New Location & Greenhouses update
If you have been following us in the set up of Thurso Community Benefit Society you will know that there are BIG plans imminent. We are looking to form a social enterprise through the creation of a more commercial growing operation in the Town Greenhouses with the addition of a Zero Waste Refill Shop/Mini Hub as an outlet for the wonderful veggies to be sold and also where you can shop plastic free. Zero Waste Refill Shops are popping up all over Scotland in a very growing trend where you can shop plastic free and for environmentally friendly products. Both the shop and Greenhouses will also be used as training facilities for young people assisting those who need a bit of help with employability and skills development into permanent long term work and maybe inspiring future growers and enterprises which help us all to reduce our carbon footprint here in Thurso in the quest to reach net zero.
We hope that both the shop which we hope will also be a mini-hub for activities and the Greenhouses will have event space in there as well where we can continue the work that Thurso Grows has done with activities which take climate action and expand on them more. A recent survey we carried out into Climate Action in the community revealed that a large number of you in the community would love to learn more about how to reduce your waste by repairing, upcycling and of course continuing our popular food workshops and information. That is all the plan anyway! As we reported a few weeks ago we have been awarded the first part of funding toward the Greenhouses and are awaiting the results of another funding application which will establish the shop space.
In the meantime the Community Asset Transfer of the Greenhouses is progressing and we should be receiving the official notice that needs to be displayed at the facility this week (fingers crossed) and should know the outcome of that application by August.
The Shop/Mini Hub has another use. Our office, the space we have identified is Temptations and we are currently working through the lease arrangements for it. We desperately need more office space as we expand and storage for the amount of ‘stuff’ we have collected up in the last year or so. So we have submitted to the Highland Council Planning Department for a Change of Use to office space for the second floor in Temptations.
Being in the Town Centre for our office is more than about space. It is also about being more connected to the town centre and to the community. Fancy a chat with one of our Development Officers? Pop in! Need some support or advice, pop in! We’ll be easier to find and we’ll also be right there regenerating the Town Centre and be able to work better with the Retailers and Eateries.
So lots of applications, still lots of wait and see but it is very exciting times to come (we and Thurso Community Benefit Society hope! We have lots of fingers crossed!)