schools and
nurseries on this.
• Need to find out how much money could be reduced by John to look into
energy efficient design (as already provided by the Energy
Business Plan To forward on to others to amend
• John presented the business plan he has put together since thein next week if necessary.
last meeting. It was agreed as a very clear and coherent and
well structured document. Will to send current maps to Jade
• Minor amendments and photos and map additions are to edit and send back.
needed. Caz to work on photos to include
in the report
• More work, research and consideration needed on the John to speak to Ron further about
finances in both income and expenditure capital, but Social this, Will to speak to Forth Sector.
Return On Investment too.
• Need to identify more clearly commercial, social and
charitable rental rates. Something that is affordable is both
what we aim to provide, but will also provide some certainty
of rental, but definition of being affordable.
• John has provided a maximum and minimum amount of
capital needed for the yearly building maintenance depending
on how much it is run by Bridgend Inspiring Growth. This
allows us to what would be the most appropriate and feasible
between the two.
Send this on to John for the
• Anna's summary of notes of support she had received from
business plan
various organisations was presented. There were a few very
useful letters and comments sent in outlining specific use,
numbers of people involved, cost and benefit. We would like
more of these if possible.
To finalise for next meeting
• Prepare this to then print out a variety of to send to funders, Jade and Caz to work on
investors and contractors. Possibility of getting this bound
and covered too.
• Chris mentioned the need to emphasise the importance of
health and its development as crucial to the project and what
it could help provide services for.
Will to send these on to Caz
• A crisp and visual presentation to accompany the text based
one is needed. More photos of the various events we have
been part of needed.
• Chris and Jade mentioned how using only 3 images or less
per slide and having lots of them as a narrative would be
more effective. Jade to send this on once
• Jade and Caz have almost completed a new letterhead completed.
template design. This could be added to images for the Dropbox Sharespace to be opened
business plan. by someone.
• Chris introduced the model of Community Land Partnership Chris to possibly come to give a
as a possibility here from his work at the Nordic Enterprise more detailed talk on this at some
Trust. point.
• This is a new thinking in terms of non-toxic investment,
based primarily on partnership work and rental offers where all We also may need to invite
investors, contractors, stakeholders become members inside the stakeholders and key partners
agreement. There is very little debt or interest but there are together to gather mandates of
dividends. Returns can be given through revenue dividends or interest and discuss the
through showing money saved. possibilities of this economic
• There are very little paid staff and employees on this model
• With this in mind there may be different investors and land
partnership needed for different phases of the development.

Finances and Accounts

• John presented confirmed bank information and agreed to John to send to Will once received
send on bank statement once it eventually came. and Will to send to Forward
• After this we can confirm the details to send back and will Scotland
receive £1500 for group training from Forward Scotland.

Partnership Work
• Will mentioned Bridgend Allotment Community Health
Inclusion Project and the need to support them in whatever Will to attend BACHIP/BGC
ways possible as close partners and as an amazing project. general meeting soon
• The group agreed to look to ways to support BGC through
our own projects and other ones as much as possible and to
try to maintain strong ties with them for a symbiotic
relationship.
• Mention was made of the original Cooper Cromar feasibility Will to send on to Jade
study carried out by Bridgend Allotment Community Health
Inclusion Project and why that was inappropriate and what
we have learnt from that and how we have developed from
that.

Funding
• Caz provided some feedback on her visit to The Gathering Jade to send on to anyone
and the workshops she attended on funding. She has written interested.
up what she found out which is available for anyone if they
wish.
• She emphasised the importance of assessing and analysing
statistical reports in finding out and demonstrating the needs
and reasons for the design and development.
• Caz also mentioned the Funding Fair on April 28th at
Westburn Primary school and recommended someone attend
on our behalf.
• Will presented a first draft for Investing in Ideas lottery
grant. The contact was agreed however there were some
discussions over what we would be best to apply for money
for.
• It was suggested that quite a bit of community engagement
and consultation has already taken place and we are Will to go back and adapt some of
beginning to know what sorts of use for the building would the figures and content of what we
are asking for
 be, but we need assistance and development in working out
Who will use, when, what exactly for, and how that will
sustain itself.
• It was agreed we need to develop a strong and sustainable
business place, identifying the social and financial
opportunities with the funding.
• It was also felt that there is a pool of dedicated volunteers
and that rather than passing too much over to consultants we
should find ways of using the money to support and develop
the current volunteer work and possibilities further.
• The objectives of the funding would then be to; identify the
core purpose, show what this would enable, how it would
sustain itself, and encourage active volunteer involvement to
develop into that.
• Chris emphasised the importance of having it as multi-
purpose and creating use in the evenings as well, such as
international meal events.
• We also discussed how we need to look further into Social Will to see if anyone can help us
Return on Investment and how we can identify that and with this
include that in our business plan.
• Jade suggested we need to start narrowing down the ideas
and clarify more concisely what the specific use and function
will be.
Will to send on and others to add
• Will also presented a list of funding possibilities he has put to if they can fill out an
together for different aspects, and introduced smaller grants application or know any other
for community engagement projects around the farmhouse as relevant ones
part of the development process.
• Caz also mentioned the Make a Splash! Application she has
been looking into for an art project to create a evolving
monument for members to contribute to and help create.
• She will be attending a conference about this to look into it
further and also start speaking with other groups thinking
about what might be possible and most appropriate. Will and Caz to find out if there is
• Caz had recently met with Mark Carr from Craigmillar anywhere we could possibly put a
Community Arts to discuss collaboration on this. He is sculpture or create a public
currently very busy but has a sculpture he is willing to donate community artwork near the
if we can somewhere we can place it and a way to transport farmhouse
it.
• We discussed the need to quickly start fund raising to pay for
the Environ Report and begin cash flow to strengthen the Start to contact musicians,
possibility of the campaign. Brief discussion was made of the performers, organisations for
fundraising ceilidh, now moved to the end of April or raffle prizes etc
beginning of May. More to be discussed next time.
• The need to look into adding a donation button and Anna looking into website
possibility on our website and through a mailing list, and the possibilities
possibility of a 'justgiveit' or of a pledgebank.
Steering Group:
• A reminder to update Will on the amount of volunteer hours
put in each week. Anyone interested to let Will
• We mentioned the need to encourage more people to get know.
involved again.
• Training in governance and structure to be run for all
interested to help us decide on best legal status. Date to be Will to present info on
arranged at next meeting, for one evening in April. Development Trust at next
• Will mentioned the possibility of forming ourselves as a meeting and discuss together
Development Trust. Chris suggested we are already one just
not by name. We will discuss further next time if we want to
take on this name and apply to be a member.

Outreach and Events:

− John recently attended Parks meeting
− BIG were represented recently at the Volunteer Fair in
Gilmerton organised by the Volunteer Centre
− There have been various meetings over the past 3 weeks with
professors at Napier University, Forth Sector and Assist
Social Capital
− Community Lunch in South Edinburgh is being held on
Wednesday 23rd March at Gilmerton Community Centre at
1.30pm
− Craigmillar Castle Park springclean on April 201th. BIG to be
present if possible.
− Bio-diversity week is around the 21st May. Mention of
whether we want to prepare anything for this.
− Committee members asked to think about if they would like
to arrange a site-visit to another project at any point

AOCB: Jade to send on once completed or

• Jade has produced a letter to send to skip hire companies to show at next meeting
about possible donation of the hire of a skip for a short
period for clearing rubble fro the building. Will to speak further with them
• Margaret Collingwood and the Greater Liberton Heritage about the developments of this
Project have begun researching information on the history of
the farmhouse and Bridgend Will to present at next meeting
• Report and analysis of questionnaire carried out regarding
possible practical crafts drop-in to be printed out for next
meeting.

Next meeting: Monday 4th April 6.30pm at Inch Community

Centre

Everyone to email back or bring along to next meeting