Angela Constance MSP visits historic Old Bakery in West Calder – a place close to her heart

Angela Constance MSP visits historic Old Bakery in West Calder – a place close to her heart

Angela Constance MSP joined Tom Arthur MSP on a visit to the Old Bakery in West Calder, now home to the Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre – a project she described as “hugely inspiring” and “close to home”. The visit was made even more meaningful for Ms Constance as her late grandmother once worked in the very same bakery.

The Old Bakery, which is undergoing a major refurbishment backed by more than £5.5 million of funding, has already made significant progress on-site and plays a vital role in the community’s regeneration plans. The project previously received £1.4 million from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) via West Lothian Council and continues to seek further support to complete the full fit-out and maximise community outcomes.

During the visit, trustees of the Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre discussed the ongoing development of the site and explored further opportunities for investment through the reopened RCGF programme and the Place Based Investment Fund.

Angela Constance MSP said:

“It was a real pleasure to return to the Old Bakery in West Calder, especially as it holds such a personal connection for me. My granny worked here many years ago, and to see it transformed into a vibrant community project is truly heartening.

The Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre is an inspiring example of community wealth building, democratic enterprise and local regeneration. I was very pleased to join Minister Tom Arthur to see the great progress being made and to listen to the ambitions for the next stages of the project.”

The Scottish Government has made clear its commitment to supporting place-based regeneration projects like this, recognising the social and economic value they bring to communities across Scotland.

More about the centre can be found on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ScottishCooperativeDiscoveryCentre 

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