Winners confirmed at the 2021 SURF Awards

The outcomes of the 2021 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration were announced at a presentation event in Glasgow’s Voco Grand Central Hotel on Thursday 9 December.

Representatives of the five category winning initiatives for 2021 were personally congratulated by the Scottish Government’s Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, Tom Arthur MSP, who unfortunately could not be there in person.

The SURF Awards are delivered each year by SURF, a regeneration forum with over 300 cross-sector member organisations across Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Government. The purpose is to highlight, celebrate and share the achievements of initiatives that address physical, social and economic challenges in communities across Scotland, which is particularly prevalent given the ongoing impacts of the pandemic.

SURF’s panel of 20 independent judges are drawn from national regeneration bodies and community groups. The judges carefully assessed all of the varied SURF Awards nominations in five thematic categories, visiting 15 different shortlisted initiatives from Dumfries and Galloway to Fraserburgh, before selecting the following category winners:

• Housing and Regeneration: Step Up-Step Down at the Telford Centre (Fort Augustus, Highland). Situated in the grounds of a rural care home, the development has provided independent living solutions for the ageing population in Fort Augustus, whilst also freeing up general need housing and care home places.
• Creative Regeneration: RIG Arts (Greenock, Inverclyde). A socially engaged arts charity which works with partners across Inverclyde and Renfrewshire to bring artists and communities together in a collaborative and creative way.
• Community Led Regeneration: The Furniture Project (Stranraer) Ltd (Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway). Set up by a group of local activists the project provides affordable furniture to families on low income whilst also reducing the amount of household items and white goods that go to landfill.
• Supporting Youth Employability: Move On: Employability Fund (Glasgow). Move On provides disadvantaged young people with the opportunity to gain employment focused skills, qualifications and practical work experience at their FareShare Warehouse in Scotstoun.
• Scotland’s Most Improved Place: Regenerating Fraserburgh (Aberdeenshire). Through investment from the public and private sector and programmes of heritage and conservation reinstatement, the town is being lifted and renewed.

The five winning projects all demonstrate the value of a long-term approach to regeneration, with dedicated partners working strategically and inclusively to develop comprehensive plans and deliver real and sustainable benefits for all.

The evening concluded with an after-dinner speech from After Dinner Speaker Writer, Comedian and Co-Aurthor of 'Brickwork: A Biography of The Arches' David Bratchpiece.

Since 2003, the SURF Awards have been delivered by SURF in partnership with the Scottish Government. SURF is also grateful for additional support provided by Architecture & Design Scotland, Creative Scotland, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scotland’s Towns Partnership, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Skills Development Scotland towards the delivery of thematic categories.