Becoming more sustainable and achieving net zero status are the ambitions for a Paisley art charity.
Sculpture House – an organisation run by a group of artists with a passion for sculpture and social inclusion – has been awarded £61,500.
At the start of last year, the charity applied for a grant from Renfrewshire Council’s sustainable communities fund which is part-funded by the UK Government Levelling Up Fund through the shared prosperity fund.
It has replaced the previous community empowerment fund and community climate fund with the group’s bid for cash proving successful.
Nick Evans, lead artist at Sculpture House, says the money approved by the local authority will help transform its 120-year-old Victorian-style home, in which they moved to in 2022, into a more eco-friendly building.
Plans for the grant will also see all of the windows replaced to ensure that heat is retained; upgrades to installation in the loft; and a new electric heat system fitted and maintained.
Currently, the space hosts exhibitions and art studios for artists to work from. Due to the cost of the electric heating system, it can only warm one room at a time.
Nick says the funding award will allow the charity to save money raised through income streams which will be spent on community projects rather than heating bills.
“The building we are in is council-owned and not our own,” he told the Paisley Daily Express. “But it is in very poor condition and has been since we moved in with it being a Victorian villa that was used years ago.
“There was no heating in the building when we took it over and some of the windows are the original ones that were placed around 120 years ago. So, we will be looking to upgrade all of them.
“We are gradually making improvements to the building, thanks to this grant, to make it fit for purpose and use it for our community projects and artists studios.”
Nick added: “The only heating system that we could really install was an electric heating system. As we are aiming to reach net zero, a new boil central heating system is something we didn’t want to install.
“However, that [electric heating] is very expensive and this grant will really help put money towards the cost of heating and maintaining the building.
“The loft will see new installation, too, as we look to make it more energy efficient.”
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