Dumfries Community Hub Faces Closure After Six-Month Eviction Notice

Multiple charities, community organisations and businesses operating from a council-owned building in Dumfries have been instructed to vacate within six months, threatening what residents describe as the neighbourhood's most vital gathering space.

The North West Resource Centre in Lincluden, which operates a well-used café and hosts dozens of support services, was declared surplus to requirements by Dumfries and Galloway Council several years ago. Children's charity Aberlour subsequently took over the building and now sub-lets space to various groups. On Monday, tenants received notice that their leases would be terminated, with Aberlour planning to relocate its own operations to premises it considers more appropriate for supporting children and families.

Dumfries Women's Aid is among the organisations affected. The charity confirmed the closure would disrupt its work:

We have been based there for several years giving victims of domestic abuse a place of safety and confidentiality to approach our service for support.

However, Dumfriesshire and Stewartry Women's Aid now lists its address as 12 Whitesands, Dumfries, suggesting the organisation has already begun transitioning its contact base elsewhere.

Staff at nearby Abbey Gardens care home, who regularly bring residents to the hub for social activities and meals, described the impending closure as catastrophic for their clients. Support worker Karen Hall explained that visits to the café gave their clients

a sense of purpose

and opportunities to socialise. Senior support worker Chloe Oulton added:

It's a lifeline for everybody nearby. It's somewhere you can come and feel safe and accepted.

The nearest alternative café requires a 20-minute walk and would involve pushing residents' wheelchairs up a steep hill to reach Tesco.

The facility's role as a community anchor extends far beyond care home visits. Ami-Zone café, which operates from the centre, has become a lifeline for vulnerable individuals. One regular customer, Mike, a 77-year-old former tradesman, began visiting after his wife died while he was recovering from oesophageal cancer. He described himself as

really down

before someone encouraged him to visit and make friends.

I was eight stone six, there was nothing on me. Kelly looked after me. She's been wonderful to me, absolutely wonderful to me. At weekends, when she's not working, she makes me up my meals for the weekend, so I'm eating. It's been wonderful.

He was even invited to spend Christmas with Kelly Jamieson, the café's owner, and her family.

Kelly Jamieson, who runs Ami-Zone, hopes to negotiate a direct lease with the council following Aberlour's departure. If that arrangement proves impossible, she has warned that relocation costs would force her to close the café entirely. The café holds a food hygiene Pass rating from its most recent inspection on 26 November 2024, confirming its status as an established public-facing food venue.

The centre also hosts educational visits from pupils at a nearby school for children with severe and complex additional needs, supporting their development of social skills.

What impact will closure have on retired people's activities?

The facility hosts approximately 13 groups organised by Dumfries U3A, an organisation serving retired and semi-retired people across the region. Carol Moyes, representing the group, warned that closure

could be quite problematic

as finding alternative accessible venues with adequate transport links would be extremely difficult. Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway lists the North West Resource Centre as an established member location, reflecting its long-standing role as a hub for voluntary organisations. The U3A's interests span genealogy, poetry and numerous other subjects, serving around 300 members across the region.

Meanwhile, Dumfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Service maintains an NW Dumfries Outreach session at the North West Resource Centre every Wednesday from 10.00am to 3.00pm, indicating that advice services continue to operate from the building as of its current published schedule.

What are Aberlour's plans?

Aberlour confirmed that its service at the North West Resource Centre would relocate to Moat Brae on George Street on 31 March. The charity expects its Stranraer service to move to alternative suitable accommodation in February 2027. A spokesperson stated:

The wellbeing of the children and families we support remains our priority. We are planning smooth and well-managed transitions to enable us to continue to deliver services for the benefit of the local community.

Dumfries and Galloway Council has been approached for comment on the closure and the future of the building.