Awards finalists announced, celebrating innovative uses of empty homes
THE finalists have been announced for an awards ceremony celebrating innovative uses of empty homes across Scotland.
It is estimated that there are 43,000 long-term empty homes throughout the country, and, say the organisers (here) of the 11th Scottish Empty Home Awards, the awards “celebrate the impactful and transformative work undertaken across Scotland to bring back many of the country’s… long-term empty homes”.
The winners are being announced on March 22.
One new category is ‘Best old wreck’; a tongue-in-cheek name for an award to honour the work that goes into restoring houses that may have been empty for several decades.
The finalists for this year’s awards are as follows:
Best before and after – This award recognises the best transformation of an empty home. Each nominee submitted before and after photos that tell the story of how the empty space has become a thriving place.
Finalists:
- Ardbeg Road, Argyll & Bute Council
- Cullipool, Argyll & Bute Council
- Tonge, Western Isles Council
Outstanding individual – This award is to recognise a practitioner who has come up with a particularly innovative solution for empty homes work, or shown tenacity, dedication, and hard work to develop an empty homes service.
Finalists:
- Anu Kasim, Aberdeen Council
- Dawn Cadwell, East Ayrshire Council
- Elaine Hall, Falkirk Council
Outstanding team – This award is for an exceptional team of people working together to tackle empty homes and bringing homes back into use.
Finalists:
- Argyll & Bute Council
- Falkirk Council
- South Ayrshire Council
Best old wreck – This award is for the best restoration of a long-term empty home. We know that the longer a home is empty, the harder it becomes to bring it back into use. We think overcoming these additional challenges deserve recognition.
Finalists:
- Cullipool, Argyll & Bute Council
- Langholm Police Station, SOSCH (South of Scotland Community Housing)
- The Sheiling, Argyll & Bute Council
Pictured: Cullipool, Picture credit: Scottish Empty Homes Partnership