1. REFURB PROJECT UPDATE Davie Newton
As some of you may have seen we announced on our social media channels on 4th February that works will be commencing in May. This has been a long time coming and we can’t wait to break ground and get going. Our ability to begin works is primarily down to two factors:
1. We have completed the tender process and appointed Knoydart Construction Company as our preferred contractor
2. We have secured £160,000 of funding from Highlands & Islands Enterprise and LEADER which is being released to us and is specifically for the extension portion of the overall project.
Present money that we have offers on or can reasonably assume we can access:
LEADER £ 80,000
Highlands & Islands Ent. £ 80,000
Weston Garfield £ 20,000
Robertson Trust £ 20,000
Hall Reserves/Fundraising £100,000 (hall reserves built up through events/crowdfunding/donations)
TOTAL £300,000
Present Projected Costs
Based on the current tender specifications Knoydart Construction Company has quoted £412,000 incl. VAT for the works, meaning we have a current shortfall of £112,000. But:
The contractor hopes that areas of the specifications can change to allow some significant savings on the outline costs
It seems likely that VAT will have to be paid on this project but we are still investigating options in this area
We are hoping that some discrete areas of work might be included as community projects, see below.
We are continuing to look at what other funding/grant bodies are available to us and will be applying for assistance where possible. We will also continue to hold fundraising events within the community - details of some of our upcoming fundraising efforts are provided further on in this newsletter.
Project Timeline & Hall Use
Works will commence in May and last for approximately eight months, with completion approximately December 2019. The committee and Knoydart Construction Company are confident we can achieve this provided that we are able to secure the funding required to complete the project.
We are working on the realistic outcome that the hall will be out of use to the community for eight months from May. Our last scheduled music event is on Friday 26th April and we have informed regular users of the hall that the space will be out of use from approximately 1st May – the exact date will be confirmed once the committee have finalised plans with KCC.
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2. NEW YEAR 18/19 STEPHANIE HARRIS
Thank you once again to everyone who volunteered over New Year – it would not have been possible without you. The New Year celebrations made a surplus of approximately £1,900 - up on the previous year of £1,200.
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3. CO-OP LOCAL COMMUNITY FUND ISLA MILLER & JACKIE ROBERTSON
Do you use the Co-op? If so, did you know that you could help the Knoydart Community Hall when you shop - no matter how small your purchase and at no extra cost or hassle to you.
Here’s how . . .
You may already have a “divvy” card, so what you need to do now is get online to www.coop.co.uk/membership and select KNOYDART COMMUNITY HALL as your “good cause! From the drop-down menu.
If you don’t have a divvy card next time you’re in-store, when you’re at the checkout getting the craic with Iain or others, ask for a Co-op card. You’ll be given a temporary card which is good to go and will start collecting points. Just remember you need to hop online when you get home, register as above, and select us as your “good cause”.
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4. SILENT AUCTION ISLA MILLER & JACKIE ROBERTSON
Our next fundraising event for the Hall is our SUPER SILENT AUCTION for money-can’t-buy experiences!
The auction will go live on Friday 8th March at 7pm and run for two weeks ending Friday 22nd March at 7pm. You will have a fortnight to choose your experience and submit your sealed bid either online via www.knoydarthall.com/auction or by hand to Isla or Jackie R. Hard copies of all auction items will be delivered by Knoydart post on Monday 11th March for those who cannot get online – we don’t want anyone missing out on this fantastic opportunity. Prizes are being revealed daily on our social media platforms and website in the run up to 8th March so keep an eye out.
The silent auction winners will be notified on Saturday 23rd March. You will be invited to attend the grand reveal and have the opportunity to take part in an additional old-fashioned offline Knoydart auction where the highest bids on the night take the prizes. Everyone’s a winner – it will be great craic, licensed bar, fantastic prizes and a boost for the Hall fundraising pot. To maximise the fun for everyone - and yes, your hall does need you! - if you have any ideas for auction items or experiences on or off Knoydart we would really love to hear from you.
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5. 50/50 ISLA MILLER
NEW YEAR 50/50 I wanted to explain why I didn’t draw the 50/50 on New Year’s Day. I told people they could win £250, which is of course true if all 100 numbers sold. In hindsight I should have said you win half the takings. I only managed to sell at least half the amount and didn’t want to draw the numbers until it’s filled. So, if you’d like the chance to buy a number, the cost is £5. We will draw the 50/50 at the hall on 1st March when Eabhal are here. I will do the draw either way and would like to thank everyone for buying a number and supporting the hall.
50/50 RETURNS FOR 2019 The 50/50 is coming back once a month. Price will be £5 a number with the winner taking the first prize of 50% of the cash prize pot. Second prize runners up mystery bottle ie. whisky, gin, vodka etc. Different every month. The first draw will be in April at the Burning Hell gig on the 26th April. Numbers will be on sale in the tearoom and at the Easter Bazaar in the lead up. Thanks for your support!
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6. VOLUNTEER DAYS STEPHANIE HARRIS
The committee and KCC are conscious that many of you are keen to contribute physically to the renovations and we are looking at ways in which we can incorporate volunteer days in to the project. This will not only enable the community to put their own stamp on the project, but we hope it will also enable us to cut costs in some labour-intensive jobs. Some ideas we are working on include:
Clearing the outdoor spaces around the hall
Foundation concrete pour
Gutting out the interior of the existing hall
Cosmetic finishing’s eg. installing the feature wooden brick wall
We hope that our first volunteer day will coincide with our final music event on Friday 26th April featuring the return of The Burning Hell with Randolph’s Leap. The following day, Sat 27th, we hope to demolish the shed and clear the area out the back of the hall, and follow our hard work with a bonfire in the evening – this will be confirmed nearer the time. Please wear appropriate clothing and bring gloves, light refreshments will be provided, start time TBC.
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Fri 1st March 19:30 Music Eabhal Debut Album Launch
Fri 8th March 19:00 Auction Silent Auction Commences
Wed 20th March 18:30 Meeting Committee Meeting
Fri 22nd March 19:00 Auction Silent Auction Ends
Sat 23rd March tbc Auction Silent Auction Grand Reveal Night
Wed 17th April 18:30 Meeting Committee Meeting
Sat 20th April 19:30 Music Easter Ceilidh
Fri 26th April 19:30 Music The Burning Hell & Randolph’s Leap
Sat 27th April tbc Volunteer Day Shed Dismantling & Outdoor Clearing