Towford OC - Making Towford OC Accessible.
Description
Towford Outdoor Centre is a historic rural building in the Scottish Cheviots that is being brought back to life by a new youth-focused charity. Originally built in the 1890s as a school for border communities, the centre later became an outdoor education facility before falling into long-term disuse following council closures and several unsuccessful attempts at revival. For much of the last decade, the building sat abandoned and deteriorating.
In 2019, young people and volunteers connected to Longniddry Scout Group re-engaged with Towford, motivated by the loss of outdoor opportunities for youth. To secure its future, a new Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation - Gosford Bay Outdoors SCIO (GBO SCIO) was formed. In 2024, after years of delay caused largely by lockdown, the charity successfully secured a 21-year lease, enabling long-term planning and proper restoration.
GBO SCIO is fundamentally a partnership between young people and adults, where young people are not just beneficiaries but active participants. Its charitable aims focus on renovating the centre, developing the grounds for outdoor activities, establishing a dedicated youth wing, and providing an affordable, high-quality outdoor resource for other youth organisations.
Young people are involved hands-on in maintaining and restoring the site, learning practical skills such as DIY, plumbing, off-grid water and solar power, land management, and safe tool use. Alongside this, they gain experience in teamwork, responsibility, risk management, and leadership — skills that build resilience and confidence.
The charity actively promotes time away from screens and online spaces, encouraging real-world connection, outdoor play, and community. Regular camps, work weekends, and hosted youth groups already take place, with plans to expand access across southern Scotland and northern England.
The current priority is improving access by creating a small car park and paths, enabling Towford to grow as a safe, welcoming hub for young people — built with them, not just for them.
How Can You Support?
The team aim to build a community around Towford, and make it accessible to visitors and users, there needs to be adequate parking and access to the grounds. Currently there are parking spaces for a maximum of three vehicles, additional vehicles would block the driveway. There is no parking near by – the road is single track with built-up or soft verges.
"Our priority is to clear and flatten some ground just inside the gate and create a car park for ten vehicles. We would also like to establish some paths around the grounds - since this would use similar equipment and raw materials, we hope to dovetail these two objectives into a single project. We envision the need for heavy machinery to help flatten areas, put in some rudimentary drainageand the need for hardcore material (aggregate). "
This work would improve access which enables inclusion. It allows Towford to welcome a wider range of youth groups, families, and volunteers, supporting the growth of a shared community space where young people can meet, learn skills, and build lasting connections to the outdoors and to one another.