Well, it’s taken a while but we’re happy to say the work started on the Kirkhill Community Centre extension and refurbishment on the 20th August.
The Kirkhill Centre Forward project will provide the community centre with a new meeting room to complement the main hall. The new room will be warm and cosy and will accommodate up to 40 people. It will be ideal for smaller groups and for meetings. It also means that new groups can be accommodated who were previously turned away because the main hall was booked.
As well as the new meeting room the main hall will be completely renovated. We’ll have a new much more spacious kitchen, new toilets, a bigger entrance hall with space for the post office/box office. And, thanks to funding from the Climate Challenge Fund, the hall will be insulated throughout to give us a much more comfortable and economical building.
This project has been a community aspiration for a long time and it’s great that we are finally getting the community facilities that we need in this growing area. This couldn’t have happened without the efforts of the Kirkhill Centre Forward sub-committee which has put in a huge amount of work and continues to put in many volunteer hours. It also needed the support of the community which has raised nearly £100,000 over the years through supporting Kirkhill Gala and other events.
The £334,000 project is funded from a number of sources including Highland LEADER, Climate Challenge Fund, Robertson Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation and Highland Council. Local company R&R Regeneration has been appointed as contractor.
The community centre is now closed and but access will be kept for the MUGA, recycling bins and football pitch. We should be ready to re-open in late December or certainly the new year. Get ready for a massive party!
Kirkhill MUGA
Kirkhill MUGA is still operational during the community centre refurbishments but floodlights won’t be available until the community centre reopens. Clubs and groups are welcome to book regular sessions for football, basketball, shinty etc. and tennis membership is still available. Contact Ken MacDonald on 01463 831479, email kdaa@kirkhillandbunchrew.org.uk or see http://kirkhillandbunchrew.org.uk/community_centre/kirkhill-muga/
