By Cain Lindsay
Dundee Changemakers Hub is working with the Whitfield community to create a positive impact in the area and connect groups and individuals with resources, and each other.
Changemakers Hub is part of a new group meeting regularly to brainstorm and network with fellow community members who all have Whitfield’s best interests at heart.
The folks at the Roundhouse have been the perfect hosts for the gatherings so far, welcoming everyone with a pot of soup, as well as participating in lively discussions.
As well as the Roundhouse team, individuals from other groups such as Lifegate Church, Feeling Strong, The Community Garden and Dundee City Council are regulars, aiming to create sustainable change for their local community. With these organisations and hard-working local volunteers, the group has grasp of Whitfield’s needs and wants.
It’s been an energising couple of months with each group member bringing plenty of inspiring ideas to the table. One of the big projects the group are keen to focus on is making significant changes, and as much use as possible, of Whitfield’s fantastic Community Garden at the old bowling green. Nestled away beside Ballumbie Primary School, the garden is a huge asset for the local area and has the potential to positively impact so many members of the community.

Garden treasurer, Alex Gardiner, believes the space can become “the green hub of Whitfield and a focal point to various outdoor activities in the community”.
A stone’s throw from the Primary School, the garden could also be used to educate children on planting fruit and vegetables, as well as potentially building bird boxes and ‘bug hotels’. There was even discussion of Feeling Strong using the garden to support conversations with young people in nature.
So far it has already welcomed scores of children during ScrapAntics’ LooseParts play days and looks forward to continuing these events in 2025.
Working in the garden can not only help teach younger generations some valuable skills but also create a space that can benefit the environment for years to come.
Some requirements within the garden will take longer to execute such as solar panels and a functioning toilet, but some, such as help to clear out unusable old materials, were quickly and easily taken care of after one of the group meetings.
Connections outside of the meetings are being made across the community. Changemakers’ £1,000 funding of three pitches at Lifegate’s SOUP event in October was a helping hand for some local projects, but also for building relationships with groups across Whitfield.
Feeling Strong and Resolve & Evolve were two of the £300 winners, while the Community Garden won the £400 prize.
These funds are already being put to good use with Feeling Strong’s self-care boxes ready to be despatched and Resolve & Evolve’s karaoke nights currently underway.

Partnerships are being made elsewhere as the Roundhouse are working together with the garden to assist and advise them in acquiring a compostable toilet and explore solar panel options for electrics. Both would be a step in the right direction to making this area a more functional community focal point.
There’s a real enthusiastic feeling about all of the ongoing activities, but with the garden’s ability to blossom into a community nucleus it has become the primary focus in the Changemakers’ Whitfield agenda.