The History of Jedburgh Community & Arts Centre

Jedburgh Community & Arts Centre is housed in the building of St John's Old School.  St John's School was built by the Lothian family in the 19th Century for the children of Jedburgh.  The building was designed by the famous Victorian architect William Butterfield and operated as a school up till the 1960s when it then became the hall for St John's Church which is right next door.  In recent years, the Church found the building difficult and expensive to maintain.  There were plans to put it up for sale, but many felt that the building was very important for the town and should remain as an asset for the local community.  In 2002 a management committee was established with volunteers from the local area.  They began the work who of turning the building into a community centre and a home for the arts in Jedburgh.  At this point, the building was in a sorry state with a leaking roof and a real state of disrepair.

The management committee now runs the building independently from the Church and since 2002 have secured over £150,000 in funding to give the building some much needed TLC and return it to its former glory. 

Jedburgh Community & Arts Centre now is in use everyday of the year by local groups and organisations.  A real sucess story.

Official Opening of Jedburgh Community & Arts Centre

In April 2006, Jedburgh Community & Arts Centre was officially opened by HRH the Princess Royal.  During her visit, the Princess was entertained by Jed Singers, viewed an art exhibition by Glasgow artist Michael Mullen, met user groups such as the Katharine Elliot Centre and the watercolour group and met children from Jedburgh Out of School Club.  Everyone was thrilled to meet her and she thoroughly enjoyed her visit to the centre.