Roofing Merchant Helps Youth Charity Rebuild After Arson Attack

SIG Roofing Broxburn has donated external insulated boards to support the rebuild of Youth Vision’s 6m x 5m polyhouse.

The new structure is based on a Chinese greenhouse design and is used to grow vegetables as part of the charity’s work with young people who struggle with formal education.

The rebuild was necessary because the charity’s original polyhouse, built in 2022 by a group of young people, had been vandalised and set on fire, leaving the charity in desperate need of support to continue its creative work.

With insulation boards from SIG Roofing and donations from other local suppliers, Youth Vision’s volunteers and the young adults on the charity’s programme rebuilt the polyhouse, which is now back in working order.

Polyhouse Rebuild

The polyhouse is a solid structure with a polycarbonate sloping roof. Its design is based on a Chinese greenhouse, where the roof angle and orientation to the sun are maximised.

The large anthracite 100 mm-thick insulated panels from SIG Roofing Broxburn form the north wall, and are white on the inside to reflect the light. The east and west walls are made of wood, and the south wall and roof are designed to capture as much heat as possible.

Heat sinks have been created by placing large stone structures along the walkway. These act as thermal regulators, keeping the area cool during the day and releasing heat in the evening to help extend the growing season.

The polyhouse is used throughout the year to grow vegetables from seed, cultivated by young people on the charity programme, who choose what plants to grow. Tomatoes are a popular choice, along with squashes, courgettes, peppers, and sweetcorn, and they have even had some success with a grapevine.

The whole process involves deciding what to grow, picking it, trying new menus, cooking, making stews, and, with some produce, making chutney to sell at the local farmers’ market at Christmas. The farmers’ market then donates potatoes for planting, to be cultivated the following year.

Upgrade

Jen Crook, who led the build of the polyhouse, is delighted with the result. She said: “We were overwhelmed with the generosity of local businesses and volunteers who helped to rebuild this structure. The panels supplied by SIG Roofing Broxburn, which I believe are made by Steadmans in Cumbria, are much thicker at 100mm than the previous 30mm panels and offer much better insulation. It feels like we have had an upgrade, and we are really grateful to be back on track.”

Youth Vision works with young people from southwest Edinburgh who are referred to the charity and struggle with formal education or have been excluded from school. The charity is based at an 18th-century farmstead and cottage in a remote area of the Pentland Hills, where it focuses on horticulture, rural skills, and traditional crafts. Around 50 young people attend the programmes each year, with many joining from early years in high school and staying involved into adulthood.

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