Social Investment supports Fairfield Community Hub
The Fairfield Sports and Leisure Club in Dundee was founded in 2008 by a committee of dedicated volunteers from local housing schemes.
Operating in the centre of seven residential areas of multiple deprivation, the area struggled with large overgrown areas, disused buildings, crime and antisocial behaviour creating general safety issues for local people. The committee set about changing this for the better.
In 2013, the committee registered the organisation as a new charity, ‘Fairfield Community Sports Hub’ with a vision of offering year-round sports, activities and social facilities for the benefit of everyone in the community and surrounding areas. They recognised that the area needed an accessible, central safe space for local people to positively come together, enjoy sports with others and take part in activities. The vision was that through the creation of a central hub they would help bring back a sense of pride, enthusiasm and connectedness to the community.
The passionate and determined group found an ideal location and worked hard to repair the former run-down Drumgeith Inn, converting the building into the much-loved Sports and Social Hub it is today. For nearly ten years, the hub has provided an essential safe space to meet, enjoy activities such as walking football, dance and sewing classes, its created employment opportunities for local people and offers vital income generation activities to help the charity to grow and develop. Funding always has been a key issue for the group; the lynchpin in enabling them to make positive and sustainable changes in the community.
Foundation Scotland has played a key part in enabling Fairfield Community Hub to develop and expand its activities.
The two organisations first met in 2019; they discussed the needs of the area and heard their ambitions for the future. Through these early conversations it was clear the leaders at Fairfield had the drive and enthusiasm to continue to make positive changes and a positive partnership was formed.
Foundation Scotland’s Social Investment programme supported Fairfield Community Hub with £80,000 in blended grant and loan support. This funding allowed the charity to create a new 3G pitch next to the hub complete with floodlighting and fencing. The 3G pitch enhances the charity’s existing support, it can be used all year round and benefits hundreds of local people of all ages including providing important diversionary activities for young people in the evening.
Jim Sorrie, Project Manager at Fairfield Community Hub has been witness to their continued growth:
Foundation Scotland played a huge part in our continued growth. Securing the funding for the 3G pitch was a big moment for us. It was something we always wanted to do, but the costs involved had held us back. The new pitch means a lot to lots of local people. All generations meet here to enjoy football throughout the day and right into the evening, all year round. Exercising outdoors, enjoying activities with others, and becoming part of a team brings important physical health and wellbeing benefits. Thanks to this new pitch hundreds of local people reap these benefits every week. This is where our hugely successful Mental Health Walking Football takes place, where our St James para football group meets, where pre-schoolers get to safely run around and we’ve recently seen a huge surge in the numbers of girls joining our female teams. We’re delighted that we can offer local people these important opportunities.
Elizabeth Jeffrey, Social Investment Executive at Foundation Scotland believes in the power of positive relationships in helping to deliver positive social impact:
Fairfield Community Hub is an important organisation delivering significant social impact across North Dundee. We’re proud of our involvement. Foundation Scotland’s blended grant and loan support enabled the charity to develop their amazing 3G football pitch. They are now able to offer outdoor sporting activities all year round supporting the health and wellbeing of many local people in the area, offering a positive outlet for young people and this helps to bring a sense of pride, involvement and belonging. At Foundation Scotland we develop strong partnerships, we listen to and get to know each organisation and we care about the future of the projects we support. We are encouraging all interested groups to visit our website or contact the Foundation Scotland team directly to discuss eligibility for our Social Investment programme.
Foundation Scotland supported Fairfield Community Hub with a blend of grant and loan funding of £80,000 over five years.