The Reid for the Community started out in June 2026, following the announcement that the Reid Memorial Church and Halls would definitely be sold by the Church of Scotland. Previously in January 2026 the congregation had merged with Marchmont St Giles to form the Blackford and Grange parish, with services at Marchmont St Giles. The church and halls continue to be available for hire, but obviously there is no guarantee this would continue after a sale, as has been the case elsewhere.

A group of local community members with links to the site got together to start looking at how the church and halls could be kept in community use, as there are increasingly fewer alternatives available. We formed an initial steering committee of 7 members (gradually increasing) and have been meeting regularly since then.

We are currently looking to become a Community Benefit Society which will allow us to attempt a Community Right to Buy for the site, and will also allow us to raise funds if our initial application is successful.