A few weeks ago, MSP Colin Smyth raised the Midsteeple Quarter Project as an excellent example of community led fightback to secure the future of Town Centres.

We are absolutely delighted to announce that we will be having a stall at the very first Dumfries Makers Market as part of this year’s Christmas Lights Switch On in Dumfries Town Centre on 2nd December. Dumfries Makers Market is a project by The Guild Dumfries C.I.C which has been working extremely hard to bring their vision of a monthly curated street market festival to life in Dumfries town centre.

On Tuesday 16th October, we held our first AGM for the Midsteeple Quarter Project at The Oven on Dumfries High Street, which offered members of the community the opportunity to find out more about the progress of the project as well as discuss ideas for the future uses of The Oven and view initial plans.

All welcome to come along to the very first Midsteeple Quarter AGM! Our first Annual General Meeting will be help on Tuesday 16th October at The Oven (135-139 High Street, Dumfries). The meeting itself will commence at 7.30pm, but you are also invited to join us for a reception beforehand from 6.00pm.

We need your help! Please come along armed with a cameraphone and an canny eye on SUNDAY 30th September (anytime between 10am and 4pm) to take part in a citizen’s survey of the condition of the buildings on the High Street.

THE MIDSTEEPLE QUARTER NEEDS YOU!! Want to have your say on what makes Dumfries town centre attractive? Have you got an opinion on bringing homes back into use in Dumfries town centre? Want a house on the High Street? Now is the chance for Doonhamers to have their say!!

The Midsteeple Quarter Project has reached a stage now where we need dedicated administrative and coordination support. We have raised sufficient finance to offer an initial 6 month contract to someone who can offer 15 hours per week to the project.

Following a recent call-out for new members to join the Board of the Midsteeple Quarter, six members of the Dumfries community have been appointed to support our project into its next stages.

Evie Copland is a fiercely proud Doonhamer and very excited about what the Midsteeple Quarter project means for the future of Dumfries. She is 27 and works in social housing for DGHP based in Dumfries, working on a digital transformation programme. 

First up in our ‘Meet the Board’ series is High Street resident, John Dowson. John is retired at 70 years old. He was an antique and fine art dealer for 40 years, as well as a town centre councillor for 11 years. From 1995-99, he was the Leader of the Council and in 2000 was appointed Dumfries Town Centre Manager for two years.