CONSTRUCTION work on a building a community has fought for 20 years to save is due to start by the end of the year after a major funding boost from the Scottish Government.

An extra £1.125 million has been awarded to the community project in Glasgow by the Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) on top of the £2.15m previously granted. The total is the largest sum awarded by the RCGF in its seven-year history and has been welcomed with relief by the Govanhill Baths Community Trust.

It is hoped the building can reopen in spring 2022 – the 21st anniversary of the protest against the city council’s decision to close the much-loved baths which resulted in the longest continuous occupation of a public building in UK history at 141 days.

The £9m project will see the baths reopen as a wellbeing centre incorporating three pools, a health suite and other sports and health initiatives.

Just before the lockdown the Trust was on the verge of appointing a contractor, but since then costs have risen and an appeal was made to the original funders for top-up grants.

The “significant” shortfall has been considerably reduced by the RCGF grant and is enough for construction work to begin, according to Alex Wilde, the trust’s chair.

“We were absolutely wild with delight when we heard we had more money and the gap is closing between what we need to achieve the project and what we have got,” she said.

“There is a small shortfall we are still working on but the money that has just been awarded means we can get the construction going. It is an historic building that has been empty for 19 years and while the structure of the building remains stable every delay we have had means the building deteriorates further and that increases the costs. Next year will be 20th anniversary of the pool protest so it is a significant marker for us and we are really excited that we are going to be able to have construction under way and people will be able to see something is happening. I think it will be really positive.”

The Trust is expecting to hear from other funders this week and has also received £275,000 of funding from the National Lottery Community Fund on top of their original £1m award. “We have been recommended for the Glasgow Communities Fund as well but we don’t know how much yet,” Wilde added. “That is really welcome news as it means we can keep activities like our knitting clubs and yoga classes going while developing the big capital project.”

Fatima Uygun, one of the key volunteers in the campaign and who is now trust manager, said it had been 20 years of hard struggle.

“We are hoping this is the last hurdle so the construction can go ahead and realise the hopes of so many people in the community who have stuck with this for 20 years,” she said. “Our aspiration is to get this building back into operation and to serve the community with a well-being centre that will bring a wide range of benefits – all run by the community for the community.”

Uygun said she felt the Scottish Government had been impressed with the community work in Govanhill during the pandemic, which ranged from making sure school children and vulnerable people were digitally connected, to securing funding for food parcels, supplying creativity packs to help with mental health and running a street music event.