If you use Campsie Memorial Hall in Lennoxtown there are a million reasons to be cheerful after a project to completely revamp the much-loved facility was awarded a £950,000 grant.
The money - secured from the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund - will be added to the £600,000 already allocated to the Campsie Memorial Hall Revitalisation Project from the Council's Capital Programme.
A further £20,000 will be provided from the Campsie Memorial Hall Trust (CMHT), which received a legacy donation for Hall improvements, and further match funding is anticipated for renewable energy systems. The Trust was set up by volunteers from Lennoxtown to manage the Hall on behalf of the whole community. The Hall was transferred to the CMHT on a 99-year lease by the Council in 2012.
Council Leader Gordan Low said, "This project is excellent news for the people of Lennoxtown and is a great example of what real collaboration between the Council and our communities can achieve.
"The project will enable the comprehensive refurbishment of the Hall facilities to provide a better focal point for the community as part of the Council's wider regeneration plans for the area.
"It will provide a first-rate community space for services and activities of benefit to all residents and visitors to the area. It is hoped the improved Main Hall and stage will provide a venue for a range of arts and cultural activities which could also draw a wider audience to Lennoxtown to benefit the wider economy and support social enterprise.
"The legacy of this work will be to raise the profile of the Hall and hopefully allow it to secure wider lets and income streams to safeguard its future for a long time to come."
Council Officers have been working in close partnership with the CMHT on the project enabling the appointment of architects in 2021 to prepare a Concept Design Plan for the Hall's revamp based on feedback from the community and stakeholders regarding local needs and priorities.
Catherine Drummond, Chair of Campsie Memorial Hall Trust, said, “The Trust is delighted that the hall has been awarded this funding and wishes to thank all those involved for their efforts in making this possible.
“The hall is the heart of the community and this package of funding will ensure that the hall is modernised to meet the needs of the village and all users.
“This project will make the hall so much more inviting and comfortable to existing users and will undoubtably attract others from the district and beyond to our venue.”
The proposed Concept Design Plan would see the original Victorian era Hall restored and introduce an innovative extension to provide an attractive and welcoming frontage to the Main Street.
The Hall would be divided in a way to provide flexible activity spaces all on one level to promote greater accessibility and inclusion. All services found in the Hall will be organised around a central reception foyer with expanded kitchen facilities and publicly accessible toilets.
Net zero ambitions will be realised by use of renewable energy and highest standards of insulation and various energy and resource efficiency measures to cut carbon and ongoing running costs.
There will also be improved greenspace with enhanced landscaping, seating, growing space and bike facilities to complement the revamped indoor space.
The next step for the project will be to appoint architects to develop detailed designs, cost plan and programme to progress the proposal towards a potential site start in 2023/24.