Asset Transfer Update – 23rd Sept 2024
A brief update on progress so far:
To date we have gathered 1,435 signatures on our petition and 18 letters of support from key organisations and individuals across the community. Meetings with, and visits to the garden by, local and national politicians from across the political spectrum have all been very positive so far. To date we have met with Paul McLennan MSP, Martin Whitfield MSP, Craig Hoy MSP, Douglas Alexander MP and Cllr. Lyn Jardine. We hope to meet with others shortly.
We have successfully applied for £3000 of funding from East Lothian Council’s ‘community regeneration fund‘ towards the costs of professional advice around the valuation of the land and how best to measure current, and potential future, social and wellbeing impacts arising from Belhaven Community Garden and the activities based there. This will feed into the ‘community asset transfer’ application that we are developing for submission to NHS Lothian.
Contact with NHS Lothian is ongoing and, meantime, we are developing a ‘stage one’ application to the Scottish Land Fund as a first step in applying for a grant towards the cost of bringing the garden into community ownership.