The community centre is situated on the main road between the two villages. The original part of the hall was built in 1953 and was extended to almost double it original size in 1999.
The main hall which is 13m long x 7m wide can accommodate up to 130 people. It has a large stage area with storage rooms behind which can be used as back stage/dressing rooms. There is a large serving hatch between the kitchen and the main hall which is ideal for serving food or drink. There is another smaller hall which is used by our pre-school nursery during term time but can be made available in school holidays
The community centre has a kitchen with an electric cooker, microwave , fridge, dishwasher and water urn. Optics and measures are also available for bar use.
The hall has ample car parking and disabled access into the building. There is a large outdoor playing field and children's play area.
Some groups currently using the community centre are; Bowling club, Pre-school nursery, Art club, Dance group and community soup lunch group.
The community centre can be hired by groups, clubs or individuals. It is the aim of the committee to keep the hire charges as low as possible and at present they are £5 per hour for either hall (main or nursery room) and include use of the kitchen and toilets, they also include heating and lighting.
What the hall committee are doing
The hall charges just about cover the running costs of the hall. To cover larger scale improvements and maintenance the hall usually has three fundraising events a year: A ceilidh for the community around Christmas time, a summer dance with more contemporary music and a day of providing parking and refreshments for the Scottish Six Day Trail event. This event requires the efforts of a great many of the wider community with baking and food preparation, serving on the day and the actual parking of the cars. The hall committee really appreciates this help from the community. The three events tend to generate about £3000 per year.
Recent projects
One of the most major changes to the hall recently was the installation of a wood pellet boiler to heat the building (2008). This is proving to be very efficient and reliable. The pellets are just compressed sawdust with nothing added and are stored in a large hopper at the end of the building. This system is very sophisticated but also environmentally friendly.
In the autumn of 2009 the main hall floor was replaced. This had to be done because most of the joists were completely rotten and it was becoming dangerous. While all the floor was out we took the opportunity to install a proper damp proof course and solum in this area sealing off the damp for the first time since the hall was built. We also insulated the underneath of the new floor. The banking behind the hall was dug out and drains laid to keep the water away from the building and also to increase ventilation under the floor. This project cost in the region of £24,000 with £21,500 being funded between grants from Awards for All (lottery) and the Scottish Rural Development Programme. The new floor is made of beech and gives the hall a fresh and welcoming feel.
The main hall room was redecorated in the spring of 2009
Projects for the near future
In the short term we will continue with the redecoration of the interior including the nursery room and the kitchen. The exterior of the building will also be painted and the surrounding area tidied up. We also hope to have a sign in the near future - something that the Community Centre has never had!
To book the community cente please contact Joanne on 01631 740318.
Booking form including terms and conditions.
Latest minutes of the Community Centre.