A gardening charity based in Port Glasgow has celebrated the opening of its new £2.2 million community hub and training café.
Parklea Branching Out’s new facility is based within its existing grounds and also features offices, meeting spaces, accessible toilets, changing rooms, training facilities, and garden retail space.
Work started on the build in June 2023 and was led by main contractor Eycon Ltd, with INCH Architects behind the design.
The Port Glasgow charity was established in 1997 and uses horticulture to provide training, work experience, supported employment, and recreational and social facilities for a variety of people, including young people and adults with additional support needs.
Sharon Gemmell, manager of Parklea Branching Out, said, “This project has been 18 months in the making and we are all over the moon to be here celebrating the opening of the Community Hub the Branches Café. The hub will allow us to provide further support to our clients with a learning disability and additional support needs and offer new training and work opportunities.
“We have been here for 27 years but this new development brings us into the 21st Century and really complements the existing facilities and wider Parklea environment that will improve the experience for staff, volunteers, clients, and visitors.”
The project is supported by £1.3 million of funding from the Scottish Government through the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and £270,000 from Inverclyde Council with the remaining balance covered by several funders and use of reserves.
Scotland’s employment minister Tom Arthur said, “This café will enable people with learning disabilities and additional support needs to meet friends and develop new skills. The Scottish Government has allocated more than £62 million for regeneration projects in this week’s draft Budget to help communities across Scotland to prosper into the future.”
