September Update

Since our last update in June, we've been busy fund raising, publishing, and organising a feasibility study of the site. All of which has been a particular challenge to do remotely.

Thank you all so much for your continuing support even in these challenging times. There is much work ahead of us, but we are making strides towards retaining the Astley Ainslie site for the community.

In this update:

1. Feasibility Study

2. Leaves Journal Published!

3. AGM Update

4. Astley Ainslie Voices film series

(1) Feasibility Study

Thank you very much for your comments regarding the scope of the Feasibility Study. As you may recall, the Scottish Land Fund provided a grant to perform a Feasibility Study of part of the site. The feedback showed a clear preference to consider the whole site and a number of members pledged money towards meeting the additional cost of doing so. We have therefore instructed Oliver Chapman Associates to expand the scope of their work to include the whole site which will ensure that we have a far better idea of what is possible. We expect this to complete early next year and we will keep you updated as it progresses.

Thank you in particular for the pledges of financial support to cover the additional costs for the full site study.

(2) Leaves Journal Published!

AACT has collaborated with Studies in Photography to publish a new journal called Leaves, which promotes the Astley Ainslie legacy while addressing themes in nature, health, wellbeing and creativity. The first issue contains contributions from 26 writers and photographers, whose foci span local issues through to international concerns. The journal is now available through the AACT website.

As a token of appreciation, we will be offering a copy of the Leaves Journal to those who provided pledges of financial support for the Feasibility study. Simply email us with details of your pledge and your address so we can send you a copy.

(3) AGM Update

When we wrote our last update in June, we had hoped to have sufficient certainty by now to go ahead with an in-person AGM. We are continuing to evaluate how we can best hold an AGM to ensure as much participation as possible.

(4) “Astley Ainslie Voices” film series

“Astley Ainslie Voices” is a series of videos related to the AA site by Written in Film. The latest instalments are now available to view.

In the first video below, Dr Sara Stevenson—an AACT Executive Committee member—talks about the history of this remarkable site up to the takeover by the NHS in the late 1940s.

Readers may be familiar with Dig-In in Bruntsfield, a local grocery run as a community benefit society, which is featured in the second of the new films.

Written in Film are intending to make three more films, including with medics and local teenagers, to complete the series. You can also view all the films on Facebook.