SURF's up for super projects with big wins

Two Dumfries projects have won national recognition for their work.

- JACKIE GRANT

Happy days Angela Gilmour (centre)

Midsteeple Quarter and LIFT D&G reigned supreme at the Scottish Regeneration Forum Awards, which celebrate the achievements of initiatives which address physical, social and economic challenges in communities across Scotland

Midsteeple Quarter scooped a SURF prize for transforming a site which was formerly a derelict blight on the High Street into an attractive new mixed development of housing, enterprise and community space.

The creation of The Standard was awarded with the Housing and Regeneration award.

Midsteeple Quarter Executive Director Tim Cowen and Mike Staples, Chief Executive of South of Scotland Community Housing (SOSCH), collected the award from Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes at the ceremony in Glasgow last Thursday.

Tim said: "The SURF awards is a tremendous recognition of all the hard work that has gone to date into revitalising Midsteeple Quarter, and the many challenges we have had to overcome to get this far."