What We Do
Image above: The exterior of the former Co-op Bakery in West Calder in June 2026. Credit: Matt Pearce.
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is very pleased to announce that it has offered a Heritage Impact Fund loan of £400,000 to West Calder & Harburn Community Development Trust. This funding is providing cashflow support for the delivery phase of the redevelopment of the former Co-op Bakery in West Calder into the Scottish Co-op Discovery Centre.
Dating from 1909, this red brick building with sandstone dressings was designed by William Baillie in the Arts and Crafts style. It features large arched loading bays, white glazed brick interiors, and original Co-operative carvings above the entrance. Originally used as a bakery and butchery for the West Calder Co-operative Society, it is a key remnant of a wider social, political, and cultural movement.
The West Calder & Harburn Community Development Trust was established in 2013 to support and improve the lives of residents in West Calder and Harburn, West Lothian. The Trust focuses on community engagement, environmental sustainability, and preserving local heritage.
Having acquired the derelict former Co-op Bakery from West Lothian Council in December 2020, the Trust subsequently set out on a major initiative to transform it into the Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre. West Calder itself has a long association with the Co-operative movement, and this will be the first place in the UK dedicated to telling its story.
Image: Artists Impression of the Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre. Credit: Collective Architecture Ltd.
The ground floor will house the main public areas, and will include the reception and ticketing area, permanent and flexible exhibition spaces, an education suite, the café, and a retail area showcasing co-operative-themed and locally made products. It will also house accessible toilets. The first floor will be home to the main permanent, fun, family-friendly interactive display, as well as further flexible event spaces. The lower ground spaces will house a Changing Places Toilet, an archive, offices with bookable meeting rooms, co-working desks and additional flexible education space.
Image: Mock up of the internal space at the Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre. Credit: Studio Arc Ltd.
Funding for the capital works is fully secured and the project is currently on site. This comprises work to restore and upgrade the historic building, including roof and window replacement, brickwork repairs, and structural and accessibility improvements. The fit-out and modernisation process will see the addition of new toilets and services, a kitchen and café, and flexible internal spaces, as well as a full mechanical and electrical upgrade.
Once fully restored and operational, the building will be leased to and operated by a newly created community benefit society – the Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre Ltd. Its flexible internal spaces will make it suitable for a wide range of uses, helping to secure its long-term future.
The AHF has previously supported this project with a Historic Environment Scotland-supported Project Development Grant towards investigative surveys and enabling works, which helped inform detailed design work to progress the project. Now, the AHF is incredibly pleased to have been able to provide further support to West Calder & Harburn Community Development Trust with this Heritage Impact Fund loan, which is supporting cashflow during this important delivery phase.
A range of funds, including loan investment, are available for not-for-profit organisations across the UK who want to bring historic buildings back into use. For more information, please visit our Funding Page.
The Heritage Impact Fund is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic Environment Scotland. The AHF’s grant programmes in Scotland are also supported by Historic Environment Scotland, as well as the William Grant Foundation.