Coldingham Mercat Cross Restoration and the importance of IVAR in funding
While IVAR is increasingly referenced in funding circles, its significance may not be immediately clear to those outside the sector. The Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) is an independent UK charity that collaborates with voluntary organisations, funders, and public agencies to strengthen communities through action research. IVAR champions open and trusting grant-making practices through eight key commitments designed to make funding more flexible, responsive, and effective for community organisations.
As one of around 150 funders who have signed a pledge to align with IVAR principles, our work encompasses these principles. This case study demonstrates how community benefit funding from Greencoat UK Wind enabled a rural community to preserve a historic centrepiece within their village and illustrates how IVAR principles were instrumental in ensuring the project's success.
Project Background
In 2019 the Coldingham Community Council (CCC) were tasked with the task of reinstating the Coldham Mercat Cross as the column has become unstable and was deemed unsafe. This led to Scottish Borders Council removing the cross on safety grounds. The CCC understood the cross’s historical significance to the community and set about raising funding to ensure that it could be safely re-erected.
What is a Mercat Cross
Coldingham has had a Mercat Cross since the 16th century, making it one of only about five such historic crosses remaining in Scotland. The most recent incarnation was gifted to the community by the Dunglass Estate in 1815. A Mercat Cross stands as the distinctive Scottish marker of market privilege in towns and cities across Scotland. These structures served as official symbols where monarchs, bishops, or barons had granted the valuable right to host regular markets or fairs.
More than decorative monuments, these crosses functioned as powerful indicators of a burgh's economic success and administrative importance. While the term originated before Scotland's 1707 union with England, "Mercat Cross" continues to describe both historical structures and newer constructions built in the traditional style that mark the central gathering point of Scottish settlements.
Project & Funding
In April 2019 the CCC approached the Drone Hill Community Fund for a grant to contribute towards the project cost to rebuild the Mercat Cross. The overall project cost was upwards of £100,000. The Project aimed to:
- Rebuild the monument using original stonework where possible
- Incorporate stone from the neighbouring old St Andrews kirk to emphasise historical connections
- Provide seating near the monument for visitors and locals
- Create a story board detailing the history and acknowledging sponsors
The Drone Hill Community Fund decision making panel agreed to award the requested amount of £10,000 to support with the project and CCC continued securing funding to secure its targeted amount.
Project delays
The project required collaboration with key stakeholders including the landowner, Scottish Borders Council, other funding streams, contractors, and the Drone Hill Fund, with strong communication maintained throughout all phases of implementation. This multi-stakeholder approach ensured alignment of objectives, efficient resource allocation, and seamless coordination of activities.
As the team gained momentum in raising funds, COVID-19 brought significant disruption. This essentially placed the project on hold for a number of years, and following the emergence from lockdowns, the group slowly regrouped. In late 2023, they successfully secured the remaining funding needed to proceed.
Group resilience & project completion
At the time of securing the remaining funds, the Community Council subgroup who originally led the project stepped back from their roles. It took some time for new members to regroup and bolster their resources to continue moving the project forward.
In 2024, the construction phase of the project commenced, and by the end of 2024, the Mercat Cross was completed after five years of dedication from local community volunteers.
Integrating IVAR for the lifecycle of the project
The Coldingham Mercat Cross Restoration Project demonstrates strong alignment with IVAR's eight commitments for open and trusting grant-making in several key ways:
1. Accept risk - Realistic expectations about assurance
The project faced significant challenges, including COVID-19 delays and changes in the Community Council membership. Risk acceptance was demonstrated by maintaining commitment despite these uncertainties and extended timeframes.
2. Act with urgency - Appropriate timeframes
Whilst the total project took five years, this was primarily due to external factors (pandemic, volunteer transitions). The funding relationship was maintained throughout this extended period, showing flexibility in timeframes to meet the project's changing circumstances.
3. Be open - Providing feedback and transparency
The case study presents this as a success story where the funding relationship was maintained through significant challenges, demonstrating open communication between Foundation Scotland and the community group throughout the process.
4. Enable flexibility - Adaptable funding
This is perhaps the most evident principle in the case study. IVAR defines flexible funding as funding that "enables them to respond to changing needs" (Open and Trusting Grant-making - IVAR UK), which is exactly what happened with this project. Foundation Scotland maintained their commitment despite:
- A five-year timeline versus what was likely initially proposed
- Changes in the Community Council membership
- Pandemic-related delays
- Evolving project needs as circumstances changed
5. Communicate with purpose - Positive relationships
The successful completion of the project after five years suggests ongoing, purposeful communication between Foundation Scotland and the community groups. The relationship was strong enough to withstand COVID disruptions and changes in the volunteer team.
Read more about the Drone Hill Wind Farm Community Fund here.