Support The MugShack Today

TRASH Music Projects: young rock stars in the making

The MugShack is a Creative Incubator

Whilst we haven’t yet been able to launch the full programme we’ve been dreaming of, the MugShack is already a vibrant hub of creativity, with TRASH Music Projects cultivating the next generation of musical talent in their weekly rock band rehearsals. Watch how freaking good this band of teenagers have got in this video taken this August at the Cumbernauld Community Jam (contains strong language!)  

Free sewing workshops by Cumbernauld Alternative Network CIC

Glasgow’s How to Swim at free community gig SolStock, 21/12/2024

“I’ve made new friends and found a place where I’m accepted and listened to. Exploring my creative side here has been invaluable for my mental health.”

Every town deserves a place where people come alive.

For Cumbernauld, that place is The MugShack – our original town hall, brought back to life with heart, creativity and community.

Since 2020, the charity MugStock have worked to transform this once-empty shell into a community run events space. We’re only just getting started and already:

• Young musicians have played their first gigs on a proper stage

• Survivors of grief, illness and abuse have gathered, got crafty, laughed and regained confidence

• Neurodiverse and LGBTQ Teenagers have found their voice and formed new friendships

• Isolated older residents have found warmth, purpose and pride

• Parents have returned to work through supported placement

And all of this has been achieved whilst we’ve been developing the physical space. This is just the start!

So far, over £100,000 has been fundraised and invested reviving this space, along with thousands of hours of volunteer time. A Catering Kitchen has been comissioned, Stage Curtains installed, and a Public Entertainment License issued. We’re close to bringing years of hard work to fruition, and a much needed venue for live music, private parties and community projects to our town.

But we now urgently need your help to keep the MugShack alive this winter and beyond, and to cement its position as the non-profit, community run venue Cumbernauld deserves.

🦋 Endorsement from Utah Saints (35 seconds)

Some last minute red tape delayed our official launch gig, but the lovely Utah Saints still performed for the people of Cumbernauld, and kicked off with a lovely wee shoutout. 

 👣 What Your Gift Makes Possible

Your donation doesn’t just help pay the bills – it brings joy, dignity and life-changing opportunity to real people. It powers:

• A programme of events to bring people together

• Music rehearsals that build young people’s confidence

• Sewing workshops that offer safe space and skill-building

• Free, warm events where nobody is turned away

• Access to creativity, community, and connection for those who need it most

• A foundation from which we can fully launch the events venue we’ve been dreaming and scheming about for the past 5 years.

It also tells funders: our community believes in this place. Every donation helps prove that the MugShack matters -and strengthens our case for future support.

“I was withdrawn, didn’t have many friends, didn’t socialise much. Now I look forward and enjoy my days at the MugShack”

🧱 Become Part of the MugShack Hall of Fame

We don’t just want your donation – we want to celebrate you.

We’re turning the MugShack’s foyer into our Hall of Fame – a permanent, growing display of every person who keeps this place alive. When you donate, you’ll get your own tile on our wall. You can include:

• A MugShot – A photo of you, a loved one or a pet

• Your favourite quote, lyric, or joke

• A hand-drawn sketch, doodle or artwork

• Your band logo, or your personal motto

• Or nothing at all, if you prefer to remain anonymous

Tiles are printed, laminated, and fixed permanently to our wall. This is your chance to leave your mark on the building itself, and be celebrated as one of the people who kept the MugShack going.

🎉 Every £10+ donor will be given pride of place – whether it’s your words, your art, or your memory that lives on our wall.

And everyone who donates £5 or more will be entered into one of MugStock’s World Famous Raffles. Drawn on 1st November, we’ll be blagging as many prizes as we can. For starters we’ve got a bottle of Glengoyne 21 year old Whisky, worth £250.

Got a raffle prize to donate? Click here to let us know.

“I think this is a brilliant idea! A centrally based community space is something that Cumbernauld is in need of. I wrote my master dissertation on the town centre and its life within the town and I think this is something that can bring the building back into the lives of the people. Bringing arts and music to people is also such a fantastic idea.” 

🌍 Why This Matters: Learning from Okinawa

In Okinawa, Japan (just 6,104 miles along the road from Cumbernauld), people live longer than almost anywhere else in the world. Researchers believe one reason is the abundance of community hubs where people connect daily. These centres of belonging literally extend life and improve health. That’s what we’re building at The MugShack: a place where everyone who needs to can find connection, creativity and care. With a population of 52,000 (and rising) Cumbernauld is the 10th largest place in Scotland, but in spite of this is woefully underserved in terms of amenities. We’ve heard that one council owned community centres is used to store traffic cones! If it wasn’t for our efforts, The MugShack would have lain derelict until its eventual demolition (yes the MugShack is part of Cumbernauld Town Centre, which is due to be redeveloped however the earliest reported timescale is 2031, and there’s a very good chance we’ll be able to make music & merriment up here for another decade). Together, right now, we have the chance to make the MugShack a place which brings true benefits to the community. Help us make the most of every minute we have.

“I came to the Mugshack feeling very broken and isolated due to ill health and grief.  I had lost all confidence in myself and didn’t hold much hope for my future but I came to Mugshack under a friend’s recommendation to do some sewing classes.  I was welcomed with open arms with all the staff and volunteers and felt I was in a safe space to be myself… Everyone should have access to services like these.”

🌈 Let’s Build Something Beautiful – Together

There is no other space like this in Cumbernauld. And there’s no one else like you.

If the MugShack has ever made you smile, given you hope, or reminded you of what’s possible when people come together, or if you haven’t visited but can see the value of what we’re trying to do – please give today.

You won’t just be helping us get through winter. You’ll be part of a living, joyful, ever-growing legacy: a wall of names, faces and ideas that represent the people who kept the MugShack alive.

Earlier in the year nearly £20,000 was spent installing heating throughout the building. We plan to operate as a free to access warm space (complete with free hot drinks and a public piano!) all through this winter, but without the support of our community right now, we won’t be able to open the doors or pay the leccie bill. Help us make sure all that work doesn’t go to waste just when it matters the most!

👉 Donate now and claim your place on the MugShack Hall of Fame.
Let’s keep the music playing – and the lights on – together.

🏪 Local Businesses

Do you run a local business? We know that there are so many good causes out there and you can’t possibly help them all. Why not support an enterprise rooted literally and figuratively in the centre of our community, which has the potential to benefit people of all ages. Get in touch today to discuss how a one-off or regular donation could make the world of difference to your community. And why not share this appeal with your team.

Do you work for a local business? Share this appeal with those in charge and encourage them to get behind it. Most companies do some sort of charitable giving. What better cause to support than a multi-purpose community run community and events space?