We are proud to be lending our professional support to help transform abandoned toilets into a community hub for all in Pentlands.
NIXON is providing quantity surveying services to Pentlands Community Space (PCS), a charity set up to transform disused public toilets into a new community space to improve mental health, combat loneliness in the community as well as hosting baby / toddler sessions and book groups.
The charity successfully campaigned to acquire the council-owned toilets which shut in 2015 and been left an eyesore.
Seeking the help of the local community and professional services, NIXON’s Director, Dominic MacConnell, stepped in to help the charity by waving any professional fees and advising on all quantity surveying services needed on the project.
Dominic MacConnell said: “When I was approached about the project, I wanted to get involved and lend my expertise as I was inspired by the organisers’ commitment and how they had brought so many people together. I knew we, at NIXON, could make a small but effective difference and I wanted to help drive the project forward. It’s been an honour working on behalf of the community and the campaigners, who have done an incredible job of pulling this together so far. I look forward to witnessing what was an ‘eyesore’ be transformed into a community hub.”
Plans are underway to transform the space into a two-storey build with room on the ground floor for the community to meet and a rental apartment above to help sustain the cost of the building in the long-term.
Already the charity has raised 80% of the required funds and is working to secure additional funds needed to complete the £350,000 project. Funding grants, donation of professional services and an Amazon smile account, which donates 0.5% every time a person shops on Amazon using the link, are just some of the ways that the project has sourced funding as well as generous donations from the community.
It is anticipated that the project will complete by 2022.
If you are interested in supporting this project or to find out more about Pentlands Community Space go to: https://pentlandsspace.org/news/
