SURF, Scotland’s Regeneration Forum, is pleased to announce the 2025 shortlist for the prestigious SURF Award national awards scheme, which showcases success in responding to regeneration challenges in communities across Scotland.
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. 2025 marks the 27 years of the SURF Awards process.
Having assessed applications from the Isle of Skye to the Scottish Borders, across five categories, SURF’s independent panel of 20 judges, drawn from national bodies and community groups, have agreed upon 15 shortlisted projects for 2025. By category, they are:
Housing and Regeneration:
- The Y Centre (Perth)
- The Standard, Midsteeple Quarter (Dumfries)
- Buccleuch Street, Dalkeith (Midlothian)
Removing Barriers to Employability:
- MacMillan Skills Hub (Edinburgh)
- Fife Gingerbread: Family Approach (Fife)
- What I Need In Life (WIN) (South Lanarkshire)
Creative Regeneration:
- Alloway Railway Tunnel (South Ayrshire)
- A Creative Approach to Revitalising Lochside (Dumfries)
- Galoshans Festival (Inverclyde)
Community Led Regeneration:
- Number 30 The Square (Huntly)
- Scottish Men’s Sheds (National)
- The Medan Centre (Udny)
Improving Scotland’s Places:
- Two Towns Big Ideas – Banff & Macduff (Aberdeenshire)
- Kenmore District Revitalisation (Perth & Kinross)
- Ardrossan South Beach Community Space (North Ayrshire)
Since 1998, the SURF Awards have identified successful regeneration projects of all sizes from across Scotland. This year’s shortlisted projects feature major place-making investments, employability initiatives, and activities delivered by community groups and arts organisations in both urban and rural contexts, from Dumfries and Galloway to Aberdeenshire, and projects operating at a national level.
The judging panel will be carrying out visits throughout October to all of these diverse projects to develop a better understanding of their impact and the situations they are responding to. Before deciding on a winning project in each category.
The five category winners will then be announced by Scottish Government Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, Kate Forbes, on the evening of Thursday 4 December at the 2025 SURF Awards Presentation Dinner event in Glasgow’s Voco Grand Central Hotel.
The 2025 SURF Awards are delivered by SURF in partnership with the Scottish Government, with additional support from Creative Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scotland’s Towns Partnership, Scottish Procurement Alliance and South of Scotland Enterprise.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “The SURF Awards provide a valuable platform to acknowledge the dedication, innovation and perseverance of communities across Scotland.
“Community-led regeneration helps to enhance economic, social and environmental wellbeing, which is why we are supporting regeneration projects across Scotland’s with an investment of £62.15 million this year.
“I extend my sincere congratulations to all shortlisted projects and look forward to presenting the awards later this year.”
SURF Chair Brian MacDonald reflected: “Every year, as autumn kicks in the SURF Awards start to come to life. The quality of the nominations continues to impress. As a nation we are fortunate to have a significant community which continues to produce outcomes of the highest quality. This year is no different. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of the assessment panels.”
SURF’s Emma Scott said: “SURF was delighted to see a lot of new entrants to the SURF Awards this year, and the 15 projects, which have been selected by the judges as finalists, showcase inspirational examples of what can be achieved through pro-active collaboration. The SURF team look forward to learning more about this year’s finalists, and bringing the projects together to celebrate their success at the Awards Dinner in December.”
