This week, members of Blackhall Mosque (Imam Sohail, Azhar Gafor, Owais Ahmed) and St David’s Carrick Knowe Church (Rev Fiona Mathieson) met with local representatives, Councillor Cathy Fullerton, and the Chair of the Community Council, Donna Squires. Neil Hay, CEO of Space @ The Broomhouse Hub, hosted the meeting.
Various local concerns were discussed, such as traffic and parking during Friday prayers, community access to the building, and past communication.
In hindsight, communication could have been better. While acknowledging that an earlier update would have been helpful, the group is optimistic that working together now will minimise future problems and that by providing this update, some questions will be answered, and concerns will be eased.
Fiona Mathieson explained the closure of St David’s Broomhouse Church was part of a larger plan by the Church of Scotland to merge congregations and sell buildings across the country. The Broomhouse sale was to be completed by the end of 2026, however, the process accelerated when Rev Michael Mair moved on. The high level of interest led to a quicker-than-expected sale, with Blackhall Mosque’s bid being the highest and most impactful. Importantly, the Mosque bid included a commitment to keep the building as a community space, a key factor for the Elders of St David’s Carrick Knowe.
With the sale complete, the Mosque in Broomhouse is open daily and welcoming local visitors. Everyone is encouraged to visit and see what’s happening. Significant items from the Church have been relocated St David’s Carrick Knowe on Saughton Road North, which is now the parish church for the area. For those interested in mementos, items made from the pews donated to the Grassmarket Project Wood Workshop will hopefully be available for purchase soon.
Imam Sohail acknowledged concerns about traffic and parking, especially during Friday prayers. While there’s no single solution, they are committed to minimising the impact by adjusting prayer times, providing parking support, exploring on-site parking options, and encouraging the use of public transport.
In addition to being a place for prayer and services with educational and cultural lessons, the Blackhall Mosque is excited to build on the community work carried out over many generations by the Church of Scotland. As examples of their outreach activities, the Mosque hosts various activities in Blackhall, such as health and fitness classes, toddler and parent groups, sports and gala days, food drives, and health and wellbeing clinics. Early conversations with other local Broomhouse charities and groups will ensure that the community support efforts complement existing activities and not duplicate existing work.
The Church and the Mosque are committed to working with local organisations to benefit our community. For instance, the Memorial Garden will stay in its current location, with the Mosque taking care of its upkeep. The Church will make available the funds it has in hand for the memorial garden, as the congregation is still committed to serving the local community.
The building will take a little time to develop, but in time, the halls will be available for community groups to book. The members of St David’s Carrick Knowe will also have a regular service and time together in The Broomhouse Hub. The Hub is already open to everyone, and as more activity occurs, both faith organisations are clear that everyone is welcome in their spaces, too.