COMMUNITY AT THE CENTRE
How Orbiston Community Hub is shaping everyday life in Bellshill
In Bellshill, the new Orbiston Community Hub has quietly reshaped everyday life for the children, families and staff who walk through its doors. the hub brings education, early years and community services together in one modern, accessible space...
In Bellshill, the new Orbiston Community Hub has quietly reshaped everyday life for the children, families and staff who walk through its doors. Replacing two ageing primary schools and a nursery class spread across separate sites, the hub brings education, early years and community services together in one modern, accessible space.
The change has been immediate and noticeable - delivering improvements that make daily routines easier, learning richer and connections stronger.
£41.8million project valueDelivered on time and budget10/10 satisfaction92 hours of school engagements13 school site visits hosted£3,772 charitable donations102t carbon saved
For Sandra McLean, Headteacher at Sacred Heart Primary, the move into the new building meant finally having a space that reflected what staff have always aimed to give their children.
The previous school was well‑loved, but tired. The new building feels fresh, calm and thoughtfully designed.
Children responded straight away, Sandra says. Even on a wet morning, they arrived eager and curious, exploring their new rooms and shared spaces with genuine excitement. The atmosphere was one of pride - children recognising that this was a place built with them in mind.
Across the corridor, Tracy Hurst, Headteacher at Lawmuir Primary, saw a similar shift. Coming from a 1950s building with draughts, temperature swings and very limited breakout space, the difference was significant. The new environment is brighter and more flexible. Children can now choose how and where they learn, teachers can utilise shared activity areas, and movement throughout the building feels natural and safe.
Both headteachers describe the same thing - this building lifts children. Not in a dramatic sense, but in the subtle, daily ways that matter: comfort, confidence, independence and pride.
Click to watch
This building is a fresh start, a fresh awakening. Having it all in one hub really enhances learning and strengthens our partnerships. It makes transitions easier and lets us work so closely together. Our job as leaders is to keep creativity alive, and this building helps us do that. Education is key to everything - and this hub helps us plan next steps together so children can succeed. They absolutely deserve this beautiful, creative, nurturing school, and seeing their faces made everything worthwhile.
We’ve got a lovely, brilliant new state‑of‑the‑art school. The children are really inspired by their surroundings. You can see that they’re proud of it, and you can see them lifted by the building. Their little faces when they came in; there were lots of oohs and ahhs and gasps. They were just amazed by the space. When it was all finished, it was much better than what we thought. It was like a breath of fresh air - a new start, a new home.
At the Family Learning Centre, Vicky Porter and her team have seen how much the design of the space influences the experiences of very young children. From low‑level windows to soft lighting, the nursery creates a warm and settled atmosphere.
Families have been struck by how “beautiful” and “calm” the environment feels, and Vicky notes how quickly children have settled into the new routines.
Everything is designed at child height, which encourages exploration and choice.
The centre now feels like a genuine early years hub and one that supports families as much as it supports learning.
Because the nursery now sits within the wider campus, transitions are smoother too.
Children get used to shared spaces early on, so moving from nursery to primary becomes a familiar, less daunting step.
North Lanarkshire Council’s decision to invest in community hubs is grounded in a clear strategy: to bring services together in a way that strengthens learning, supports families and simplifies access to community provision.
Older buildings across the area were no longer meeting modern needs.
Many were inefficient, restrictive and unable to support today’s style of learning.
The council’s new approach replaces them with multi‑purpose hubs that combine:
primary education
early years services
community learning and development
health and wellbeing spaces
indoor and outdoor recreation facilities
This approach reduces barriers. Families can access support, activities and education in one location. Children can grow within a familiar environment from birth to age eleven. Partnership working becomes easier because staff from different services share the same building.
This model is not just about new buildings - it’s about creating neighbourhood anchors that support learning, wellbeing and community life in a joined‑up way.
Orbiston Community Hub came together through genuine collaboration between North Lanarkshire Council, the schools, the Family Learning Centre, the design team, community partners and the wider supply chain.
Everyone had a role in shaping how the building should work for the people who use it every day.
Click above to watch the film
Teachers were involved early, helping refine layouts and ensuring the spaces supported modern learning. Children visited the site, met members of the construction team, and enjoyed classroom talks that explained the project in simple, engaging ways. Safe site tours and regular updates helped them feel connected to the build and eased the transition into the new space.
Throughout the process, the construction and design teams worked closely and openly with school staff, responding quickly to practical issues and supporting a smooth move-in. What emerged was not simply a building handed over, but a shared effort. One that created a strong sense of ownership and delivered a positive, well-supported experience for everyone involved.
Orbiston Community Hub doesn’t rely on grand statements to make its impact.
Its strength lies in the everyday improvements it brings: warm, bright classrooms; flexible learning zones; a calmer nursery environment; shared spaces that build friendships; and a full community centre that hosts groups, clubs and activities from morning to evening.
Above all, it is a building designed around people - one that reflects the values, ambition and community spirit of Bellshill and North Lanarkshire. The early signs suggest that the hub is already doing what it set out to do: giving children the best possible environment to learn and grow, while offering families a central, welcoming place to come together.
Client North Lanarkshire CouncilFramework Hub South West ScotlandContractor Morgan Sindall ConstructionArchitect Keppie DesignProject Manager Doig & SmithEngineers RSP Consulting/Curtins
