We have fantastic news that I will lead with – we have managed to secure a long-term location for the Forge to ensure our operations continue to benefit the community.
We submitted proposals to the council to utilise the currently derelict premises of Gorgie City Farm. During the tender process we were paired with a management company (newly formed, Gorgie Comminity Farm) as a joint bid which was successful!
This is extremely exciting for us, as it’s a flexible space near to our current location and also because it’s a huge opportunity for us to help lead the rejuvenation of Gorgie Farm into a new community locus for the Gorgie Dalry area. We had our first day of action on the farm with volunteers helping clear old fences (see attached picture). Most recently we did a meet and greet with interested local people and local councillors for the area in order to communicate our vision for a new ‘third space’ in the community.
Parallel to this, we have four funding bids pending reply to help us further invest in our project and improve our services. We have also reinvigorated our board of directors with some of our dedicated volunteers so that we continue to help our project remain relevant to our members.
For our membership, we have continued to grow steadily and this past year we have managed to run several market stalls in local makers markets to help encourage and support the members and their skill development. We had a fantastic engagement at the last Canal Festival and Peebles Wood Market and these have now become annual fixtures for outreach to prospective members and to develop the commercial accument of our fantastic amateur craftspeople.
Socially, we’ve continued to nurture a community within our membership with open days, tours and expositions of members showing off skills or teaching. By facilitating these social gatherings we are able to help people engage and feel empowered and welcomed into the locality. We have held two maker socials, an AGM and also had a fantastic bonfire night as a send off for our current site.
To end this, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to yourself and to the community-minded people at Vegware who enable this funding to exist. It’s really a fantastic help that allows us to keep working away at creating an engaging space for the local community to develop skills, explore creativity and engage with their local community. We see the fruits of this investment in our members confidence growing, they report improvements in their mental health and most of all — they keep coming back and bringing their friends.
