Events

This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event in the Grassmarket Community Project, Edinburgh on 14^th May provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches to housing led regeneration initiatives providing wider community outcomes. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Housing and Regeneration’ category highlighted in the 2025 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning.

Workshop guests will firstly hear from a project representative from the ‘Housing and Regeneration’ category winner The Standard, Midsteeple Quarter. Situated in Dumfries town centre, the development has delivered strategic town centre regeneration via community asset ownership. The housing element consists of seven apartments for mid-market rent.

This will be followed by the ‘Housing and Regeneration’ highly commended project Buccleuch St, Dalkeith. Buccleuch Street is a mixed-use development containing six new affordable housing units that address the climate crisis and help tenants avoid fuel poverty by providing warm, comfortable homes built to Passivhaus standard.

Finally, guests will hear from the ‘Housing and Regeneration’ highly commended project The Y Centre. Located in Perth and led by YMCA Tayside, the development transformed two vacant properties into vibrant spaces for young people.

The event will close with a chaired panel discussion on wider policy issues, featuring the Scottish Procurement Alliance, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and the Scottish Housing Network.

The SURF Awards ‘Housing and Regeneration’ judging panel team – comprising representatives of Austin-Smith: Lord, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Scottish Government More Homes Division and the Scottish Procurement Alliance – were particularly impressed by the level of ambition and wider regeneration benefits of each of the three shortlisted projects.

This workshop will be delivered with support from Scottish Procurement Alliance.

Programme

10:00    Registration and networking

10:30    Welcome and Introduction: Euan Leitch, Chief Executive, SURF

10:35    Presentation, The Standard, Midsteeple Quarter: Mike Staples, South of Scotland Community Housing (SOSCH)

10:50    Presentation, Buccleuch St, Dalkeith: Eugene Mullan, Smith Scott Mullan

11:00    Presentation, The Y Centre: Jill McGrath, YMCA Tayside

11.10    Questions and Comments with project representatives

11:35    Policy Panel Discussion: 

• Heather O’Donnell,SPA
• Annabel Pidgeon, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
• TBC, Scotland’s Housing Network

12:05    Summary, Thanks and What’s Next: Euan Leitch and Emma Scott, Awards & Communications Manager, SURF

12:15    Close and Networking Lunch

You can read more about the 2025 SURF Award projects in the SURF Awards Publication.

For event enquires please email emma@surf.scot