Numerous wonderful spaces have opened up in Portobello over the last few years –

whether bakery, bistro, green coffee van, Tribe Porty, Full Cirqle circus trainings, or

the many many more.

At the same time, crucial community spaces, needed for the everyday activities that

underpin the well being of our kids, parents and older folks are vanishing.

The most recent was Rosefield’s St James Church and halls, where the halls were a

wonderful gift to the community, enabling all sorts of day time and evening

children’s activities, as well as for older folk, all at rates that meant none were

excluded because of a lack of money.

Rosefield is in the process of being sold after the merger of the Church of Scotland

congregations (St Philips, St James’s and the Old Parish Church, Bellfield) into one

Portobello and Joppa Church’ at St Philips. The gift of space to the community that

all 3 church halls have been couldn’t continue without the community reciprocating

by filling the pews.

Most of the community groups who previously met at Rosefield were

accommodated in the Old Parish Church and Halls on Bellfield Street. Now the

Church sees the need to sell this too.

Shall we just let another crucial shared common space vanish, while kids focus on

screens rather than the big out doors on a wet evening, or attend wonderful but

costly classes many can’t afford? If you are interested in helping a community buy

out to keep the gift giving then please join us on Saturday 16th April to hear about a

proposed road map for community ownership, and to contribute your ideas.