Tuesday March 3rd 2026
Vogrie Hall, Gorebridge, after the transformation
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
A dilapidated community hall closed by the council for safety reasons has been transformed after the local brass band raised more than £800,000 to bring it back to life.
St David’s Brass Band, who are a registered charity in Midlothian, paid Midlothian Council £100,000 to buy Vogrie Hall, in Gorebridge, which they had leased as their rehearsal base for over a decade before its closure.
The hall had been closed by the council in 2020 and after a bid to have it transferred to the band through a Community Asset Transfer fell through, the band paid full market value to take it over.
The main hall of the building had water leaking through its roof and a partial ceiling collapse with giant mushrooms growing out of the walls and the smell of damp was present throughout when it was first bought by the band.
The kitchen area also had mushrooms growing out from the walls and it was clear the building required a huge amount of work to bring it back into community use.
Now two years after the charity took ownership of the hall it is ready to be used by the community again after undergoing a complete transformation.
On top of finding funds to buy the hall, they also managed to secure over £700,000 in funding from sources including the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund, the National Lottery, Foundation Scotland and generous private donations.
Vogrie Hall before the transformation
The hall, which was built in the 1930s for local miners and became a community space before its closure underwent a complete refurbishment of the building to repair, restore and modernise its facilities, while retaining the original stone walls and sprung flooring to respect the building’s heritage features.
A solar panel array with a storage battery has been installed to help the building be self-sufficient and more environmentally friendly.
Now the hall is available for community bookings with its first even – a spring fayre – set to take place later this month.
Stuart Dickson, chairman of St David’s Brass, said: “It’s a great moment being able to open Vogrie Hall’s doors to the public once again.
“What seemed like an impossible task five years ago has come to fruition and I couldn’t be prouder. Not only does the band have a permanent home, we’ve also been able to rejuvenate a part of Gorebridge’s history and provide a space to bring the local community together.
“I’m hugely grateful to the band members for their time and effort in getting us to this point, and to the enormous generosity of our funders and supporters.”
And St David’s Brass Band, is busy this month as well with an appearance at the Scottish Brass Band Championships in Perth this weekend. The band which is run by the charity offers individual brass and percussion lessons for all ages.
Its competing and training bands both perform in concerts, contests and community events throughout the year and new musicians of any age or ability are welcome while instruments and tuition can be provided free of charge.
To find out more about joining the bands or booking Vogrie hall to stdavidsbrass.co.uk or email secretary@stdavidsbrass.co.uk
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