Independent Edinburgh community centre opens its doors again

Volunteers give Oxgangs centre a Covid facelift

Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre volunteers: (from left) Arlene McKay, Eric Barry, Susan Barry, Dom Heslop, Linda Gordon, Jane Barry, Cllr Jason Rust

A COMMUNITY centre which used the lockdown to give the premises a facelift has begun reopening to the public.

Independently-run Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre is starting up activities again while council-owned centres remain closed.

The centre, which has been visited by actress Joanna Lumley and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, hosts a yoga group, Slimming World, art classes, lunch group, carpet bowls, bingo, dance classes and more.

During the Covid shutdown, volunteers rallied to redecorate and clean the building.

Centre manager Dom Heslop said: “The Covid -19 pandemic has hit charities throughout the UK and we have suffered from lack of income. However, here in Oxgangs we are a resilient community and have turned a negative into a positive. After 25 years the centre was showing its age and so a dedicated team of volunteers undertook a major refurbishment programme.

“We’re an independent centre, not owned by the council but we used to get council funding of about £40,000 until that was cut three years ago. We are reliant on fundraising and grants from different bodies.

“We provide the centre for people in the area but also local groups and look for commercial lets. And we have a very vibrant cafe which we subsidise to make sure the cost is as low as possible for local people.”

Now the centre is trying to raise £10,000 to pay for a new fully-fitted commercial kitchen to serve the cafe.

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