Straiton Community Hub receives £20,000 from the Asda Foundation

Asda’s charity, The Asda Foundation, has awarded £150,000 to eight community groups across Scotland* through its Investing in Spaces and Places grants – including a £20,000 donation to St Leonard’s Episcopal Church in Straiton.

The grants form part of a staggering £1.2 million in funding which has been awarded to 65 community projects across the UK. Ranging between £10,000 and £25,000, the grants will go towards the improvement of community spaces where local people can come together and thrive.

The initiative follows information from Asda’s community tracker, which revealed over 20% of customers were concerned about the lack of community spaces in their area*, with loneliness being ranked as one of the biggest challenges faced by communities by over 38% of people*.

Claire Smith, Community Champion, Asda Straiton, presents cheque to St Leonards Episcopal Church

Among the eight groups awarded in Scotland is St Leonard’s Episcopal Church in Straiton, receiving £20,000 to transform an unused church building into a community hub. With support from the Asda Foundation, the space will become more accessible, providing more opportunity to those from the local community as the money will be used to install a disabled toilet, a new solar powered heating system and create a change to the seating area to configure the hall to host a range of community events.

Peter Harris, St Leonard's Episcopal Church, said:

“Midlothian is one of the fastest and largest growing communities in Scotland but lots of public community facilities have closed, creating a need for accessible and affordable spaces for community groups to operate out of.”

“We’re delighted to receive funding from The Asda Foundation. It will enable us to provide a sense of community cohesion and a suitable space for people to meet, helping to reduce social isolation and provide activities for a wide range of people and ages.”

“The aim is to remove the existing fixed church pews to create an open space, upgrade the kitchen area, as well as install a new solar powered heating system and a new accessible toilet, making the building welcoming and hospitable to all.”

Claire Smith, Community Champion at Asda Straiton, said:

“The community hub is such an important resource to the Straiton local community, and it was a privilege to present this cheque of £20,000 to St Leonard’s Episcopal Church as this space has long been a place of gathering and connection.”

“St Leonard’s is not just a Church building, it is a space used to gather people of all backgrounds and ages through faith, however big or small. The community hall is currently used for a variety of activities such as toddler groups, drama groups, adult exercise and dance classes, as well as a meeting place for adults and elderly people experiencing loneliness.”

Martin Kendal, Communications and Impact Advisor, Asda Foundation said:

"The Asda Foundation understands accessible spaces such as St Leonard’s Episcopal Church are the heart of local communities and through our Investing in Spaces and Places grants, we help support spaces to become more welcoming and accessible to everyone. We’re not just enhancing a building but we’re strengthening the bonds of entire communities, enabling more people to connect and engage with one another.”

“Spaces like these are so important as they allow for equal opportunity for social and leisure activities, learning, and create access to art and culture. They act as an essential part in many lives, particularly those who may be experiencing loneliness.”