People often say to us that they see Porteous Family Funeral Directors as an integral part of their community. That hasn’t happened by chance – it’s something we have worked hard to achieve over the years, and we feel privileged when people tell us that’s how they see us.
The fact that we are part of a diverse and welcoming community is very gratifying, and allows us to be involved in some wonderful projects. One of these is the Pentlands Community Space, of which our managing director, Mark Porteous, is a trustee.
PCS is a community-based charity raising funds to redevelop a derelict former public convenience in Juniper Green into a hub for the public and events space. The total cost of the project is around £420,000, which has been raised through the generosity of local people, financial support and grants.
The Levenseat Trust supports local community projects and on 12th April, visited the site to deliver the first tranche of their £35,000 grant. The rest of the funding should be secured when 85 per cent and then 100 per cent of the building work is completed.
Scaffolding at the site has now been partially removed, and it is expected the external work on the building will be finished around the end of May. With estimates now being sought for the internal work, we can start to see a point on the horizon at which the project will be finished.
Mark is one of seven trustees who have given their time to overseeing the project, and the good news is that it looks like the work on the building will be completed by mid-2022. The new building will provide a space where families can come together and share their experiences and meet new friends.
The aim is to support the most vulnerable and isolated in our community by engaging them in the project, and will improve the look of the area in this particular part of Edinburgh. A flat above the communal hub will also house a key worker.
Mark said: “This has been a truly collaborative effort, using the wide and disparate skills of a broad range of people. It has only been made possible because those people have given so generously of their time. We are proud not only to have done our bit, but to have helped create a legacy that will be of tangible use to our community for many years to come.”
Pictured from left to right, Donato Tedesco (Contracting builder), Catherine McGurk (Levenseat Trust Administrator), Jim Stewart (Levenseat Trust Director), Susan Webber MSP, Mark Porteous, Cliff Beevers (all 3 trustees of PCS) and Ozzy the guide dog.
