Banff Vinery community space opens following massive refurbishment with free Vinery Celebration event
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
THE refurbished Banff Vinery got a kick start last Saturday (August 27) with a free community event.
The Vinery Celebration, a free event open to all, took place in the building's gardens and featured activities and stalls from local businesses and services.
Clare Bancroft, project lead for The Vinery, said the event was: "fabulous, just really really good."
The Vinery community space has been regenerated with help from the Scottish Government, Aberdeenshire Council and lead provider local charity Aberdeen Foyer.
Offering cooking, gardening, health and wellbeing and digital skills, the space is hoping to ease the impact of poverty on local people.
Guests at the opening bash enjoyed example Vinery sessions, as well as demonstrations from weavers and spinners, bouncy castles, a beat the goalie event form Deveronvale FC, circus skills, a magician and soft archery.
Local group Friends of Duff House also used a stall at the event to launch their book The Gardener's Diary, which follows the story of the Vinery's gardener from 1873 and the history of Duff House and the gardens.
Ms Bancroft praised the stall-holders at the event and said there was a great turnout.
She said: "The weather was completely on our side, so we saw hundreds of members of the community come out and celebrate with us.
"So it was fantastic, an absolutely brilliant day.
"I would just like to thank everybody that supported us on the day because it really was incredible.
"Everybody that came along, or who had a stall or took part in the day, deserve a huge thank you."
Welcoming the formal opening, Banff and Buchan area committee chair Councillor Doreen Mair said: “I am delighted to see the completion of this wonderful restoration and regeneration project in the heart of Banff.
"This is a truly wonderful community asset fit for the 21st century and I have every confidence that Aberdeen Foyer will be an outstanding operator of the Vinery in the years ahead and will work alongside residents to develop innovative new ideas to help nurture both stronger individuals and the wider community.”
The Foyer has been working with the Department of Work and Pensions and local job centre teams to identify and select long-term unemployed people for roles at The Vinery.
The Long Term Unemployed (LTU) scheme, funded by Scottish Government, seeks to boost employment opportunities, and enhance skill levels for individuals aged 25 and over.
Five people have already been recruited under the scheme with three more soon to join.
Roles include a chef, gardener, community engagement officer, general assistant and digital and media assistant.
Back in 2019, the community identified the preferred use for the buildings as a community garden and horticultural skills base.
Following a competitive process, Aberdeenshire Council received £663,768 in a second stage funding application to the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund for the continued development of the GrowBanff@The Vinery project.
The Vinery project was also awarded £200,131 through Aberdeenshire Council’s allocation of the Scottish Government Town Centre Fund to undertake Stage 1 of the refurbishment of the site which has included repairs to part of the Bothy structure.
Originally constructed in the Duff House estate to grow grapes, the Vinery building was a gift to the town along with the gardens it sits in by the Duff family.
Ms Bancroft said: "Community groups can come in and use the space on evenings and weekends and have people on site to take care of the building.
"We are going to be popular, I hope, and it is just such a stunning, beautiful building.
"The architects and builders have done the most amazing job and it is such an amazing space."
To help support its community horticulture projects, the Vinery is asking for donations.
For more information, email: claire.bancroft@aberdeenfoyer.com or view The Vinery Amazon Wishlist.
Click here for more information about the Vinery.
