The former building of the Claverhouse Group in Dundee is being given a new lease of life as a community hub for charities, social enterprises and businesses.
Dewar House on Staffa Place is to become known as The Circle as it is transformed into office, co-working and event space.
The new venture will be launched in late November and the building will be developed in phases.
Founder and chief executive Kirsty Thomson, who is also managing director of charity and social enterprise consultants Along Came Kirsty, said affordable work space is not easy to find for organisations in the city.
She said: “I have encountered dozens of organisations that are working in isolation as well as struggling to pay rent and overheads.
“By having these groups co-located we can reduce the cost of their workspaces by sharing a reception, meeting rooms and the cost of infrastructure such as high-speed internet access.
“We also create a hub of activity and important interactions between charities, social enterprises and businesses.
“Housing different sectors together will promote collaboration and foster innovation which helps the whole community by improving the social outcomes of organisations.”
The Circle will also be host to a social enterprise café, community gardens and event space for community groups.
She added: “We are not only providing office space but a venue for events in the true heart of Dundee, that is the area north of the Kingsway where communities often live and work away from the city centre.
“We encourage cultural organisations to host events with us to broaden access to attractions that often take place in the city centre and present a cost and opportunity barrier for many to access.
She was grateful to the building owner, Bruce Linton of James Keiller Estates, for seeing the potential of such a venture to deliver social benefits to the community and breathe new life into a building that previously helped thousands of Dundonians into work.
Along Came Kirsty, Apex Scotland, Arnold’s Catering, Ashton McGill, Fields in Trust, Prestige Training and Rathbone are already based in the building. Other groups in the city already hire meeting rooms in the building to run training sessions and meetings.
Claverhouse went into liquidation in 2015 after suffering a fall in income and anticipating significant losses in the future.
All 39 permanent staff and 13 fixed term staff have been let go.
Founded in 1981, Claverhouse provided the unemployed with training for work and interviews as well as work experience and job placement services.
It worked with the Scottish government, Dundee City Council, Skills Development Scotland and the BIG Lottery.
