Local camera club captures community spirit through the lens of history
An ambitious photography project in Blackridge, West Lothian, has become a celebration of the area’s resilience, community connection and heritage.
The Armadale & Blackridge Camera Club's ‘Community Life Stamp’ is a project which explores and documents the village’s rich history, from its 1581 origins as a coaching stop between Glasgow and Edinburgh, to its industrial coal mining heritage and modern railway renaissance.
To get the project off the ground, the camera club applied for funding from the Blackridge Community Fund. Their application was considered by the Fund’s decision making Panel, which is made up of local residents, who recognised the rich potential of the project. They awarded the Camera Club £1,500 from community benefit funding from nearby Harthill Wind Farm, and encouraged the group to publicise their plans and seek members through the community newsletter.
Some members captured contemporary streetscapes using traditional cameras and drone technology, whilst others reached out to older residents for historical photographs and stories. This revealed an unexpected treasure: the reminiscence and storytelling of longtime residents proved as valuable as the photographs themselves.
For one member, Tom, whose wife Chris had died suddenly, the project offered focus and purpose during a difficult period. His active engagement with older residents exemplified how the initiative fostered intergenerational connections and cultural knowledge exchange. It also demonstrated how community-led creative projects build vital social networks, alongside preserving local heritage.
The completed timeline photographs now grace Blackridge Community Centre as a permanent community resource. There are also plans for a local calendar and ongoing social media engagement.
In a community still economically affected by the decline of heavy industry in the area, this heritage project serves as both a historical record and a social connection tool.
Malcolm Jack, Community Funds Manager at Foundation Scotland, recently saw the end results:
Visiting the Craiginn Centre for the Blackridge Community Fund Panel meeting recently, I was really impressed with the ‘Then and now’ photographs, capturing in a nutshell Blackridge’s evolution over the past 50+ years. It’s an example of how a small amount of community benefit funding can fuel the efforts of dedicated community groups like this Camera Club, and make a difference in lots of different ways within a community. These evocative photos certainly epitomise the community spirit in Blackridge.
The Armadale & Blackridge Camera Club's achievement shows how modest grants can enable grassroots organisations to create lasting cultural and social value, preserving industrial heritage whilst forging connections between established residents and newcomers in rapidly changing communities.
The next Blackridge Community Fund application deadline is 19th June.