A bit of well-deservedhome-improvement

Despite carrying out major public projects like upgrading Carluke’s Market Square and creating Lanark’s Wallace and Sensory Gardens, Clydesdale Community Initiatives’ own base was in a very humble, very cramped building on Lanark’s North Vennel.

Now the social enterprise company and its employees — many of whom have special needs — have moved out of town to the burgh’s outskirts with a new headquaters at Langloch Farm, just off the Hyndford Road.

The move was in the planning stage for the past five years while grants were sought — and won — from the likes of the Big Lottery, European Regional Development Fund, the Robertson Trust and the Clyde Windfarm.

Now the new base is open for business and the company decided to hold an Open Day on Friday to allow the publlc to view the new facilities.

There was a good turnout to see the various activities at CCI’s new HQ including woodworking, drystane dyke bulding and log cabin construction.

They were impressed at the work that has gone on to convert what was once the farmhouse and steading into offices while one of the barns houses the woodworking workshop, working in timber being something of a CCI ‘signature’ skill.

There was also plenty of information on the group’s work in the past which now totals over 300 public and private contracts.

Looking to the future, there was also data on the various traning courses CCI runs for the likes of the Clyde and Avon Landscape Partnership.

Conducting the tours were very proud CCI staff who themselves have hailed the new base as a vast improvement over the old North Vennel premises, predicting that the new space and facilities will allow the company to blossom in the years to come.