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POWERED BY YOUTH, FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY
We believe that when young people are trusted, supported, and given real responsibility, they don’t just take part, they lead, innovate, and shape the communities around them. Every project we deliver is guided by our ethos: “powered by youth, for the whole community.”
theSPACE SCOTLAND CIC
OUR JOURNEY
Our journey began over 20 years ago with Phantassie Sound (2006–2011), a vibrant youth music space in East Linton. Phantassie Sound sparked creativity through local gigs, collaborations, and community engagement, and led to the creation of a temporary Phantassie Skatepark in the summers of 2009 and 2010. These early projects allowed young people to develop practical skills, confidence, and social bonds, laying the groundwork for Uprising East Lothian, our wider youth empowerment work.
theSPACE NB
Building on this momentum, in 2011 we leased an old factory in North Berwick and launched theSpace NB, our first landmark multi-activity youth centre. Over the next five years, theSpace NB became a buzzing hub featuring an indoor skatepark, music and arts rooms, a café with soft play, and mentoring and skill-building opportunities for young people. theSpace NB nurtured resilience, creativity, and leadership, creating a blueprint for everything we do today. When the lease ended and the site was sold, the dream didn’t fade; it ignited a mission to secure permanent, long-term youth-led spaces.
theSPACE DUNBAR
Today, that long-held dream is alive at Dunbear Point in Dunbar. After engaging the community in July 2025 consultations, we crafted detailed RIBA plans, raised £98k through grants and a 2025 Crowdfunder, and submitted our full planning application in January 2026.
We are now gearing up for a £15m capital raise to build theSPACE Dunbar, a permanent, world-class youth-led facility.
theSPACE Dunbar will be a flagship facility, embodying everything we stand for and providing a long-term, inclusive home for young people in Dunbar and beyond.
CURRENT PROJECTS
theSpace Scotland continues to deliver innovative projects across East Lothian, combining skateboarding, cycling, creativity, and community engagement:
EAST LINTON
theMART
theMart in East Linton is a pop-up skatepark and creative hub, offering beginner and adult skateboarding sessions, girls’ and LGBTQ+ skate sessions, and a range of creative workshops. Offering a safe, inclusive space powered by youth for the whole community.
DUNBAR
DUNBAR OUTDOOR SKATEPARK
We are leading the design and project management for a new outdoor skatepark in Dunbar, scheduled to open in 2026. Designed in consultation with young people, it will provide permanent infrastructure for skateboarding, creativity, and social connection.
DUNBAR
theSPACE DUNBAR
Today, our dream is alive at Dunbear Point in Dunbar. After engaging the community in July 2025 consultations, we crafted detailed RIBA plans, raised £98k through grants and a 2025 Crowdfunder, and submitted our full planning application Jan 2026. We’re gearing up for a £15m capital raise to build our landmark facility in Dunbar.
LOOKING AHEAD
The future of theSpace Scotland is about realising our vision with permanence and scale, while remaining rooted in community, creativity, and youth-led innovation. With theSPACE Dunbar, alongside our ongoing programmes, we aim to create sustainable spaces, opportunities, and experiences that empower generations of young people to lead, create, and belong.
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