Charity finds new home thanks to CAT

Published: Friday 16 January 2026

This image shows staff and young people from ASNsory Crew

A charity supporting young people with additional support and complex needs will move into a new home thanks to a successful Community Asset Transfer (CAT).

ASNsory Crew will lease the former St Andrew’s day care centre in Hamilton for a period of 25 years under the terms of the CAT.

The organisation was established by parents with children who suffer from conditions broadly identified as having Additional Support Needs (ASN).

Since January 2025 the group have organised and operated activities for their service users within TACT Hall, Blantyre. Since then, the demand for this service has grown and it is now used by more than 130 individuals

Chairperson of ASNsory Crew, Kirsten Darling, said: “Securing the Community Asset Transfer is transformational for our charity.

“It allows us to move from temporary spaces into a purpose-built environment where disabled children can play, regulate and socialise safely, and where families feel truly welcome and understood.”

Chair of the council’s Housing and Technical Resources Committee, Councillor Davie McLachlan, said: “ASNsory Crew are providing a vital service, and I am delighted that the CAT will allow them to expand and have a place that they can call home.

“Councils being able to help local organisations in this way was exactly the reason why the Community Empowerment Act was introduced, and I wish them every success in the future.”