Press Release 22 August 2006
Boat of Garten’s Community Hall Company announced today that the construction of the new hall on land adjacent to the playing field will commence as early as the beginning of September. The construction contract has been awarded to Ewen Gillies Builders of Inverness who will take over the site on Monday 28th August. The building should be complete within nine months.
Chairman Iain Murray said “At long last we are going to see our plans and ideas come to fruition. The community as a whole deserves congratulations for its determination, relentless fund raising efforts and the huge amount of voluntary work which has gone into this project so far’.
The group, whose membership has grown steadily over the past two years, has led volunteers through a maze of funding applications, legal processes and business planning which has resulted in finding a funding package which allows the building of the multi functional community centre to start.
The group of professionals in the Design Team is led by architect Douglas Murray B.Arch., R.I.B.A., R.I.A.S of Strathpeffer whose design of the Coigach Hall at Achiltibuie impressed a number of Boat residents. Douglas Murray prides himself in being a “Green Architect” using every opportunity to utilise sustainable sources and energy saving materials. “I design with the aim of creating healthy buildings as well as buildings which do not plunder the Earth’s precious resources” he said yesterday. The Quantity Surveyor is Iain Christie, MRICS, from Farr.
Project coordinator Lorraine MacPherson said “Seeing this project take off is as a result of real community partnership working. It is well deserved within the local community and will make a real difference for social, educational and leisure activities in Boat of Garten and the surrounding area now, and for years to come.”
The project has been partly funded by The Highland Council and part financed by the European Union. The local community itself has contributed over £100,000 towards the building. Other funding partners include the Big Lottery Fund, Inverness Nairn Badenoch & Strathspey Enterprise, Forward Scotland’s Community Environmental Renewables Scheme (Aggregates Levy), the Scottish Community Household Renewables Initiative and Futurebuilders as well as a myriad of contributions from various Trust Funds.
The completion of the funding package and the provision of extra arts related facilities and equipment was recently made possible with a grant of £158,000 from the National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council and £26,000 from Highland 2007.
Iain Munro, Scottish Arts Council Head of Lottery said: ‘The Scottish Arts Council is delighted to support this project through National Lottery funds which will provide fantastic new arts facilities for the Boat of Garten and local community. The new hall will be able to host both professional and community performances and have a permanent exhibition space for visual arts and crafts. Offering people the opportunity to take part in and experience an even better range of arts activities, the hall is set to be an excellent addition to the growing network of rural arts facilities across the Highlands.’
During the period of construction the area adjacent to the football field will be fenced off and the children’s play equipment will be removed. “The temporary closure of the children’s play area is regretted” said Lorraine MacPherson, “but we hope the new and improved play area which will be situated nearer to the houses in Craigie Avenue once the development is completed will be a
welcome improvement for the younger ones in the village”.
The new hall will provide something for every age group in the community. As well as offering hugely improved comfortable and attractive facilities for all social and recreational activities, there will be dedicated space for easily accessible IT - with opportunities for evening classes, adult education, training and learning opportunities.
With a modern kitchen, a comfortable lounge/function room and easy access throughout, it will be particularly attractive to the elderly, the young and those who have transport problems as a centre to meet, socialise and design their own activities. The bowling, badminton, school gymnastics and all other sporting clubs will benefit from the extra space in the main hall. There will now be room for more than one group at a time to meet, resulting in fewer bookings being turned away. The village’s renowned drama group ShowBoaters and their audiences will enjoy great acoustics, have a permanent home for sound and lighting equipment as well as increased storage and back-stage space which will also be enjoyed by visiting acts to the twice-yearly festivals and the popular Rock the Boat. The Arts will have a further boost, with a music rehearsal space, art room and permanent exhibition space for local and visiting artists.
The new Community Hall will incorporate changing rooms and will serve as a much-needed “pavilion” for football and other field sports encouraging increased use of Reidhaven Park.