For immediate release 20th July 1994 Edinburgh LGB Centre Appeal on its final lap The refurbishment of the building housing the Edinburgh Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Centre, at 58a & 60 Broughton St., is almost complete, and the Centre is making a final appeal for help in paying the last of the bills for the work. Thanks to the generosity of supporters over the three years that work has been in progress, 12,000 has already been paid, and the Centre needs now to raise a final 1380 to pay the last bill, which is due now, in full. Much of the refurbishment has involved improvements to the invisible fabric of the building, but visible changes include replacement of much of the stonework and railings at ground and basement level and a new door and entrance lobby. Tim Hopkins, secretary of the group which runs the Centre on behalf of its owners, Outright Scotland, explained: "The entire building, numbers 56 to 60 Broughton St., has been refurbished, including the roof, the most expensive item. The cost was shared between all the tenants on the stair. When the idea was first suggested, four years ago, our share was expected to be 6,000, but it's turned out to cost more than twice that - 13,400." "Thanks to all those who have already helped, we've paid most of that, but we are now being pressed for our final payment. The Centre was purchased with money raised entirely within the community, and it celebrates its 20th anniversary next year. We would like to secure its newly-refurbished future for the next 20 years by clearing the last of this bill over the next two or three months." The Centre is appealing for donations, however large or small, to be made out to "Edinburgh Centre Appeal", and sent to: Centre Appeal, 58a Broughton St., Edinburgh, EH1 3SA. Also welcome would be interest-free personal loans of any amount to help towards the final 1380 needed; loans would be repayable after a two or three year fixed-term period. Such loans would be fully secured, and anyone able to provide a loan of any amount is requested to contact Ian Dunn on 031-557 1662 to discuss details. New ventures at the Centre Coinciding with the completion of the refurbishment, two new ventures have been launched based in the Edinburgh Centre. The Edge Club Cafe, run by Martin Walker and Iain Duthie, is a welcoming venue serving a variety of meals, snacks and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The Cafe area has been redecorated and now also provides a light and pleasant rotating exhibition space for lesbian, gay and bisexual artists (anyone interested in exhibiting should contact Martin on 031-556 0852). The Cafe is open from 12 noon till midnight every day (but will open at 10 am each day during the Edinburgh Festival in August). Also recently opened at the LGB Centre is the new Bisexual Resource Centre. The Edinburgh LGB Centre has long been the base for the Edinburgh Bisexual Group and the Bisexual Phoneline, and now those facilities have been extended with the opening of the Bisexual Resource Centre in an office there. The Resource Centre houses an archive and information centre, and is also the base for Bifrost magazine. It is staffed on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons. The LGB Centre also houses the long-running Drondale shop, which stocks a variety of clothes, cards, magazines etc., the Edinburgh office of Gay Scotland magazine, and a meeting room which is available for hire most days and evenings (contact Alison Rowan, Outright Scotland, 58a Broughton St., EH1 3SA). Office space available The LGB Centre currently has one unused office, approximately 220 square feet, available for long or short term lease. Broughton St is close to the city centre and the building is equipped with the usual services - toilet facilities, fire equipment and burglar alarms, not to mention the convenience of heving a cafe on the premises! Very good lease terms are available - contact Ian Dunn on 031-557 1662 for further details. ENDS For more information, please contact: Tim Hopkins, LGB Centre Secretary 031-553 1459 or 031-650 5153 Ian Dunn, LGB Centre Director 031-557 1662 Outright Scotland - The Scottish Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Rights Group 58a Broughton St., Edinburgh, EH1 3SA