£30million for Village Halls in Scotland
The results of the first-ever comprehensive research on village halls, undertaken on behalf of the government by the Scottish Agricultural College, was published today. The database shows where they are, who uses them, who runs them and what state they are in.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said that village halls play a central role in rural life and are part of the economic and social fabric of the communities they serve.
The results of the survey show that 4 out of 5 village halls are owned by the communities they serve
2 out of 3 are more than 50 years old and the majority are in need of some TLC, requiring improvements or repair. It is difficult to find volunteers to help manage the properties and only a tiny fraction of staff have any formal training.
Richard Lochhead said:
“Village halls and other community facilities play a pivotal role in supporting rural life. Not only are they are they a hub for activities but they can be central to rural economic development.
The current economic climate and its likely impact on communities is uppermost in all our minds. We are taking action to support the rural economy and this research will help inform our work.
At the heart of our plans for rural Scotland is the £1.6 billion Scotland Rural Development Programme.
Almost £150 million is on track to be allocated to rural communities and businesses and within this there is up to £30 million available, for community facilities and services including village halls.”
Funding through the various strands of the Rural Development Programme total over £147 million. The breakdown is as follows:
£61million under LFASS;
£38.5 million to Local Action Groups under the LEADER scheme;
£28.4million for Rural Priorities;
£11 million under the Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation Scheme;
£4.5 million to just under 4,000 applicants through Land Managers Options – the non-competitive element of Rural Development Contracts;
Almost £3 million under the Crofting Counties Grant Scheme;
£1.3 million under the Forestry Challenge Funds (shortlisted but not yet approved);
£43,000 under the Skills Development Scheme
Leave a Reply