A driving force behind the transformation of an abandoned former Aberdeenshire department store into a cinema, cafe and events venue has been named a High Street Hero.
Carolyn Powell, Joint General Manager of Huntly Development Trust, was a key figure in the multi-million pound project to redevelop Number 30 The Square over six years.
The project officially opened earlier this year, sparking renewed positive hope about the future of Huntly town centre.
For her crucial part in its vision and completion, Carolyn has been named as the 2025 Scotland Loves Local Awards High Street Hero for North East Scotland.
Judges were told: “Carolyn’s hard work, personal tenacity and unwavering commitment to the regeneration of Huntly and, in particular this project over an extended time period, has meant that Huntly and the wider community now benefits from having a full-time cinema, a co-working centre, a café, learning and training spaces, meeting rooms and a retail space, all under one roof.
“Working with a dually listed building as large and prominently situated as Number 30 in Huntly’s historic town square was a herculean undertaking, but one which she has accomplished masterfully with both humility and respect for both the building and the people of Huntly.”
Carolyn is credited with securing funding from Aberdeenshire Council’s Town Centre Fund which allowed the property to be taken into community ownership.
She then worked with colleagues to secure the millions of pounds needed to transform it, creating a new asset for the community and visitors alike.
Reacting to her award, Carolyn said: “To be nominated for the Scotland Loves Local High Street Hero award has been humbling and I am deeply honoured and delighted to receive it, which is in no small part, testament to the dedication of the people who supported this project from the outset and those who now work to make Number 30 truly special.
“The local community are the real stars, because they have embraced and supported Number 30 from the day it opened and are enjoying everything it now offers which helps to bring the life back into the town of Huntly.”
Number 30 was home to the former Cruickshank’s department store from 1875 until 2018. Its closure sparked deep concerns in the community, leading to the vision to revitalise it.
The transformation has been praised by both Aberdeenshire Council and the Scottish Government, which hailed it as a catalyst for wider positive change in the community.
Organised by Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), the Scotland Loves Local Awards recognise and reward all that’s great about the nation’s towns and neighbourhoods and the work to ensure they become stronger and more sustainable.
STP Chief Officer Kimberley Guthrie said: “Carolyn is an incredibly worthy High Street Hero Award recipient. Her dedication to the cause has been pivotal in the creation of Number 30 and in the ongoing regeneration of Huntly.
“She has worked relentlessly by overcoming challenges and celebrating successes, big and small, in the delivery of this incredible project. I am looking forward to hearing more about her incredible journey at the Scotland’s Towns Conference in Glasgow on November 27.
“Community-led regeneration like this is playing an increasingly important part in creating a new future for Scotland’s towns. Many other communities will be rightly inspired by what’s been achieved by Huntly Development Trust.”
Spearheaded by STP and supported by the Scottish Government, Scotland Loves Local is the movement encouraging people to create a better future for their community by choosing local. This is the fifth year in which the awards have been held.
