NHS Grampian is holding talks about opening a “community health and wellbeing hub” in the St Giles Centre in Elgin, the Press and Journal can reveal.
The shopping centre has become increasingly empty in recent years with big-name tenants Superdrug and Mountain Warehouse moving out.
Work to find new uses and attract investment into the High Street complex is one of more than 1,000 ideas put forward to the new Elgin Town Board.
It has £20 million of UK Government to spend.
Now, we can reveal that NHS Grampian is holding talks with the group and St Giles Centre.
It follows similar projects being run in shopping centres in both Aberdeen and Inverness.
What NHS Grampian is planning for St Giles Centre
NHS Grampian has confirmed it is in talks to open what it has called a “community health and wellbeing hub” in vacant St Giles Centre units.
The health board says the facility has the aim of offering improved access to services in a familiar and central town centre location.
It is understood that the project will involve vacant units to be redesigned and refurbished.
However, it is not known how large it will be or exactly what NHS Grampian intends to run from the St Giles Centre unit.
It is known proposals have been submitted to the Elgin Town Board for funding from the £20 million pot.
A NHS Grampian spokeswoman said: “We welcome the opportunity to be working alongside representatives from the community, business and the public sector as members of the Elgin Town Board to develop the long-term improvement plan for Elgin and the initial three-year investment plan.
“We are at an early feasibility stage of working up a proposal to make use of vacant space within the St Giles Centre as a community health and wellbeing hub. This could offer people improved access to services in a central place which is familiar to them.”
How NHS facilities in Aberdeen and Inverness shopping centres work
NHS Grampian already operates a wellbeing hub at the Bon Accord Centre in Aberdeen.
It opened when the vaccination centre moved from the former John Lewis building to the same retail space.
As well as administering jabs, the shopping centre unit hosts regular talks, information sessions and informal get-togethers.
Sessions this month have included visits from Home Energy Scotland providing cost-of-living advice. There has also been mental health support from Penumbra and blether sessions with Quarriers. Sales of locally-sourced fruit, vegetables and eggs from food bank Cfine among many others have also taken place.
Meanwhile, NHS Highland runs its own vaccination clinic in Inverness from a retail unit in the Eastgate shopping centre.
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Read more from Elgin town centre
- St Giles Centre changes, bus station refurbishments, town centre clean-up: Elgin’s 1,000 ideas for £20 million improvement fund
- Why Nelly Bo’s wanted to take on the challenge of one of the biggest empty units on Elgin High Street
- Scribbles owner reveals why local businesses will always be better for Elgin than national chains
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