THE chief officer of an organisation who has overseen community asset transfers in halls across Clacks believes that the model can save Sauchie Hall.
The hall was confirmed to be closing down from April 1, 2025, unless a suitable offer can be made for community ownership.
With many groups using the hall’s facilities, the Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface has stepped in to hold a community learning event in order to promote the asset transfer business model.
Anthea Coulter, chief officer and business manager with the CTSI, has worked on four asset transfers across the Wee County and has insisted that Sauchie Hall can be saved.
“We need to work our hardest to keep it open,” Anthea said. “There’s quite a lot of potential in the hall that permanent tenants could use.
“There’s definitely options there for people. It’s in a proud coal mining heritage and we need to do something with that.
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“It allows for it to be an exciting development. All the others have succeeded and I really hope to think Sauchie can succeed.
“It’s in a great position with so many services that can operate in it, there’s new housing on the way and you need somewhere for things to happen.”
In order to help people become aware of the options for Sauchie Hall, the CTSI are holding a community learning event.
This will serve to introduce residents to the idea of a community asset transfer, with representatives from other successful projects attending.
Community asset transfers have worked well in Clacks in the past, with the Dumyat Centre, Cochrane Hall, Tullibody Civic Centre, Hive in Dollar and the Clackmannan Town Hall’s library all coming under community ownership in recent years.
Anthea continued: "We’re holding a community learning workshop with representatives from two of the other transfers to talk about their journey.
“We want to think about what the options are and I’m in discussions with the Community Ownership Scotland Service.
“They gave a lot of help last time and are very good with looking at halls and working out what can be done with it.”
The council have given an end date of April 1, 2025 before the hall shall be fully unstaffed and have to close its doors.
This gives the CTSI five months to work out a plan and try to carry Sauchie Hall into community ownership.
READ MORE: Community groups react to Sauchie Hall closure announcement
Anthea added: “My key concern is that the hall closes at the end of March so we have very little time to do something.
“I take a lot of pride that the CTSI really helped the other small communities, we’ve got no boarded up buildings the last time there was a round of closures.
“We helped establish four new development trusts for charities in order to take over the halls.
“Two of those are now in full ownership of the community and I don’t want anything to happen to Sauchie.”
The community learning event will be held on Tuesday, November 19 at 6pm in Sauchie Hall.
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