The 2024 My Place Awards and My Place Photography Competition are both open for entries!
The My Place Awards celebrate community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality, as well as the hard work of the people behind those projects.
The My Place Awards have two categories:
Community-led Projects: recognises recent community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality, including new buildings, historic buildings or monuments that have been reused or refurbished, designed public realm schemes (streetworks, parks) and designed landscapes (gardens, public green spaces).
Community Champions: celebrates individuals in communities across Scotland who have made a significant contribution to their local area through achieving positive change in the built environment, whether through built heritage, public spaces or access to these by communities.
Award winners are celebrated at an award ceremony attended by major stakeholders in the built environment and heritage sectors, as well as representatives from local and national government.
The My Place Photography Competition is a Scotland-wide built environment photography competition for school age young people (4-18).
If you’re a teacher, home educator or leader of a youth group, having your young people participate in the competition encourages them to explore their local area and experiment with using photography as a means of creative expression. The competition also links to multiple experiences and outcomes identified in Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence, and all entries to the competition will be featured in a public exhibition.
The winners of the Scottish Civic Trust 2023 My Place Awards and My Place Photography Competition were announced on 24th April.
My Place Awards
The My Place Awards celebrate community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality. They are supported by the Scottish Government, and are unique in Scotland as a national celebration of good design and conservation nominated by local people.
Winner: Catherine Street Inclusive Park
A working group led by parents of disabled children formed in 2018 to campaign for an inclusive play space in Dumfries. They were frustrated that their children didn’t have accessible space to play and socialise.
With the dream of redeveloping a run-down local playpark, the working group was constituted as ‘Include Us’ (a SCIO). Following community consultation, the group successfully raised £225,000 from trusts, community fundraising and Dumfries and Galloway Council.
The concept for Catherine Street Inclusive Park is “welcoming, inclusive and naturally playful.” The park has a unique design with physical, social and sensory play in mind. Visitors to the park can play with waterwheels, sand chutes and trampolines. Through partnerships with carer groups, autism and disability groups, mental health services and employability services, the park offers a variety of activities to support community cohesion and skills development.
Since opening in 2020, the park has been a hub of activity, supporting health and wellbeing. Described as a ‘community centre without walls’, the park encourages all age groups and abilities to share a space and spend recreation time side-by-side.
The judges said:“Entries to the 2023 My Place Awards were of extremely high quality, but what made Catherine Street Inclusive Park stand out from the crowd was its engagement with the local community. The project achieved a model of sustainable growth through embedding itself in the community, and is a model for future projects.”
The My Place Photography Competition encourages young people aged 4-18 to use photography to explore the buildings, architecture and archaeology in the places they live. The theme of the 2022 competition was My Place, My Space, My Story.
Imogen Campbell from Canal View Primary School, Edinburgh won the Primary-age category for their photograph ‘Outside the Shopping Centre’.
Grace Flynn from Kilsyth Academy, North Lanarkshire won the Secondary-age category for their photograph ‘Life Through a Puddle’.
Our 2023 My Place Awards received entries from community-led built environment projects across Scotland, and our judges have shortlisted six projects for further judging. They include an inclusive playpark, a converted station house, a bustling town square that was once a derelict lot, a vibrant community hub in what was once an at-risk building, a multi-purpose village hall in a remote area and a revitalised local park.
Learn more about the 2023 My Place Awards shortlisted projects by watching the short films below.
The winner of the 2023 My Place Awards will be announced at a ceremony on 24 April – be sure to follow us on Twitter to be kept in the loop!
Castledykes Park (Dumfries and Galloway)
Catherine Street Inclusive Park (Dumfries and Galloway)
The 2023 My Place Awards and My Place Photography Competition are both open for entries!
The My Place Photography Competition is a Scotland-wide built environment photography competition for school age young people (4-18). If you’re a teacher, home educator or leader of a youth group, having your young people participate in the competition encourages them to explore their local area and experiment with using photography as a means of creative expression. The competition also links to multiple experiences and outcomes identified in Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence, and all entries to the competition will be featured in a public exhibition. The deadline for entries is 27th February 2023.
The My Place Awards celebrate community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality. Eligible projects include new buildings, historic buildings or monuments that have been reused or refurbished, designed public realm schemes (streetworks, parks) and designed landscapes (gardens, public green spaces). The Awards are a great opportunity to showcase a project’s success to the community, stakeholders and funders by receiving much-deserved exposure and media attention. The deadline for entries is 12th February 2023.
The winners of the Scottish Civic Trust 2022 My Place Awards and My Place Photography Competition were announced on 25th May.
My Place Awards
The My Place Awards celebrate community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality. They are supported by the Scottish Government, and are unique in Scotland as a national celebration of good design and conservation nominated by local people.
Winner: Montrose Playhouse
The Montrose Playhouse project began in 2012 after a new swimming facility was built in Montrose, causing local people to wonder what would become of the old pool hall. David Paton, associate Director at Crawford Architecture and eventual Chair of Montrose Playhouse Project SCIO, posted his thoughts online about how the building could be re-imagined as a cinema.Within a few hours, 500 people had liked the post and urged for the designs to become a reality. Within a week, the Montrose Playhouse Project was born.
In 2017, the Montrose Playhouse Project SCIO committee purchased the disused building from Angus Council for £1. They then held a community event to strip the building back to a shell, engaging over 80 volunteers and saving the project around £250,000 and six months of time.
Construction began in 2021, and over ten months, the former pool hall was converted into three screening rooms with a combined capacity of just under 400 people. The Playhouse also features education and exhibition facilities, retail space and a cafe bar. Since its opening in October 2021, the Playhouse has seen a six percent lift in its operating budget, and over 52,000 cinema tickets were sold.
The judges said: “Montrose Playhouse is an inspiring example of how communities can come together to develop innovative places and achieve a positive change for local people. It’s clear that Montrose Playhouse has established itself as a versatile cultural community asset, stimulating the local economy and providing an accessible and aesthetically pleasing social space for all ages.”
My Place Photography
The My Place Photography Competition encourages young people aged 4-18 to use photography to explore the buildings, architecture and archaeology in the places they live. The theme of the 2022 competition was My Place, My Space, My Story.
Ruby Ionides from North Walls Community School, Orkney won the Primary-age category for their photograph ‘White Wood Window and Reflections’.
Louise Mcintyre from Kilsyth Academy, North Lanarkshire won the Secondary-age category for their photograph ‘Street View’.
Billy Halliday from Gargieston Primary, East Ayrshire won the Young Persons’ Choice Award for their photograph ‘Seaside Sunset’.
In late May, we’re putting on an exhibition of entries to our My Place Awards and Photography Competition!
The My Place Awards celebrate community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality, and the My Place Photography Competition is a Scotland-wide built environment photography competition for young people aged 4-18.
The exhibition is free to view, and booking is not required. Drop in to South Block (60-64 Osborne Street, Glasgow, G1 5QH) on:
The 2022 My Place Awards and My Place Photography Competition are both open for entries!
The My Place Photography Competition is a Scotland-wide built environment photography competition for school age young people (4-18). If you’re a teacher, home educator or leader of a youth group, having your young people participate in the competition encourages them to explore their local area and experiment with using photography as a means of creative expression. The competition also links to multiple experiences and outcomes identified in Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence, and all entries to the competition will be featured in a public exhibition. The deadline for entries is 20th February 2022 (please note that this has been extended from the original deadline of 6 February).
The My Place Awards celebrate community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality. Eligible projects include new buildings, historic buildings or monuments that have been reused or refurbished, designed public realm schemes (streetworks, parks) and designed landscapes (gardens, public green spaces). The Awards are a great opportunity to showcase a project’s success to the community, stakeholders and funders by receiving much-deserved exposure and media attention. The deadline for entries is 13th February 2022 (please note that this has been extended from the original deadline of 6 February).
The winners of the 2021 My Place Awards and My Place Photography Competition were announced on 29th October.
My Place Awards
The My Place Awards celebrate community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality. They are supported by the Scottish Government, and are unique in Scotland as a national celebration of good design and conservation nominated by local people.
Overall winner: Ochiltree Community Hub
Ochiltree Community Hub SCIO was established in 2014 when East Ayrshire Council announced that they were closing the village’s community centre and library. The charity led the community effort to build a new facility that delivered critical health, wellbeing and education services.
Following community fundraising efforts and a year of construction, Ochiltree Community Hub opened in 2019 and now boasts a team of over 50 local volunteers. It is sustainably designed and fully accessible with a café, sports hall and meeting spaces. The hub has become a cornerstone of village life, hosting birthday parties, art classes, film screenings, yoga classes, football matches, ceilidhs, vaccination clinics, and more.
The judges said: “Ochiltree Community Hub is an inspiring example of how communities can work together to design beautiful places that sustain a high quality of life. Communities are the lifeblood of Scotland’s civic movement and the Scottish Civic Trust My Place Awards are about celebrating the best of Scotland’s places and spaces.”
Sustainability winner: The Swan, Banton.
For the first time this year, the Awards also honoured a special sustainability winner to tie into the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and highlight projects that excel at reducing their carbon footprint and planning for climate readiness.
The Swan, a historic pub, has stood at the Banton village crossroads for over 170 years, geographically and metaphorically at the heart of the village. But by 2016, the building had become dilapidated and a demolition proposal was issued. The village rallied into action, and the People United for Banton (PUB) was born. An initial community consultation made it clear that residents not only wanted to save The Swan as a pub, but to broaden its remit to become a village hub.
After months of community effort, PUB secured funding to purchase the building, making it the first community-owned pub in Scotland. Completed in 2020, The Swan is a source of local pride and serves the community as a restaurant, bar, café, community kitchen and gathering space.
The judges said: “Congratulations to The Swan for renovating and reinvigorating a local historic landmark. The continued use and adaptation of existing buildings is a key way that the heritage sector can address the Climate Crisis. The adaptive reuse of buildings safeguards our cultural and built heritage, provides local training and employment opportunities and develops community capacity and resilience to respond to our changing climate.”
My Place Photography
The My Place Photography Competition encourages young people aged 4-18 to use photography to explore the buildings, architecture and archaeology in the places they live. To tie into COP26, the theme of the 2021 competition was climate change.
Leah Kirwin from Mid Calder Primary, West Lothian won the Primary-age category for her photograph ‘Bee Yourself and Take Action’.
Greg Potter from Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen won the Secondary-age category for his photograph ‘Global Warming’.
Libby Paxton from Inveralmond Community High School, West Lothian won the Young Persons’ Choice Award for her photograph ‘A Storm Ahead’.
The 2021 My Place Awards and My Place Photography Competition are both open for entries!
The My Place Awards celebrate community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality. The 2021 Awards have two categories: the general Award honours recently completed projects (2018-2020); and the Sustainability Award honours projects completed between 2001 and 2011 that demonstrate continued fitness for purpose, as well as having a robust approach to climate readiness. The deadline for entries is 29th August. Please note that this has been extended from 31st January due to COVID-19.
The My Place Photography Competition is a Scotland-wide built environment photography competition for school age young people (4-18). If you’re a teacher, home educator or leader of a youth group, having your young people participate in the competition encourages them to explore their local area and experiment with using photography as a means of creative expression. The competition also links to multiple experiences and outcomes identified in Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence, and all entries to the competition will be featured in a public exhibition. The deadline for entries is 29th August. Please note that this has been extended from 31st January due to COVID-19.
Built environment projects that demonstrate excellence in continued and adaptive reuse will be celebrated by a new Sustainability Award for the My Place Awards 2021.
The My Place Sustainability Award will honour community-led building, public realm and landscape projects that were completed in Scotland between 2001 and 2011. Projects completed within this timeframe that demonstrate continued fitness for purpose, as well as having a robust approach to climate readiness, are invited to apply.
The My Place Sustainability Award aligns with the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021’s (COP26) campaign for adaptation and resilience. Winners of the new Sustainability category and general My Place Awards 2021 will be honoured in Glasgow in November during the week of COP26.
Chair of award organiser Scottish Civic Trust, Sue Evans, said: “The continued use and adaptation of existing buildings is a key way that the heritage sector can address the Climate Crisis. The adaptive reuse of buildings safeguards our cultural and built heritage for our children, provides local training and employment opportunities and develops community capacity and resilience to respond to our changing climate. The new My Place Sustainability Award supports and recognises how people can come together to preserve cherished places, fulfill community needs and tackle climate change.”
Local groups responsible for the continued or adaptive reuse of buildings and sites can enter the My Place Sustainability Award at bit.ly/MPAwardsEntry. Entries can also be submitted for the general My Place Awards, which celebrate community-led built environment projects completed in Scotland between 2018 and 2020. Entries for both the new Sustainability category and general My Place Awards close on 29th August 2021.
Members of the public are encouraged to suggest possible entries for the general My Place Awards and the new Sustainability category by filling out a short form at bit.ly/MPA2021suggestions, emailing sct@scottishcivictrust.org.uk, or tagging @scotcivictrust on social media. The My Place Awards team will follow up with suggested projects about submitting an entry to the Awards.
