Local charity, Camphill Wellbeing Trust (CWT) has officially opened the multi-purpose North Point building at its flagship Compass Project site on Craigton Road, Cults following a £750,000 restoration project.
The opening was a key part of a day of celebrations at Compass, held on Saturday, September 6th, to mark the progress achieved at the site to date, recognise the achievements of CWT staff and acknowledge the incredible support of the 1,200 local volunteers who have donated more than 13,000 hours of their time to the project since its inception in 2020.
The event coincided with the regular volunteer day and popular, family-friendly activity sessions – held at Compass on the first Saturday of each month – and marked the charity participating in the Aberdeen City Doors Open Day initiative for the first time. As well as exploring the North Point building, visitors to Compass were also able to enjoy the extensive outdoor areas of the site, including the no-dig, organic garden, woodland areas, orchard and bee-keeping corner.
Alongside the volunteers, the North Point opening was attended by Emma King, Primary Care Lead at Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership, along with representatives of the organisations whose donations – of both time and money - helped deliver the re-development of the building and local community groups who are already benefitting from the facility.
Compass is a ground-breaking CWT project which, since 2020, has transformed a once-derelict 4.1-acre site - initially developed as the Aberdeen Convalescent Hospital in 1897, then the International School, and latterly home to Aberdeen Waldorf School - into a thriving hub for health, wellbeing, and sustainable living.
The North Point building is a key feature of the site which, following an extensive, sustainable retrofit, now provides an accessible and welcoming space for sports, physical activity, and connection. As part of this transformation a large, multi-use hall within the building has been renovated, and now offers the local community access to a versatile space for a wide range of activities.
The official opening of the building was carried out by Iain Duguid– one of the Compass Project’s most dedicated volunteers – who has clocked up an incredible 610 volunteer hours at the site over the past two years. Iain cut a specially made nature ribbon, held by Dr. Stefan Geider, GP and clinical lead of CWT and Aileen Primrose, CWT Chief Executive, to mark the occasion.
Emma King, Primary Care Lead at Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership was delighted to attend the event and looks forward to continuing working in collaboration with the Compass Project.
She said: “What Camphill Wellbeing Trust has nurtured and built at Compass is truly inspiring - a progressive, inclusive community model that not only uplifts individuals but also brings people together through meaningful and healthy activities. It’s clear that Compass is not just a place - but a living, growing community with purpose at its heart.
“We are proud to be working alongside Camphill Wellbeing Trust and look forward to continuing our collaboration - supporting them as they sustain and expand their vital services which make such a positive difference in people's lives.”
Aileen Primrose, Camphill Wellbeing Trust’s Chief Executive, added: “Camphill has an 80-year history of caring for the built and natural environment. Over the past five years, driven by our staff and powered by our volunteers, the sustainable transformation of the Compass site has been incredible and has continued this ethos.
“The renovation of the North Point building was a major component of the latest phase of our planned redevelopment of the overall site, and we are delighted that it is now officially open. Our thanks go to everyone who donated, in any way, towards the project, and particularly to all of our dedicated volunteers whose hard work and commitment have been critical to the significant transformation of the site to date.”
Anyone who would like to find out more about volunteering or the programmes and facilities available at the Compass Project should e-mail compass@cwt.scot