Background

The Fraser Centre is a locally owned cinema and community space. Jonny Russell formed the Trust in 2011 to refurbish the old Winton Picture House in Tranent. The centre officially opened on November 8th, 2019.

Need for support

Taking on an unloved community asset is not for the faint-hearted. The team needed support to develop a business plan and strategy that would ensure the project's success.

What We Did

Thanks to funding from the Just Enterprise programme in 2013, Community Enterprise worked with the Fraser Centre to develop a robust business plan and financial strategy to allow them to apply for funding to establish the centre.

Over the next two years, Community Enterprise supported the team in raising over £3 million in capital funding to establish the centre.

With rising costs and the pandemic, the Fraser Centre needed support in 2020 to diversify services and revisit its business plan to address the societal changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022 saw us supporting the Fraser Centre to submit a successful application to the Investing in Communities Fund.

Outcomes

Community Enterprise has been supporting the Fraser Centre for over 10 years. Our work with them has seen the development of a successful business model and strategies to ensure the long-term success of the centre.