Drongan Family Hub: supporting children, families and community connection in Scotland’s coalfields
In Scotland’s coalfield communities, family support matters. When families face rising costs, limited local childcare and wider pressures linked to deprivation, practical community-based support can make a real difference.
The State of the Scottish Coalfields 2024 shows why this support is still needed. In Ayrshire/Lanarkshire, 45% of coalfield neighbourhoods are among the 30% most deprived in Scotland. Drongan itself is one of the former pit villages highlighted in the report, with a population of around 3,100 and several indicators of disadvantage above the Scottish average.
In Drongan, 11% of residents aged 16 and over report bad or very bad health, compared with 8% across Scotland. The disability benefit claimant rate is 12%, compared with 8% nationally, and the overall out-of-work benefit claimant rate is 20% of 16–64 year olds, compared with 14% across Scotland. These figures do not measure child poverty directly, but they show the wider economic and social pressures that can affect family life.
That is the context for the Drongan Family Hub, established in January 2024. The project was developed after engagement with local people and the wider community identified a clear local need for family support, particularly in response to limited childcare provision in the village and the rising cost of living.
The Family Hub runs two main programmes: a free Saturday morning breakfast club and an after-school project for children from Primary 1 to Primary 7. Through the after-school project, children can take part in outdoor sports, indoor sports, arts and crafts, homework, games and shared food in a safe and supportive environment.
What the Family Hub provides:
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A free Saturday morning breakfast club for children and families.
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An after-school project for Primary 1 to Primary 7 pupils in the local area.
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Activities including outdoor sports, indoor sports, arts and crafts, homework and games.
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Food and social connection for children and families who may be under financial pressure.
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Support that helps parents remain economically active, seek employment or access further training.
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Links into CRT Engage, which can provide free training to help parents build skills for future employment.
The project is rooted in the realities of family life. Parents are balancing work, childcare costs and the need for safe, positive activities for their children. The Family Hub helps by providing somewhere children can go after school, spend time with their peers, eat, play and take part in structured activities.
The impact is practical and social. Families who may be struggling financially can access a healthy meal, children have a safe place to spend time after school, and parents have more flexibility to work, apply for jobs or consider further training.
As one contributor put it, the after-school project is helpful “considering the cost of childcare out there these days” and can give parents “more opportunity to apply for jobs between 9 and 5”.
The local school also recognises the value of the project. For Drongan Primary, organisations working positively in the community for the benefit of pupils and families are an important part of local support. CRT’s role in supporting Drongan Grassroots has helped guide and strengthen what local people have achieved.
Coalfield regeneration is not only about large-scale investment. It is also about the everyday infrastructure that helps families get through the week: food, childcare, safe activities, social connection and routes into training or work.
The Drongan Family Hub shows what that looks like in practice: community-led, practical support that helps children thrive, supports parents and strengthens local resilience in one of Scotland’s former coalfield villages.
Find out more about our CRT Engage programme here.
