Opening plans for Tain’s ‘transformational’ Gro For You community campus revealed
A PIONEERING Easter Ross project led by a local woman could be “transformational” for young people living on its doorstep, councillors have been told.
The Gro For You project, a pioneering community innovation campus in Tain, aims to offer accessible training and learning opportunities and build transferable skills for young people alongside community facilities.
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Members of Highland Council’s economy and infrastructure committee today welcomed a presentation from the project, described as a pioneering community innovation campus in Tain.
Sarah MacKenzie, co-founder and CEO, shared plans for the new community project, due to open this autumn, alongside fellow co-founder and finance director, Richard Jones and centre director, Ashley Ross.
Chair of Highland Council’s economy and infrastructure committee, Cllr Ken Gowans, said: “Today’s presentation was a fantastic opportunity for the committee to hear more about this pioneering project which has the potential to address important regional challenges and boost the local economy through employability, education and tourism.
“We wish the team continued success with their mission to support sustainable communities in Tain and beyond.”
Sarah MacKenzie said: “Thank you to the committee for the opportunity to talk about Gro For You.
“We are seeing first-hand the challenges faced by young people in rural communities and hope that a transformational innovation campus will be of great benefit to our local communities and future generations by providing accessible training and learning opportunities, transferable skills for young people and community facilities.”
Campus assets will include growing domes, sensory gardens and play area, a community café and hospitality training centre, outdoor kitchen, electric vehicle charging points, motorhome waste disposal, ground-mounted solar panels, a rewilding zone and a rainwater harvesting system.
Two years ago, the vision of a five-acre community innovation campus on the edge of Tain, adjacent to the Lidl superstore, secured a £450,000 grant.
Its success in that round of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) is understood to be one of the biggest investments in Tain for many years.
Sarah Mackenzie said at that time: “The community innovation campus will offer substantial social, economic, and environmental impact where we aim to close unemployment gaps, drive sector growth, provide innovative and alternative community learning and development opportunities.
"Added to this our use of innovative growing technologies and protection of biodiversity will make for a unique tourism destination like no other."
Further information can be found on the Gro For You website.
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