South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has praised the young people at the Usual Place for the clear message they gave the First Minister John Swinney during his visit yesterday (15 April 2025)

John Swinney visited the Usual Place to discuss the financial challenges facing the project, after the issue was raised at First Ministers Questions by Colin Smyth in February.

A cross-party group of MSPs have also raised the issue with the local council and South Scotland Enterprise Agency (SOSE) and met with Shirley-Anne Sommerville, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Ivan McKee, Minister for Public Finance to press the case for support.

So far support SOSE have committed to providing support for the project that will help avoid further redundancies for the rest of year. Despite councillors agreeing in February that an urgent paper on the future of the Usual Place be brought before councillors, the council have yet to respond to calls for support and have kicked the issue into the long grass with no paper expected before councillors until July.

During the visit the First Minister met young people who train and work at the Usual Place, as well as other staff, customers, volunteers, Trustees, Occupational Therapy students on placement, college staff, representatives of the South of Scotland Enterprise Agency and Inspiring Scotland as well as local employers the Globe Inn and the Cairndale Hotel and Spa who partner with the Usual Place to support the young people.

Colin Smyth said: “I am really proud of the way the young people at the Usual Place showed the First Minister during his visit just how much their lives have been transformed by this amazing place. They were really inspirational and John Swinney was left in no doubt how vital this project is for the many young people who have benefited.

“The Usual Place aren’t asking for preferential treatment, they are just asking or fairness. The silo working we all too often see in so-called third sector funding means they fall through the gaps because they cover education and training and don’t fit neatly into the archaic funding streams. It is little wonder that the disability employment gap is so consistently higher in Dumfries and Galloway than elsewhere in Scotland.

“There is a clear plan from the Trustees to effectively make the Usual Place thrive and in become self-sufficient but that will need a modest amount of support over the next three years to fully deliver.

“We have been able to secure some short term funding from South of Scotland Enterprise which will keep the doors open for a few months. But it’s now over to the Scottish Government and Dumfries and Galloway Council to deliver the support needed to keep the Usual Place open and thriving. I’ll certainly keep pressing them until they do.