Hub Projects Blog Posts

Monetary transition Our sustainable development goals encompass every aspect of our asset-based community development, transitioning to a human-centric living system. We aim to reimagine, rethink, repurpose, upcycle, and eliminate waste while remaining debt-free. Achieving energy, water, food, and monetary security—while ensuring operational sustainability—are key components of our business plan. These goals are future-proofing our community asset, building resilience, and being prepared. One of the hub's mottos is: "The future belongs to those who are prepared." We are part of the international transition network; we think global and act local. Gaining security for you and your assets relies on three fundamental questions: 1. Where do you get it? 2. Where do you store it? 3. How do you manage it? True security comes from being in complete control of these elements. That includes financial security. Our three-phase business plan has always emphasised a no-debt ...

Polmont Community Hub is becoming more water literate? We are deeply involved in community development planning as we transition the hub towards a school of excellence in zero waste. As one of FORTH20's partnership groups, we asked Keep Scotland Beautifull (KSB) to put something on about water at Polmontfest (which was an amazing success). We would now like to take part in giving feedback for a Policy Brief about education and water. It is a really exciting thing to be part of, as this is a way for policy to properly support community. Water literacy refers to the understanding of water’s importance, its role in ecosystems, human health, and society, as well as the ability to make informed decisions about water usage, conservation, and management. It encompasses knowledge about water sources, quality, treatment, sustainability, and the impact of human activities on water systems. Key Aspects of our community's Water Literacy 1. Understanding our Water Sources Surface W...

The Hub was facing significant challenges. Although we had seedlings, seeds, space, and big dreams, bureaucracy and political gatekeepers were holding us back. While these obstacles are still present, we are determined to overcome them. Financially, we had resources to invest in our desire for planters and plants. To move forward, we requested quotes to build four planters from a local group that we believed was knowledgeable about community planter construction. However, the local volunteers who provided the quotation insisted on procuring new sleepers from a building supplier or timber merchant, which we felt were extremely expensive. Upon reviewing the costs, both financially and environmentally, we found these prices to be excessive. We take great pride in our numerous zero-waste initiatives, and investing in new sleepers seemed to contradict our values and principles. Consequently, we sought alternatives that would not require us to purchase brand new materials from a timber ...

   Fun with Sunflower Community Growing Spring has officially sprung, and our community is buzzing with excitement about our sunflower growing initiative! Inspired by, last years growing competition and  the sunflower celebration that Dan and Hillary from the amazing power station film we screened showed, we decided to bring that energy to our local area. Just think of it: a festival filled with sunshine, vibrant flowers, and a chance to connect with neighbours – who wouldn’t want to be part of that? Last year, we kicked off a sunflower growing competition with Polmont Community Council, and it was! A learning curve, This year, we've taken it a step further with a full-fledged festival, complete with activities, workshops, and, of course, a spectacular display of sunflowers. The idea of embracing a "solar punk" vibe has us all buzzing – just imagine the creativity and community spirit we can foster! With a 1-kilogram bag of super giant sunflower seeds in hand (yes, that...

  PCHub wants to be a big sponge? On May 11, 2025, we at PCHub were in the process of designing resilience-building initiatives for the two acres of community land we are now managing. Our sustainability manager, along with the community council, has started planning. We are currently developing our strategy for water storage and usage. We need to plan how we will irrigate (water)our social garden and orchard by this time next year. We are currently relying on a neighbour's hose, which is wasteful and unsustainable. April was particularly dry and warm locally, and there were even tragically local forest fires. With the seasons arriving earlier and wind patterns changing, the ground has become extremely dry, making it difficult to manage our seedlings since we do not have a polytunnel yet. The first 12 days of May were sadly rainless, with SEPA starting to post concerns, as some of Scotland's rivers  were unseasonably low  The management team and the growers fully support...

   Girls Changing Rooms Transformation into Braveheart Top Toes Clinic This project was funded through community money. Voters in Ward Eight of Falkirk District Council voted this initiative into second place during last year's Community Choices award. To apply for this Community Chest, small charities like ours had to submit a project proposal with cost estimates to the District Council. Our dedicated team of unpaid volunteers worked hard to prepare this documentation, aiming to demonstrate to the council that they could trust us to manage their former asset. We obtained quotes from three builders, estimating the transformation costs to be around £5,000. Our application was accepted by the council, and the project was included in the participatory budgeting voting system for community members to decide what they wanted to see funded. These budgeting initiatives are designed to build community wealth, foster togetherness, support local businesses, and manage resources in an en...