Alongside running ROOTS, an independent foodbank and community events group based in the Bridge Street building, Arlene Graham and mother-and-daughter duo Teresa and Jennifer Cochrane also sat on the centre’s management committee. When the building’s future became uncertain, they rolled up their sleeves and put out a call for more volunteers.

Five others stepped forward - John Giovanacci, Reta Scott, Keith Morrell, Lauren Baird and Jennifer McNaught – all regular attendees of groups held within the building and all passionate about keeping its doors open. Together, they began writing the next chapter for what is now Bonnybridge Community Hub.  

With the committee in place and an Expression of Interest submitted to the Council to take ownership of the building through a Community Asset Transfer, the hard work began.

Each member took on a role, with Keith working closely with third sector organisation CVS Falkirk to draft a business plan. That document set out how the Hub would be sustained long-term - from generating income to meeting legal responsibilities and running day-to-day operations.  

Support from Council officers then helped fill in the gaps, answering questions, offering guidance and helping the committee grow in confidence. Officers also helped secure vital funding for the Hub - c£318,000 from the Council’s Enablement Fund and a further £138,000 from SP Energy Networks’ Transmission Net Zero Fund.

After the transfer and property transaction concluded on Tuesday 29 July 2025, the official date of entry was set for Friday 15 August 2025. That milestone made the Hub the first building to legally transfer from the Council to community ownership under the Strategic Property Review.

But the legal transfer was more than just symbolic – it unlocked the funding and allowed work to begin.

Solar panels, an air source heat pump, insulation, double glazing, LED lighting and a new roof are all on the way. While challenges remain, the upgrades mark a significant step toward making the building more energy efficient and more financially manageable.

While the legal and financial milestones are important, what’s equally as important is what happens inside. The Hub is hired for a wide range of community activities, from weekly groups to one-off events like the recent wrestling evening organised to showcase the building’s potential.

The biggest success is Happy Mondays, ROOTS’ lunch social club, which offers between 60 to 100 people of all ages a cuppa, a meal and a blether - all for free - every Monday from 11am to 2pm.

Outside a community garden, tended to by Claire McIntosh and Barry Gibbs of Gibbs Girls’ Garden, grows fruit and vegetables that are used in Happy Monday meals or stocked in a fridge where people can help themselves and donate to an honesty box if they can.

Running the Hub is hard work. The committee all have jobs, families and responsibilities outside the building. But plans are growing, just like the garden. There’s hopes for new lets, bigger events and employing staff.