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Reproduced
from the Guide & Gazette of
Friday 7th February
2003
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Congratulations all round for Monikie Hall trustees
Monikie
Hall, according to Councillor Helen Oswald has risen
"Phoenix-like” thanks to the efforts of the 12 trustees.
The
trustees of Monikie Memorial Hall were delighted to hear that there is
good news in the offing and that further funding has been obtained for
the ongoing programme of refurbishment which is breathing new life into
the community facility.
It is
hoped that further work to the buildings can now be carried out when
the trustees have confirmation that their application for a grant from
the Scottish Rural Partnership (S.R.P.) has been successful.
It is
envisaged that the money will be used to install gas central heating,
refurbish toilets and improve facilities for the disabled.
The grant
will be a fillip for the trustees who have worked hard since they took
on their roles almost two years ago. In that time, they have turned
round the fortunes of the hall which at one point was under threat of
closure because not enough groups were using it.
Now, with
some refurbishment work already carried out and plans for further work
to be done, the hall is coming back into focus as the hub of the
community and is attracting local groups as well as organisations from
further afield.
The 12
trustees have overseen the refurbishment of the boardroom, now known as
the Irving
Room, and the entrance to the hall
has also been renovated with input from local craftsmen.
Their
reward has been to see an increase in the number of bookings and the
hall being used far more regularly by a wide variety of groups and
interests.
Angus
Council, Sidlaw East and Ashludie councillor, Helen Oswald, in whose ward
the Monikie Hall lies, praised the work of the committee and pointed out
that were it not for their dedication and hard work, there might not
have been a hall at all. "This
is a major success story," she told the Guide & Gazette, "and
the hall has truly risen 'Phoenix-like' from what seemed to be
certain closure. "It
seemed to be facing a bleak future and now it is a vibrant and busy
place. The trustees' willingness to take on the task of keeping the hall
open is to be commended," she continued, "and I pay tribute to
them for the enormous amount of hard work they have carried out. "The
committee has done a lot of fundraising work to enable the necessary
work to be undertaken and 1 welcome any contributions that will help
them continue with their efforts on the community's behalf. "The
trustees have raised money themselves and have been given help from. the
council and other bodies, so any source of funding which will allow them
to refurbish more of the hall buildings is to be thanks to the efforts
of the 12 trustees welcomed," she concluded.
Angus MP,
Mike Weir, has also welcomed the announcement. He commented, "This
is excellent news for the Monikie community and especially those who
have worked so hard to ensure the award of this grant. "A
lot of praise must go to those involved as Monikie Hall plays an
important part in the community as there are many shows and meetings
held there. "I am
also delighted that some of the grant will be used to refurbish the hall in order to make it more accessible and offer better facilities to
disabled and elderly people."
Northeast
Scotland MSP, Alex Johnstone, was also pleased at the news. He said,
"I warmly welcome this news and congratulate all those in the
Monikie area who worked to secure this much-needed grant. "I
hope that all the necessary funding is now in place and that the
improvements can be made as soon as possible. "More
generally, in terms of seeking funding for projects such as the
refurbishment of village halls, I would remind local groups that Lottery
Funding is also an option and that whenever I have contacted Lottery
organisations in the past to query the low level of grants awarded in
Angus, they have always explained this by claiming that they receive
fewer applications from Angus than from other areas.
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