Your Ideas for a Community Space in Gascoigne West
A community space in Gascoigne West has been sitting empty and unused since it was built. Over two days in May, we teamed up with BD Reside to get local people involved in a conversation about what it could become.
We opened the doors and invited residents in to explore the space and get them thinking about how it could be used in the future. Outside, we set up a smoothie bike – people could jump on, pedal, and blend their own smoothies – which added a bit of fun and helped draw in passers by.
The aim of the event was to involve residents in shaping the future of the space and open up conversations about how it could best meet the needs and aspirations of the surrounding community.
It also gave people a chance to chat directly with BD Giving, BD Reside, and each other – sharing their thoughts, concerns, and ideas about the space.
Over the two days:
- 325 smoothies were made using the smoothie bike.
- Around 350 people took part in activities.
- 90 residents expressed an interest in staying informed and involved in the decisions about the space.
- 40 participants, including many young people and Cllrs Dominic Twomey and Cllr Alison Cormack, sketched their ideas for the space on a building plan.
What Residents Want
Residents sketched and wrote suggestions on colourful post-it notes covering the walls in the building with their ideas. Themes included:
- Multipurpose Community Hub for gatherings, meetings, celebrations, and faith-based activities.
- Community Café to bring life and investment back into the area while also providing a welcoming social space.
- Dedicated Youth Space offering after-school and weekend activities—particularly for preteens, teenagers, and young adults.
- Health and Fitness Facilities including martial arts, yoga, Pilates, and women-only workout areas.
- Inclusion for Young People especially for young people with additional needs, such as autism.
- Local Shop to improve convenience for residents and strengthen the local economy.
- Support and Services for Homeless People
What’s Next?
We’re going to share the ideas back to the residents who showed an interest in the project so that together, we can investigate how we could take their ideas forward.
If you’d like to get involved in making decisions about the empty building in Gascoigne West, sign up below.
