The Mill of Benholm Enterprise submitted an Expression of Interest for the Community Asset Transfer of the Mill of Benholm to Aberdeenshire Council in May 2023. After talks with Aberdeenshire Council Area Manager and his team we then developed a business plan and strategy, as well as building up a strong volunteer base over the Summer 2023 and submitted consequently the full application for the Community Asset Transfer in September 2023. To prepare the site for a hopefully successful Community Asset Transfer the Mill of Benholm Enterprise and Aberdeenshire Council agreed on a License to Work for the Mill of Benholm.
While setting out the best way to make access to the Mill of Benholm safe again, deal with the vegetation overgrowth of a decade of hibernation and to bring back the toilets to working order, we parallel worked to ensure a positive outcome of the Community Asset Transfer, through social media and direct community engagement, resulting in a record of 63 positive responses to Aberdeenshire Council during the public consultation period of the Community Asset Transfer.
The weather delayed the start of the work on site, but in November 2023 our volunteers started the work to transform the site.
In January 2023 the Aberdeenshire Council Area Committee voted in favour of the report and recommendation in favour of the transfer by council officers making our Community Asset Transfer a success. The legal procedures of the transfer started shortly after this and were completed by the 30th of April 2024. The work on site continued…
The official handover ceremony took place in June 2024 and from there on the Mill buildings were open to visitors at weekends, paths were restored, the community garden re-activitated, the car park enhanced and expanded. From September 2024 onwards we started to host events, opened the Café a the Mill temporarily. We built a strong foundation to lead the Mill of Benholm into a long-term sustainable future.
But sometimes images telling a better story than words, please browse through the picture below to get a glimpse of our journey since 2023.
The beginning (2023)…
The volunteers in action (2023 and 2024)…
The result (2024)…
There is still a lot to do, so follow us on our journey and if you want to support the transformation of the Mill of Benholm from a forgotten Mill in a decade long hibernation to a vibrant Community Hub and visitor attraction please become a member, to do so please click here, or donate to help the Mill of Benholm, to do so please click here.
