The project will address Local Priorities:

- Improve safety, accessibility and equipment in outdoor recreation spaces for families and young people

- Improve community facilities to support wider range of projects

The existing area poses safety risks and limits children’s ability to play freely. With funding, we will install a new, safe surface beneath the trim trail, add outdoor gym equipment, a climbing Oberon, and seating to encourage longer visits and social interaction. Raised beds will be retained to support biodiversity and a natural feel, while bright, engaging colours will enhance the space visually.

This transformation will:

· Improve safety and accessibility for all children, including those with mobility challenges

· Encourage outdoor activity and healthy lifestyles

· Foster community spirit through shared use and inclusive design

By reimagining this space, we will create a welcoming, multi-use area that supports wellbeing, play, and togetherness—ensuring the playground remains a cherished community asset for years to come.

This project seeks funding to improve the surfacing and play equipment at Coldside Community Campus, with the goal of creating a safer, more inclusive, and engaging outdoor environment for children, young people, and families in the local community.

The current outdoor play areas are in need of significant upgrades to meet modern safety standards and accessibility requirements. Uneven or worn surfacing poses a risk of injury, particularly for younger children and those with additional support needs. By installing new, impact-absorbing surfacing and upgrading play equipment, we aim to reduce accidents, increase accessibility for all users, and create a more welcoming space for active play and social interaction.

In addition to improving safety, the project will enhance the quality and variety of play experiences available. New equipment will be chosen to support physical development, creativity, and inclusive play, ensuring that children of all ages and abilities can participate. These improvements will encourage more families to use the space regularly, promoting health, wellbeing, and community cohesion.

Importantly, this project also supports the wider vision of Coldside Community Campus as a hub for year-round community engagement. The upgraded outdoor space will serve as a flexible, open-access venue for a range of community-led initiatives, including outdoor learning, family events, and health and wellbeing programmes. By improving the infrastructure, we will enable the campus to host more diverse and inclusive activities, particularly during evenings, weekends, and school holidays.

This investment will have a lasting impact on the Coldside area by transforming the outdoor environment into a vibrant, safe, and accessible space that supports play, learning, and community connection. It aligns with local priorities around improving health outcomes, reducing inequalities, and creating inclusive spaces for all.

Routine site inspections and risk assessments have highlighted safety concerns with the current surfacing, including uneven ground and worn materials that increase the risk of trips and falls. Staff have reported frequent minor injuries during play, particularly among younger children. Additionally, the existing equipment is outdated and lacks inclusive features, limiting access for children with additional support needs. Local health and wellbeing data also supports the need for improved outdoor facilities. Coldside is an area with higher-than-average levels of childhood obesity and lower physical activity rates, as identified in local authority health profiles. Providing safe, engaging outdoor spaces is a key strategy in addressing these issues. Community Engagement: Engagement with families, pupils, and community groups has been central to identifying this project as a priority. Feedback gathered through parent surveys and pupil voice groups consistently highlighted the need for safer, more inclusive outdoor play areas. Parents expressed concerns about safety and limited opportunities for active play, particularly during out-of-school hours.

This project will address the Local Priorities:

- Improve safety, accessibility and equipment in outdoor recreation spaces for families and young people

- Improve community facilities to support wider range of projects

The grant will be used to provide a much needed refurbishment to the ladies, gents and easily accessible/unisex toilets at The MAXwell Centre. Our project alone has a footfall of over 2,500 each month and our centre is the nearest available toilets for visitors to enjoying the facilities and attending events in the Hilltown Park. Improve safety, accessibility and equipment in outdoor recreational spaces for families and young people was a key local Coldside priority identified by our very own youth council for this funding. This grant would allow us to open our facilities to accommodate the increase in footfall that the improvements to play facilities and the outdoor recreation areas in the park would create. We would install signage in the park that our toilet facilities are open to all not just MAXwell participants. Part of our plans for the coming year is to provide more evening and weekend activities, this would increase the open times of the centre and allow access to toilet facilities for longer hours. We also have plans to increase the growing spaces in the park enhancing the recreational spaces. We have been key to developing the Berry Train, Coldside’s Playful nature trail with the Hilltown Park being the start point of the route! This is also a perfect fit for the local Coldside priority. We have recently signed a new lease with our landlords to access the large hall upstairs above the centre. This fits with the local priority Improve community facilities to support a wider range of projects that address issues affecting local people. The additional space will allow us to set up new groups and have new meeting rooms and private spaces. We are well known as a one stop shop for support and our new space will allow us to engage with a wider range of partners to deliver their services and activities in the Coldside area. Our footfall continues to increase year after year. This grant also meets our city plan outcome that our communities have high quality and accessible local services and facilities. Our project is truly representative of the broad spectrum of people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, religions, etc. that we have in the area. Our project breaks down barriers and brings people together in an environment that promotes interaction, integration and to empower them to improve their lives and the place they live in.The current toilets are in very poor condition, bitterly cold in winter and no longer fit for purpose. It has been nearly 20 years since any refurbishment has taken place. The hand driers don’t work making us reliant on expensive, less environmentally friendly paper towels. Lighting is poor and overall the facilities are difficult to clean and maintain.

We engaged our youth council to consult with our young people about the refit. We were disappointed to hear that some of our youths actually find the toilets ‘scary’. Lowering the ceiling and installing floor to ceiling cubicles would make the facilities safer and more pleasant to use. The easily accessible toilet will also be gender neutral, ensuring inclusivity for all. We will also make improvements for hand washing/ drying and new lighting would make the space brighter. All the upgrades will make the facilities more sustainable.

The current toilets are in very poor condition, bitterly cold in winter and the gents urinals are no longer fit for purpose. It has been nearly 20 years since any refurbishment has been done. The hand driers don’t work making us reliant on expensive, less environmentally friendly paper towels. Lighting is poor and overall the facilities are difficult to clean and maintain. We engaged our youth council to consult with our young people who quickly established the refurbishment was a key priority. We have 100’s of children a year using the toilets each year as part of our activities. We were disappointed to hear that some of our youths actually find the toilets ‘scary’. Lowering the ceiling and floor to ceiling cubicles would make the facilities safer and more pleasant to use. They identified the need for improvements to hand washing and drying facilities especially before lunch! New lighting was also identified as a priority making the space brighter and using more environmentally friendly bulbs. Our youth council are passionate about supporting us to achieve our local outcome that children will be safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included. The easily accessible toilet will also be gender neutral to ensure inclusivity for all. We also conducted a series of community consultations in 2022 to improve facilities in the park. This consultation highlighted the need for access to toilet facilities was essential to increased engagement and park usage. Finally, we have a dedicated team of over 70 volunteers who take ownership of our project and ensure that it continues to be supported. They are true ambassadors of the centre and our work, many have been involved in discussions around the need for the refurbishment and it’s planning.

Local Priority: - Improvements to outdoor play and recreation incorporating parks, green spaces and school playgrounds

We are hoping to improve our school’s outdoor environment, with a focus on creating high-quality play, sports, and learning spaces that support the wellbeing and development of all pupils. Our project will enhance both the physical infrastructure and the educational opportunities available outdoors, while also improving the visual appeal of the school grounds for the wider community. This includes

• upgrading existing play equipment,
• improving landscaping,
• adding features such as shaded seating areas and interactive ground markings.
• resurfacing our current astro pitch and Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs), which are in need of repair. 
• dedicated zones for outdoor learning that support exploration, teamwork, and creativity across the curriculum. 

The project will enhance the school’s presence in the community. Improving the visual appearance of the playground and grounds from the street will foster a stronger sense of pride among pupils, parents, and local residents, contributing to a more vibrant and welcoming neighbourhood. Expected Outcomes: • Increased participation in physical activity, sport, and outdoor learning. • Safer, more inclusive and accessible outdoor facilities for all pupils. • Improved physical and mental wellbeing of children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. • A more attractive and engaging school environment that enhances the community’s view of the school. • Greater opportunities for community use and connection with the school’s outdoor spaces. The need for this project has been clearly identified through meaningful engagement with a range of stakeholders, including pupils, parents, staff, and the wider school community. As part of our planning process, we actively sought the views of our pupils through class discussions, suggestion boxes, and pupil council meetings. Children expressed a strong desire for a more engaging and inclusive outdoor environment. They highlighted specific areas of concern such as outdated play equipment, worn sports surfaces, and a lack of inviting spaces for outdoor learning and quiet play. Many children shared ideas for improvements, including new markings for games, seating areas, shaded spots, and a better space for sports activities. We are part of the Stobswell Community Partnership which sees our school and grounds being used regularly to support holidays clubs and family events. Our School Parent Group has also been closely involved in discussions about the project. Parents emphasised the importance of high-quality outdoor spaces in supporting children’s physical and emotional wellbeing. They expressed concern that the current facilities do not meet the needs of all learners, particularly those who benefit from outdoor learning and active play. Several parents pointed out that many families in our community have limited access to safe, well-maintained outdoor areas outside of school, particularly those living in SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) Deciles 1 and 2. Staff feedback and playground observations further support the need for improvements. The astro pitch and Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs) are currently worn and limit both curriculum-based physical education and informal play. Teachers have also expressed interest in having designated outdoor learning zones to support cross-curricular teaching and encourage engagement among a wider range of learners. This consistent feedback from pupils, parents, and staff clearly demonstrates a shared priority: to create a safe, inclusive, and inspiring outdoor space that supports learning, health, and wellbeing for all children in our school community.

Playground Equipment Resurfacings of the MUGA, Outdoor Classroom, Bike Shed, Outdoor Chalkboards x 2, Picnic Table x 5, Bug Hotel Planter x 2, Planters for Decoration x 6, Wellie Storage x 2, Fine Motor Wall Panel, Traverse Panels x 2, Builder Engineer Set, Playground Markings, 3 way hopscotch, Snakes and Ladders, Face Compass Clock, Solar System, Outdoor Boom whackers, Harmony Flowers, Junk Music Wall Trip, Wooden Ring Toss, Giant Dominoes, Wooden Skittles, Boules, Giant Tumble Tower, Giant Four in a Row, Skooter Boards x 2

This is not simply a playground improvement project—it is a commitment to equity, health, and education. By upgrading our MUGA, we will ensure that our pupils have access to safe, all-weather sports facilities that encourage lifelong habits of fitness and teamwork. Through the development of outdoor learning areas, we aim to enrich our curriculum and provide more diverse, engaging learning experiences for all children. We are confident that the project will have a lasting and measurable impact on our school community. The level of support from pupils, parents, and staff is strong, and we have the structures in place to ensure that the space will be well-maintained, fully utilised, and embedded in everyday school life. We are also committed to sharing our success and learning from this project with other local schools and community partners, helping to build momentum for wider improvements to children’s environments across our area. In short, this project will not only improve the physical appearance of our school but will significantly enhance the opportunities and experiences available to every child who learns and plays here. Thank you for considering our application—we are excited about the potential of this project and deeply appreciate your support.

Local Priority: Enhanced community facilities.

The Hall is unwelcoming, in poor condition, inaccessible & unsuitable with inadequate kitchen & toilet facilities & lacking a lift to the first floor. Visible issues internally+externally are rapidly worsening & negatively affecting Hall’s usability & considerably reducing the number of users. This Project will: 1-Execute urgent repairs to the roof/walls/windows & replace rainwater goods (considerably overdue), to stop rapid deterioration caused by massive water-ingress, Safeguarding Hall’s features/fabric/Heritage, enhancing appearance (townscape transformation) & improving condition. 2-Making Hall disabled-friendly & ‘all inclusive’ by installing a much needed lift. All with mobility problems/crutches/wheelchair users cannot access the first floor, where the stage is found. This is ’Disability Discrimination’, a major barrier to all in the community to ‘fully’ access & appreciate/benefit from this Community Hall. 3-Make essential improvements to outdated, inadequate/unsuitable toilet+kitchen facilities, meeting the needs of community users. A grant from Neighbourhood Capital Fund will be used towards no 2 and no 3. Outcomes Aiming to ‘Enhance Community Facilities’, this Project will: Make the Hall more accessible (remove physical challenges/barriers e.g installation of lift, improvements to toilets). Hall will become a safer,/suitable,/inclusive,/attracting & meaningful Hub in its offering of a warm+welcoming community space, (where needs are being met). Raise the profile of ‘Lochee’ District in Dundee Contribute to shared social & cultural identity, creating excitement, inspiring/encouraging & improving collective abilities/social functioning, boost confidence & improve significantly emotional & mental well-being create sense of belonging & ‘Pride in Place’ Improve Hall’s facilities, condition & increased access. This improves user experience, increases inclusivity & sustainability, guaranteeing greater use. Optimism & enthusiasm increased locally, enabling Hall to function as a better central Hub for social interactions+activities unify community to work towards common goals, promoting & strengthening community cohesion, eradicating social fractures identify & outreach to a greater diversity of people to connect with their local communities & groups help with ‘Place Making’ enabling Lochee/Dundee to be a better place to be, live, work, visit, study, thrive & invest in Open up many opportunities for interaction, volunteering, skills training/workshops/placements in the ‘new secure place’. boost trade from tourists as Lochee Heritage site becomes better known. attract more investment, creating more available capital in the area around Hall, giving rise to more supporting businesses of a diverse nature moving into this area. This causes economic growth to spiral upwards. improve economic well-being by increasing employment for a range of workers on the socio-economic scale.

Since 2022, we’ve received many complaints from Hall users about its poor condition & its run-down facilities. A petition was then signed by hundreds of current users & beneficiaries stating the seriousness of the building condition & requesting improvement & preservation of this important community space. We then carried out a number of discussions & consultation exercises with a variety of local people, groups, Educational Institutions & Local Authorities, obtaining their views+suggestions, to understand/explore their needs & interests. Gaps in the social welfare services, the needs of the Educational Institutions & community groups were then identified. We considered how this Social Space & Project could best help Lochee Community members & also mitigate Dundee’s severe social issues: Removing barriers/challenges, improving social equity, creating opportunities & improving quality of life, were foremost on this Project’s Agenda. We met with the three Dundee High Schools, serious concerns were shared about available+suitable career paths for their pupils. They welcomed the chance to provide their youth with realistic alternatives to the unhealthy & destructive lifestyles currently prevalent in Dundee. Exciting roles & availability of variety of jobs would motivate/inspire pupils & increase employability opportunities. We then considered showcasing Hall’s repairs/improvements to pupils & introducing available exciting manual+professional Heritage Careers+information about available training bursaries to remove financial ‘barriers/challenges’ to enrich pupils' Heritage craft/skills for steady employment in the Heritage Sector. There was overwhelming agreement with project aims & projected outcomes to further develop this project.

Local Priority: Create safe outdoor and indoor spaces for young people

Planet Youth is an evidence based substance use prevention model. It is a 10 step process which aims to identify risk and protective factors to build a protective environment for children and young people to grow up in. The work is built around 4 domains - Leisure Time, School, Family and Peer Group. Through working with young people at Baldragon Academy over a series of workshops with V&A, Dundee and examining the Planet Youth data it was identified by both pupils and teaching staff that creating safe indoor and outdoor spaces was a priority. YP have disclosed through the work we have completed that there is a lack of places to sit outside and a limited amount of benches with shelter. We would hope with the approval of this application that we could provide a further three outdoor tables and bench set for the playground. This would allow young people to eat their lunch outside and engage positively with their peers. We would also hope that young people would have had a more positive experience over lunchtime, therefore returning to class in a more relaxed state and are more likely to engage with their in their learning. It was also identified by the young people that there is a lack of sporting activities/resources in the playground. Again, through consultation with the wider school community suggestions have been made to invest in basketball nets and a selection of different sporting equipment for the playground. This again would allow young people to engage in a more positive lunchtime and engage them in physical activity in school and encourage team building activities. The PY data also shows that there is a lack of young people participating in physical activity so therefore by creating more opportunity for them it is likely to encourage them to be more physically active. The YP have also identified spaces in school which they would like to create. The young people expressed that lunchtimes can be busy and there is not enough space for everyone in the lunch hall. After pupils presented to Senior Leadership team, it was identified that there was certain spaces pupils could use in school. The hope is this would create a calmer environment for all pupils in school, it would reduce overcrowding in certain areas of the school. Young people have also asked if they can open different departments at lunch. This again would allow young people to engage in a more positive lunchtime and be with their peers.

In 2023 the Planet Youth survey was completed by S3/4 pupils in Baldragon Academy. The survey focuses on four domains: School, Peer Education, Leisure Time and Family. Baldragon Academy has been working in partnership with V&A, Dundee, Barnardo's with the PY Development Officer to look at the Planet Youth data. A mixture of pupils from across S1-6 examined the different statements that came from the data and prioritised 'safe spaces in school'. With the support of the V&A, the young people went on a ‘safari tour' of the school to identify spaces where they felt safe and not so safe in school. Through looking at the pictures the YP were able to discuss with their peers and professionals what it was they liked and disliked about specific places in school. The young people then created prototypes of spaces they would like to see in school such as: using the fitness suite at lunchtime, having somewhere comfy to sit and making more of the outdoor space. The senior pupils then presented to senior leadership team and at assembly to consult the rest of the school. During lunchtime the group created a ballot where the rest of the school could vote on what spaces they would like to see be developed in school. The school voted as follows: Gaming Room- 50% Outdoor Spaces – 50% Movie lunchtime – 40% Fitness suite – 35% Opening departments – 25% Soft furnishings-25% Junior vs Seniors- 10% Other suggestions – set up sporting activities outside, basketball net and opening upstairs.

Local Priority: - Improvements to infrastructure incorporating fencing and bollards, bins and bin enclosures

Stobie Green Screen is a creative green infrastructure project transforming an unused space on Raglan Street- currently the site of flytipping, littering and car-dumping, into an attractive, eco-friendly space that supports sustainability, biodiversity, and community pride.

The project will install a living wall structure that screens off refuse bins and a hot-composter, while also acting as a vertical green space filled with plants. It will provide environmental benefits, reduce visual blight, and offer a community growing space for local residents and groups.

We aim to:

Improve the visual appearance of the Raglan Street side of the community centre.

Introduce a hot-composting system to reduce food and garden waste for the centre, the community and local food-businesses.

Create a biodiverse vertical garden supporting pollinators and air quality.

Strengthen community engagement and ownership over shared spaces.

Promote environmental education through signage and involvement of local schools/groups.

Attached are pictures of the space currently, some 'concept' designs (these are just AI, which never quite captures it, but gives an idea), pictures of some similar projects elsewhere, and examples of the composter/living wall equipment which would be required.

Project Summary: The Stobie Green Screen is a creative green infrastructure project that will transform a currently problematic area at the rear of the community centre on Raglan Street in Stobswell. This space is currently a hotspot for fly-tipping, drug use, and on occasion sex work, leading to concerns around safety, hygiene, and community perception. By installing a living wall structure that screens off the refuse area and houses a new hot-composter, we will convert a neglected and misused space into a vibrant, eco-friendly feature. The project will increase safety, visual appeal, and local pride while delivering tangible environmental, educational, and social benefits. ________________________________________ Project Objectives: Improve the visual appearance of the Raglan Street side of the community centre and tackle the stigma associated with the space. Introduce a hot-composting system to reduce food and garden waste and promote environmental responsibility. Create a biodiverse vertical garden that improves air quality and supports pollinators and local wildlife. Strengthen community engagement and safety, encouraging a sense of ownership and pride among residents. Promote environmental education through signage and involvement of local schools and groups. Eliminate misuse of the area by creating a physical and visual barrier that reduces opportunities for anti-social behaviour. Expected Outcomes: • Visually enhanced street frontage, improving pride and perceptions of the area. • Increased awareness and uptake of sustainable waste practices, especially composting. • Reduction in waste sent to landfill through use of the hot-composter. • Improved local biodiversity and microclimate benefits. • Engagement of volunteers, children, and residents in planting, maintenance, and learning. • A replicable model for small-scale urban greening in other parts of Stobswell. ________________________________________ Timeline: Phase Activity Date Phase 1 Planning & permissions Month 1 Phase 2 Installation of wall & composter Months 2–3 Phase 3 Planting, signage, community engagement Month 4 Phase 4 Launch event, monitoring, and educational outreach Month 5 ________________________________________ Sustainability & Maintenance: Maintenance will be managed by our volunteer gardening group and supported by existing staff. We will also explore youth engagement opportunities through local schools and summer activities, ensuring the space remains cared for long-term.

We initially had our Community Learning & Development Officer visit our cosy cafe and groups to familiarise service users with the Neighbourhood Capital Fund and explain the community involvement in the process. We then handed out suggestion forms to our service users and other visitors to several engagement events both in the centre and outwith it. With the community idea generation underway we were able to draw up ideas which would fit their requirements whilst also being realistic and achievable. With our 'Green Screen project in mind we have displayed the idea for this alongside the other project ideas in Arthurstone library, taking part in the wider community consultation and receiving positive feedback and support from attendees.

Maintenance will be managed by our volunteer gardening group and supported by existing staff. We will also explore youth engagement opportunities through local schools and summer activities, ensuring the space remains cared for long-term. The composter does not require energy or fuel to run so ongoing costs will be minimal- the unit cost includes 1-3 years servicing depending on model selected.

Should the funding application be successful it will also enable us to grow our partnership with other community groups like Room2Be and Ishka who advocate for and provide mental health and peer support through green-plant based activities.

This project links in with the Maryfield priority of ‘Improvements to outdoor play and recreation incorporating park, green spaces and school playgrounds. Our expected outcomes for this project are: • Increase participation of people accessing East Craigie to play football. • Increase participation in females’ access and using the sport facilities at East Craigie. • Increased footfall of people spectating sporting events at East Craigie • Increased footfall contributing to community asset wealth opportunities for East Craigie. Our plan is The plan is to upgrade existing toilet and shower facilities in the existing East Craigie pavilion (1932). East Craigie F.C - Google Maps • Existing building in serious disrepair. • The committee currently looking into suggested layout and facility changes to upgrade the building. • Final scheme will dictate electricity requirements including main distribution board. • Reviewed to accommodate structural engineering inspection and develop options for multi-designated official. Work would include: • Removal of non-structural partition walls • Upgrading shower and toilet facilities • Relocation of laundry equipment including washing machines and tumble dryers The installation of new unisex facilities for match officials and visitors. The installation would include: • Cubicles x3 • Separate toilet and washing facilities • Storage lockers for officials • Upgrades to lighting and heating. • New doors, facings and skirtings. • All surfaces will be wet wall with suspended ceiling.

East Craigie FC are the oldest football club in Dundee. The club is also the oldest junior football club in Scotland. The club was founded in 1880 by mill workers from Wallace Craigie Mill. The club moved from the dock area to their current home in 1932. The club are part of the community and engage in activities to support the promotion of football in the area. We regularly host women at the club through hospitality and as match officials. Our facilities are unfortunately not the standard required. The club is committed to improving changing and toilet facilities for women and girl players, visitors and match officials. East Craigie look to continue and enrich our hosting of groups from the Grey Lodge, Mid-Lin Daycare Centre, supporting elderly and dementia groups. We have an excellent long standing supportive relationship with our neighbours in the allotments. The club has engaged with the Stobswell Forum, who are a local community action group. The club has recently entered into a partnership with Dundee United Social Club (DUSC). This partnership aims to consolidate the club’s community engagement, DUSC have a history of serving areas of multiple deprivation in Dundee and share a similar community ethos with East Craigie FC.

East Craigie are committed to supporting the continuation of football in Maryfield. The clubs’ roots are a century old in the local community. Improving facilities is an essential part of any club’s development. As we move forward to our 150th anniversary as Dundee’s oldest football club, we look forward to welcoming visitors from throughout Scotland, and particularly the Maryfield community. This project will allow East Craigie to work towards our goal of maximising the community wealth opportunities for the benefit of the club and the area it serves.

Local Priorities the project will meet: - Urban improvements incorporating environmental seating and shelters

We are seeking funding to transform the historic site of Dundee’s first Calendar Works into a vibrant, youth-led community café and heritage hub. This innovative project, led by Helm’s Youth Collective, will revitalise an underused space into a warm, inclusive indoor and outdoor café with a Mediterranean feel, while also celebrating local history through guided heritage tours. The project will deliver real-world skills, create employment opportunities, and foster community cohesion, with young people at the heart of its design, delivery, and growth. This project will provide: • 15–20 young people engaged annually in meaningful training and employment roles. • Increased footfall and community engagement with the Helm site. • Greater public awareness of the area’s heritage through regular tours and public programming. • A transformed, safe, and attractive outdoor space supporting tourism and wellbeing. • Sustainable income generation through café and tour sales supporting future wages. Currently underused and largely hidden from public awareness, the Calendar Works is Dundee’s first of its kind — a building of significant local heritage with untapped potential. The adjacent courtyard, once overshadowed by a derelict neighbouring property, will be reimagined with Mediterranean-style touches: bistro seating, palm plants, wall art, and canopy lighting, creating a welcoming space for people of all ages to gather, relax, and connect. Alongside the café, young people will develop and lead guided heritage walking tours, bringing the rich industrial history of the site and surrounding area to life. Training in hospitality and heritage interpretation will be delivered by Helm staff and our partners at Dundee Dark Tours, ensuring young people gain high-quality, transferable skills rooted in real-world experience.

With young people leading every stage — from design to delivery — the Helm Café & Heritage Hub will become a powerful model of youth empowerment, heritage celebration, and community transformation at the heart of Dundee.

Many of the young people we support at Helm face significant barriers to education, employment, and social inclusion. These include care experience, mental health challenges, neurodiversity, and a lack of stable support networks. What they need most are meaningful opportunities to build skills, confidence, and connection — in spaces where they feel ownership and belonging. Through this project, young people will help bring the site back to life by creating a café and heritage hub that is inclusive, vibrant, and rooted in local identity. It will provide: Real-world employment and enterprise pathways for young people through training, volunteering, and paid roles A safe and inspiring community space that encourages social connection and wellbeing The activation of local heritage through youth-led walking tours and storytelling

We are working in close partnership with Dundee Historic Environment Trust (DHET) and Dundee Dark Tours (DDT) to deliver this project. Both organisations bring significant expertise and credibility in local heritage, and are fully behind the vision of a youth-led community café and heritage hub. In particular, Dundee Dark Tours have generously offered to deliver free professional heritage interpretation training to our young people. This will equip them with the confidence and skills needed to research, design, and lead walking tours celebrating the Calendar Works and surrounding area — offering the community a fresh, authentic insight into Dundee’s past, through the eyes of its future. DHET has also committed to supporting the project’s development, ensuring our heritage offer aligns with best practice and wider city priorities. Their endorsement not only adds value to the initiative but connects us to a growing network of local historians, archivists, and heritage professionals who are excited about the project’s potential. In addition, we are engaging local businesses, Helm staff, volunteers, and our Helm Youth Collective, who are central to the project’s design and delivery. Young people have already contributed ideas for the courtyard layout, branding, and menu, and will take ownership of day-to-day operations, supported by trained staff and local mentors. This joined-up approach — combining youth leadership with expert guidance and community support — is key to the long-term sustainability of the café and heritage hub. Income from the café and paid tours will be reinvested into youth training and jobs, while ongoing partnerships will provide routes into further volunteering, employment, and education. Ultimately, this project is about placing young people at the heart of local regeneration — restoring a hidden heritage site, creating new social enterprise opportunities, and building pride of place. The strong community partnerships we’ve already secured reflect wide-ranging belief in this vision and a shared commitment to making it a success.

Local priority: - Improve community facilities to support wider range of projects

We propose developing a community garden within our existing allotment space to significantly enhance community wellbeing, foster social cohesion, and rejuvenate an underutilised area. This initiative directly addresses local priorities by offering inclusive, accessible outdoor spaces that promote physical health, mental wellness, and environmental sustainability. The garden will provide dedicated spaces for community members, including accessible areas specifically designed for individuals with disabilities. We will install raised beds, pathways suitable for wheelchairs, sensory garden elements, and seating areas to ensure broad accessibility and usability. Moreover, sustainable features such as rainwater harvesting systems and compost bins, will be integrated to promote environmental awareness and sustainability practices within our community. Residents have highlighted the demand for safe, communal spaces that enable outdoor activities and community engagement. This garden will serve as a vital communal hub, offering structured activities such as gardening workshops thus enriching community interactions and social ties. The anticipated outcomes of this project include enhanced community resilience, increased physical activity, improved mental health, and heightened community spirit. It will contribute to local sustainability objectives by promoting biodiversity and sustainable practices. Additionally, the garden will provide opportunities for education and skill-building around gardening, environmental care, and healthy lifestyles. By developing this community garden, we seek not only to transform an underused plot but also to establish a lasting asset that fosters community pride, wellbeing, and sustainability. This aligns directly with Dundee City Council’s objectives of improving local environments and building resilient, inclusive communities, ensuring long-term positive impacts across the neighbourhood.

With better access to the site we can offer more activities within our campus and hold more open days to raise the awareness of our allotments and foster better relationships within the local community.  Hopefully encouraging local people to develop the skills around gardening which can be used within the allotments and  in their own gardens and the wider community.

We see that with better access we can develop our plots to be more user friendly for wheelchair users encouraging participants to be included  in  a gardening community.

The benefits of safer access will not only enhance our site but will encourage inclusion for all.

The need for the community garden at our allotments has been clearly established through direct consultations and engagement with local councillors, community stakeholders, and consultancy support. This has highlighted significant local interest and demand for enhanced green spaces that actively support physical and mental health, community cohesion, and inclusivity. Initial conversations with local councillors revealed consistent feedback from constituents about the lack of accessible community facilities that foster wellbeing, especially in the densely populated Coldside area of Dundee. Councillors emphasised the importance of utilising existing community assets, such as allotments, to promote health and social integration, reinforcing the necessity of our proposed garden. Additionally, a specialist consultant engaged by our Association undertook structured stakeholder engagement, notably with representatives from NHS Tayside. This identified significant local health inequalities and an need for community interventions promoting preventative health measures, mental health support, and active lifestyles. NHS Tayside representatives particularly noted the role community gardening initiatives play in addressing isolation, depression, and physical inactivity, supporting our strategic alignment with broader local health priorities.

We have proven commitment to promoting community wellbeing and enhancing local green spaces. Since achieving charitable status (SC054265), we've undertaken extensive engagement, hosting numerous fundraising and community awareness events. This demonstrates not only our active role in community development but also our capability and commitment to delivering sustainable projects. Importantly, the proposed community garden will be accessible to all, offering specially designed spaces for those with disabilities and mobility issues. This inclusivity directly responds to community feedback about the lack of accessible, therapeutic green spaces. Furthermore, educational workshops, gardening activities, and intergenerational events will foster social cohesion, helping to build stronger community relationships. Funding from the Neighbourhood Capital Fund will significantly advance our goals, enabling immediate enhancements and lasting improvements that resonate deeply with community needs. By investing in this initiative, Dundee City Council will help secure lasting positive outcomes for the neighbourhood - transforming our space into a cornerstone of community wellbeing, pride, and sustainability.

To address the local priority: Improve safety, accessibility and equipment in outdoor recreation spaces for families and young people

The grant would be used to upgrade Hilltown Park Play Equipment. This includes replacing the current, damaged equipment with newer, more modern equipment, resurfacing the current surfaces and installing a fence with a gate to keep the equipment safe from dogs and make the space safer for children who may be inclined to run away. By installing these, the park will be more accessible for families and young people living in an area of the 10% most deprived in Scotland. Hilltown Park has been a community loved gem since it's installation and is cherished by local children and families. Sadly, the equipment is old and worn and the surfacing has become aged and rotten. The park is also well used by dog walkers, and often dogs cause damage to the play equipment when they are playing. Local people explained that upgrading this park would make a huge difference to the facilities in the area. Maxwell Centre regularly uses the park with their youth groups and have been campaigning for this upgrade and designing ideas for this.

Maxwell Centre and CLD Youth Groups have attended Local Community Planning Partnership to raise this issue on behalf of their peers. Our Lady's Additional Support Base Staff have consulted with parents on the suitability of the space in the park and agreed that better equipment and a fence would make the park far more accessible.

The grant will replace the multiplay unit and slide with a more modern newer one, add a new basket swing, include some new sensory play equipment and resurface the park.  It will also install a fence around the play area and gym equipment to protect the play area from dogs and make it safer for free play for children.  The final designs will be agreed by the young people in the community and the families of children who use or would like to use the park in future.  In addition to this the current equipment that will be kept can be relocated or altered to the spec of the young people and families using the park.