New community centre for Craigmillar is open

Education charity IntoUniversity, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow have launched local education centres in Craigmillar and Govan, offering ground-breaking support to local young people.

The collaboration is motivated by a shared concern for children growing up experiencing poverty and a belief in the power of education to transform young people’s lives.

The initiative has remained on track and has opened two centres in Govan and Craigmillar in April 2021 and a third (in Maryhill) will open in Autumn 2021.

The centres are connecting young people who may never have dreamed of going to university with two of the world’s leading Higher Education Institutions, who share the belief that no young person should be held back by their circumstances or miss out on the choices and opportunities they deserve.

IntoUniversity Craigmillar is based at The White House, an Art Deco former roadhouse inn. A distinctive presence in Craigmillar since it was built in 1936, the restored building is now managed as a community enterprise.

Building on the work of schools, the local authority, the universities, and community-led initiatives, the IntoUniversity centre will support Craigmillar’s young people to reach their potential.

The centres complement both universities’ widening participation activities, providing community-based support to young people on their doorstep. 

A total of £4.3 million has been raised by the universities and others to fund the two centres for a pilot period of five years. 

Later in the year, the centres will be open to visit once allowed under Covid-19 guidelines.