The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety was founded by volunteer Executive Manager, Alan Bell MBE.

From 1997 to 2013 we operated as ‘Security And Safety’, a social enterprise providing personal safety, practical self defence and first aid courses throughout Scotland and based in the Scottish Highlands.

It was felt however that we should emphasise the not-for-profit nature of the training services we provide and so on 31st May 2013 The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety was born and registered as a Scottish charity, SC044042.

Since then, the charity has grown.

Having initially operated as a cyber-Centre via our internet presence, we decided in December 2014 to commit ourselves to a physical Centre and took out a long term lease on the former Barony St. John’s Church Hall in Ardrossan, North Ayrshire and renaming it the Barony St. John Centre.

Renovations have been extensive with our Centre opening to the public in August 2016, our Training Room opening in 2017, our main Hall renovated in 2021, and our café extension opened in June 2025.

As well as providing a physical Centre for our charity and a point of contact for the local community during the day, we run various wellbeing activities including our Krav Maga self defence classes. Additionally, we rent our Centre out to various community groups for evening and weekend classes.

As a charity, we have strong links with various agencies in North Ayrshire, Glasgow and Edinburgh and we can help with everything from domestic abuse and Hate Crime reporting to school bullying and Personal Safety in the Workplace.