Auchinairn’s brand new £4.95m Community & Early Years Centre has been officially opened by East Dunbartonshire Provost Alan Brown at a celebration event attended by local people and invited guests.
The stunning new building, which received £1.5 million in support from Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, opened last month on the village’s Beech Road and has already establishing itself as a focal point of community life.
Its official opening took place one year to the day since the first piece of ground was broken and it showcased the new facilities which include a community hall, café, meeting rooms, play area and more.
Auchinairn Early Learning & Childcare Centre is also based in the new building and their children took centre stage at the opening with a charming rendition of ‘The Rainbow Song’ which they sang and signed for the audience.
Provost Brown unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening of the centre and said, “I’m delighted to be here in this excellent new facility to celebrate this landmark event.
“From the very early days of its design, local people knew what they wanted from this building. They told the Council and the builders how it should look, what services it would house and what the community needed from it. The early evidence is that they got it right as already we have around 30 groups and clubs using this centre morning, noon and night.
“From the street, the centre and the outdoor landscaped areas look great and when you come in the front doors it definitely has the ‘wow’ factor. Well done to everyone involved in bringing the idea for this centre to fruition. I look forward to its continued success.”
Local resident Donna Anderson runs the Auchinairn Café Enterprise in the centre and spoke at the opening event about her delight at seeing the centre open.
She said, “Auchinairn Community Enterprise aims to help improve the lives of the community by providing a free breakfast club, volunteering opportunities, workshops and demonstrations and we will work alongside other established and new groups within the centre to help achieve this goal. I can’t wait for the exciting times ahead and know that the new centre will be the heart of Auchinairn.”
The centre was delivered via Scape Group’s National Major Works framework with construction carried out by Robertson Central West on a design by architects, Holmes Miller.
Ed Parry, Managing Director, Robertson Central West, said, “This is a state-of-the-art facility and one that I am sure residents of Auchinairn will take to their hearts. Over the past few years, we have established a strong relationship with East Dunbartonshire Council and that has proved invaluable to the success of the project. We’ve also engaged extensively with the local community, ensuring they were part of the process every step of the way.”
Head of the Auchinairn Early Learning & Childcare Centre at Auchinairn Nursery, Janet Brady, added, “It is an exciting time for our families and I am sure they are as impressed as we are with the indoor and outdoor learning areas.
“The rooms are bright and airy and already it has been noted by visitors how welcoming they feel. The children are enjoying the new garden and outside play area and it is wonderful to see happy smiley faces in the garden in the sun. This is a fantastic resource and we hope all the children who come through our doors take away great memories.”
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