RCGF Funding
Thursday March 12
Midsteeple Quarter are thrilled to announce the news that they have been awarded national funding of £1.2 million for The Oven. This is one of three projects in Dumfries & Galloway who have received almost £3 million in total from Scottish Government. The total national fund is only £25M – so the South West has done really well. Big thanks to the Economic Development team at Dumfries and Galloway Council who led on the applications from the region.
The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) is delivered in partnership with the Scottish Government and COSLA supports locally developed place-based regeneration projects that involve local communities, helping to support and create jobs and build sustainable communities. Regeneration Capital Grant Fund is supporting 25 development projects across Scotland to tackle inequalities and deliver inclusive growth in some of the most deprived and remote communities in Scotland.
Interim Chair of Midsteeple Quarter, Evie Copland commented “The RCGF was the key bit of funding that we had been waiting on – having this support guarantees that The Oven project can happen now. This will be the first phase of Midsteeple Quarter and will show the world what Dumfries can do! Having initial smaller buy-in from the local community like Holywood Trust and DGC has been sufficient to give confidence for the Scottish Govt to back us as well demonstrates support on a national level for both our project and the future of Dumfries. This vital award will allow us to develop new cultural and enterprise space in the heart of the town as well as some much-needed affordable housing.”
The Oven project will re-develop a high-profile site in Dumfries town centre, currently comprising two disused and dilapidated buildings, to form a high quality creative industries incubator hub that will provide business start-up and enterprise space together with new affordable housing for rent.
The Oven is key to wider plans to repurpose the town centre, with more diverse and vibrant offerings of premises and spaces that will accommodate a range of commercial, retail, leisure, and community uses.
The Midsteeple Quarter team would like to say a huge thank you to everyone in our community (and beyond) who has believed in the project and supported Midsteeple Quarter to get to this very important milestone on the journey towards a thriving and vibrant town centre.