Maxwell Memorial Hall Kirkgunzeon Summary Business Plan 2020

Contact information Maxwell Memorial Hall Kirkgunzeon c/o Mansepark Kirkgunzeon DG2 8LA Tel: 01387 760254 Email: [email protected]

Scottish Charity Number: SCO46664 Contents

1. Summary 2. Background 3. Our Vision 4. Events and Activities 5. Hall building development 6. Structure, governance and management 7. Financial review 8. Risks 9. Acknowledgements

Appendices

A. Community engagement with hall development B. Community hall visits C. Building defects D. Proposed building development (plan) E. Proposed building development (3D render) F. Proposed building development (costings) G. Receipts and payments accounts 2018/19

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1. Summary

Maxwell Memorial Hall is owned and run by a Scottish Charitable Incorporate Organisation (SCIO) which aims to provide recreational and social facilities for the local community. SCIO trustees have, in consultation with their local community, developed a vision for the future of the hall and the services it offers. This summary business plan sets out that vision (section 3), current progress towards its achievement and the planned next steps. It also outlines the supporting managerial and financial arrangements in place. The positive progress achieved in developing hall activities and services is presented in section 4, although the poor condition of the building remains a key challenge to future development. A project aiming to address the building issues and significantly improve current facilities was formally initiated in 2017 and further details of this, including the completed feasibility study, are presented in section 5. Supporting information on the management and governance arrangements for both the SCIO and the building development project is presented in section 6. This demonstrates that the SCIO has access to the necessary skills and experience to take forward their plans. An outline of SCIO finances is offered in section 7 which highlights the sustainability of the SCIO in terms of its ability to generate adequate income to meet day to day running costs, and a successful track record of fundraising to support specific projects such as the building feasibility study. As the longer term plan for building development involves substantial building works, including a new extension, this project will require its own fully developed business plan. This plan will be produced after the completion of the formal planning consent stage, to ensure that the financial elements accurately reflect the final development plan as agreed with Local Authority planners. Section 8 offers a summary of the key risks which have been identified and current plans to mitigate these. Finally, section 9 acknowledges the organisations and individuals who have supported Maxwell Memorial Hall and the development of their plans for the future. 2. Background

Maxwell Memorial Hall is run by a Scottish Charitable Incorporate Organisation (Maxwell Memorial Hall Kirkgunzeon SCO4664). The charity aims to provide recreational and social facilities for the community of Kirkgunzeon and the surrounding area by maintaining, promoting and developing the hall as a focal point for community activities, with the overarching objective of improving the lives of the community that the hall serves. The hall was built using funds provided by Lucy Maxwell as a memorial to her late husband, Captain Alfred Maxwell of the Estate. It was designed by local Dumfries architect, Wilfrid Fitzalan Crombie and built circa 1906. During the 1980s a bowling green was constructed to the West side of the building, and although no longer maintained as such, this remains a well used village green.

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Following the closure of Kirkgunzeon Church in 2013 the hall is now the only community asset within Kirkgunzeon, other than the local primary school, and is therefore the key resource for community based activities. It currently offers an annual programme of community events and activities and is hired out for private functions and recreational activities. Kirkgunzeon primary school and their school ‘cluster’ partners and Colvend, also use the hall and green on a regular basis. 3. Vision

The vision of the SCIO trustees is for the hall to act as a welcoming, comfortable and energy efficient community hub, which brings together and supports our local community and offers facilities and services that we can all be proud of. This includes continuing to support many of the activities that currently take place within the hall and expanding these in line with the needs and wishes of our community. We see this as a positive way to promote social cohesion, feelings of community goodwill, belonging and civic pride. We also feel that bringing the community together for activities of this nature can help to reduce feelings of social isolation and promote good mental health and a sense of wellbeing. Initial development priorities have included using the hall as a focal point for activities which connect the community with our local cultural and natural heritage, developing activities for local young people, and providing a community pub / cafe facility. In the longer term we have aspirations for the hall to act as an emergency reception centre and hub for the community resilience plan, to develop links with the local arts and crafts community (for example as venue for the Spring Fling Arts and Crafts Festival and offering craft related activities) and to promote local employment opportunities (for example through offering volunteering opportunities to those seeking work related experience or working space to small businesses.) Details of progress against these planned developments is presented within the hall events and activities section below, however in order to fully achieve our vision the SCIO trustees must also address several major challenges related to the fabric of the aging hall building. These challenges and plans to address them are outlined within the hall building development section (5.) 4. Hall activities and events

Activities and events at the hall provide an opportunity to bring together people of all ages from the local community. Such events are central to the purpose of the hall and, as outlined within the vision for the hall, these activities are a positive way to promote social cohesion and a sense of belonging within the community and to decrease social isolation. They also form a key element of income generation, providing around one third of the income required to cover running costs and basic maintenance of the hall. Since 2017/18 the hall has continued to hold a range of established community events such as an annual gala day, ceilidhs, quiz and bingo nights and, since the

4 closure of the church acts as the venue for the Remembrance Sunday service. A range of new activities corresponding to our development priorities have also been initiated and these include regular use of the hall as a community ‘pop up’ pub and: • 2017/18 – A Community Moth Survey (repeated 2018/19) • 2018 /19 - A Community BBQ and consultation event on the plans for Hall Redevelopment, a special Remembrance service and afternoon tea to commemorate the Centenary of the Armistice • 2019/20 – An exhibition on the history of Kirkgunzeon parish. A weekly youth club will also commence in February 2020, initially aimed at primary age children. This will be facilitated by hall trustees and parent helpers and has been started with advice and support from a senior Dumfries and Galloway Council Youth worker and Youth .

More details on some of these events is presented below.

The Community Moth Survey As part of our vision to use the hall as a focal point for activities related to local cultural and natural heritage this new event was held in June 2018, aimed at exploring aspects of the natural environment of the village. The hall trustees developed links with the South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre (SWSEIC) which is based in Kirkgunzeon and with their support used the hall as a base for a successful community moth survey. The event was facilitated by SWSEIC and funded by a grant from the Nineveh Charitable Trust. Over 40 people attended the event and a short survey of those who attended found that they had enjoyed the event, felt they had learned something new and would like to attend other events of this type in the future. Those who attended were surprised by the huge variety of moths found in the village - overall 421 moths of 77 different species were recorded. Of these, 18 species had not been previously recorded locally. ‘A truly lovely community experience.’ As all of those who complete the survey said they would like to attend other events of this type in the future a further successful community moth survey was held in 2019, with a broader focus nature survey planned for 2020.

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Centenary of the 1918 Armistice Since the closure of Kirkgunzeon Church in 2013 SCIO trustees have taken on responsibility for the Remembrance Sunday service, which is now held at Kirkgunzeon War Memorial, located outside the hall. To commemorate the centenary of the Armistice in November 2018 trustees led fund raising efforts to refurbish the Memorial. Research carried out on the Memorial discovered that the name of a Private in the Royal Scots Fusiliers, who was born and raised in Kirkgunzeon and died in 1916 as a prisoner of war, had been omitted. The name of David John Smith Gillies was, therefore, added as part of the refurbishment. His family, who were traced still living in the area attended the service and were deeply appreciative that this work was carried out. Due to the success of the fundraising efforts conservation of the two parish Rolls of Honour, which were moved to the Hall when the Church closed, was also carried out and a new Roll produced. The new Roll offers more comprehensive details of those who served, including (where known) place of residence. Many members of the community commented on the way this provides a more tangible link to the past and a greater sense of the impact that the War had on small communities like Kirkgunzeon.

Following the service, an afternoon tea was served in the Hall for those who attended, including standard bearers from the local branch of the Royal British Legion. This Hall had been specially decorated, and the tea was very well attended, and greatly enjoyed. It offered a valued opportunity for people from across the community to socialise and will be a regular feature at future services. “Loads of information which was really interesting, thoroughly enjoyed it.” “Hall looked fabulous.” “A very fitting tribute.”

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The History of Kirkgunzeon Parish An event which aimed to develop the on behalf of the community by the use of the hall as a focal point for hall SCIO via the BT ‘Adopt a Phone local cultural heritage was an Box’ scheme, after the removal of the exhibition on the history of public telephone. Kirkgunzeon parish. This exhibition was researched and mounted by local community historians, and was on display in the hall over a weekend in September 2019. It attracted over 200 visitors and a visit from pupils at the local primary school. The exhibition offered another highly successful opportunity to bring together people of all ages from our community, to reflect, share and learn about the history of where we live. Linked to the exhibition a weatherproof information panel on the Parish of Kirkgunzeon was produced featuring a brief history of the Parish and information on local landmarks such as the Church, the War Memorial and Drumcoltran Tower. The panel will be permanently displayed inside the disused village telephone box, which was purchased

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The telephone box is shortly due to be repainted by members of the community and it is hoped that the planned refurbishment and installation of the information panel will give a new function to this village landmark. The refurbished phone box will improve the visual amenity of the village and it is anticipated that the information panel will be of interest to the community and visitors “Great display a very worthwhile event for the community” “It was great. Really enjoyed it” 4.1 School use of the hall The Hall is also used by Kirkgunzeon Primary School and their ‘cluster’ partner schools of Colvend and Palnackie. This includes use for events such as Halloween and Christmas Parties, Partnership events, Christmas shows, and sports activities such as football training and annual Sports Days. The hall offers facilities that are not available within the local school, in particular a larger capacity hall, more car parking, and a level playing field. The school emergency plan also names the hall as the place of safety if evacuation was required. 4.2 Hall rental and usage The Hall is used as a venue for community yoga classes, private parties and other rentals include craft workshops and training facilities for local businesses. Hall rentals generate around a third of the income required to cover running costs and basic maintenance. Hall usage figures collated since 2017 indicates a steady average annual footfall of around 2,500 people (whilst serving an immediate local population of 3191) 5. Hall building development

Maxwell Memorial Hall is a typical village hall comprising a main hall with associated kitchen, toilets and a meeting room (former library). The walls are granite with sandstone features and the roof is a traditional timber pitched roof of Westmorland slate. Later additions are a small side extension with a corrugated asbestos cement roof and two dormer windows. It was built circa 1906 and although both maintenance and improvement work has been carried out at various points since then there are currently several major challenges with the building. These were confirmed via a building condition survey carried out in September 2015 and include roof leakage, structural issues with a gable wall, inadequate heating, and lack of accessible toilet facilities. In order to safeguard the functioning of the hall and develop its use in future it requires significant refurbishment and improvement. Following consultation with the community in 2016, it was agreed that a project to redevelop and refurbish the hall would be initiated. Further details of community engagement activities are presented in appendix A.

1 Derived from Local Authority Area Profile 2011-14 who drew their figures from the 2011 census. 8

As a first step a hall development project brief was developed during May - July 2017. This was based on community consultation, fact finding visits to other local community halls that have developed their building facilities (see appendix B) and discussions with other stakeholders. These included Dumfries and Galloway Council officers (the Ward Officer and Community Asset Manager,) the local primary school and Community Initiative. The project brief was then used as the basis for a feasibility study which was commissioned from Flockhart Architects and completed in August 2018. The study included a digital building survey, a structural engineer’s report, a mechanical, electrical and plumbing feasibility report and a quantity surveyor’s report. This study confirmed further details of the building defects (see appendix C) and produced two costed options for building development. Total costs for the study were in the region of £5K which was raised from successful applications to Kirkgunzeon Community Windfarm fund, the Galloway Association, Dalbeattie Lions, Dalbeattie Rotary, with a contribution from hall funds. The two options include refurbishment and a West side extension (costed at £295K) and refurbishment plus a simple rebuild of the male toilet extension (costed at £153K). The latter was produced as a contingency option if funding for the more costly option cannot be secured. Community consultation on these draft plans commenced with an event held in August 2018 which was attended by the architect. As well as the opportunity to discuss the plans on the day, the community were asked to complete a questionnaire to obtain more detailed views and suggestions for any changes to what was proposed. The overall response was very positive with strong support for the plan which included the West extension. “It looks amazing and will be such a great facility” “Will make the hall a great asset to the village” The plan, 3D render drawing and costings for this option are attached as appendices D, E and F. The next stage of the project was to take this plan forward to the formal planning consent stage i.e. working up the feasibility plans into a full planning application and submission of this to the Local Authority. The projected total cost for this planning stage was circa £7.5k for which further funding was raised and is in place. However shortly after the completion of the feasibility study (August 2018) the SCIO trustees became aware of issues related to hall titles. The hall title had not, as was previously believed, been transferred over to the SCIO when it was established in 2016, the title still being held by the predecessor hall Trust. The green and hall car park titles were also discovered to have been held by Kirkgunzeon Community Council which was disestablished in 2016. The SCIO requires the titles to both the building and adjacent land to take forward the preferred plan for building development so a process to seek title transfers was initiated. Whilst the transfer of the hall title was completed in January 2020, the discussions with Dumfries and Galloway about the transfer of the green and car park title (which it has held in trust since the Community Council was disestablished) are ongoing. In support of the latter transfer the SCIO has approached the family who donated the

9 land in 1985. The family have indicated that they are content for the land to pass to the SCIO to be held for ongoing community use. Community consultation on the proposed transfer, include a formal eight-week consultation period, has also been completed with no comments received. It is therefore hoped that the transfer can be achieved via the Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils section 13.4 which states that “should a Community Council fail to be re-established within 4 years of the date of dissolution all assets including money held in bank, building society etc. accounts may be disposed of by Dumfries & Galloway Council for such community or charitable purposes in the former Community Council area as DGC, in its sole discretion, decides.” Meanwhile, in order to maintain some momentum with the building development project, the architect took forward a pre-planning application in late 2019. The pre- planning advice received in Dec 2019 was generally supportive and once the remaining title transfer has been achieved it is hoped to re initiate the building development project. This will include full development of the feasibility plans (to take on board feedback from the community consultation and pre planning advice) followed by a planning application. Based on the outcome of this application a full business plan can then be developed for the agreed development of the building. 6. Structure, governance and management

Maxwell Memorial Hall Kirkgunzeon is Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) and was registered in its current legal form on 30 June 2016 (previously it was an unincorporated association the Maxwell Memorial Hall Trust.) The SCIO governing document (constitution) was last updated in October 2017, with the day to day operation of the hall and SCIO regulated by an appropriate range of regularly reviewed policies and procedures including Financial Standing Orders and risk assessments. Copies of all these documents are available in the hall or on request from any SCIO trustee. The SCIO is also a member of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (membership no: 5486), Dalbeattie Community Initiative, Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway (membership no: 458) and Youth Scotland (membership no: 35001020). 6.1 Trustees Any member of the SCIO (whose membership is free and open to any individual aged 16 or over who lives in Kirkgunzeon and the surrounding area) can stand for election as a Trustee. Trustees are elected each year at the Annual General Meeting and the SCIO constitution states there must be a minimum of four and a maximum of twelve trustees. The trustees form a management committee which elects the office holders of the organisation; a Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. There are currently 10 SCIO trustees who are all Kirkgunzeon residents and bring a broad range of practical and managerial skills and experience to their roles, as well as links to the local community derived from living, working and bringing up their families here. They are supported by a wider group of volunteers from the

10 community. Whilst some trustees focus on areas such as the day to day running of the hall and/or events and activities a sub group has been set up to focus on the hall building development. 6.2 Hall building development sub group This sub group includes the SCIO Chair and Treasurer, along with two other trustees and two co-opted SCIO members. All sub group members bring relevant expertise and experience to the project. • The Chair is a skilled engineer with experience of staff and sub contactor supervision, dealing with clients at senior management level and leading multi national teams in a variety of industries and environments. He was also previously Chair of Kirkgunzeon Community Council. • The Treasurer was previously an NHS senior manager, latterly an executive director at an NHS Trust, and is currently a social research consultant. She brings several years’ experience of public sector service development and evaluation, organisational governance, business and project management and community involvement. In her research posts she also gained substantial experience in the development of bids to secure project funding from a wide range of external sources. • One of the trustee members previously worked for a quantity surveyor where she was involved in the preparation of plans and submissions for building warrants/planning applications and the production of costing schedules for commercial tendering purposes. For the last 22 years she has been a serving Police Officer and currently works within the multi-agency environment of Emergency, Event and Resilience Planning. • The other trustee member is an experienced, self-employed local builder who is a member of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Trusted Trader Scheme. • One of the co-opted sub-group members is a director of a local plant hire and groundworks services company that works across Dumfries and Galloway for both domestic and commercial clients. • The other co-opted sub-group members is a director of a local civil engineering company whose services include contracting, construction, and infrastructure works in both the public and the private sector. They have extensive experience in all aspects of the construction industry and have carried out a large range of projects including building works.

7. Financial review

The SCIO has a demonstrable ability to generate adequate income to meet day to day running costs of the hall and support some development work. The SCIO also has a successful track record of fundraising via grants and individual donations to support specific projects. For example the legal costs associated with the hall title transfer have been covered by hall funds, whereas the building feasibility study was primarily supported by a combination of grants from Kirkgunzeon Community Wind 11

Farm Fund, The Galloway Association of Glasgow, Dalbeattie Rotary Club and Dalbeattie and District Lions. Since 2017 grants towards the work of the SCIO have been obtained from the following organisations: • Kirkgunzeon Community Wind Farm Fund • Dumfries and Galloway LEADER • The Galloway Association of Glasgow • Nineveh Charitable Trust • Dalbeattie Rotary Club • Dalbeattie and District Lions

The majority of the income which currently maintains the day to day running of the hall is generated through community events, hall rental and donations from a community run lottery. Several individual donations are also received each year. Whilst these income sources have been maintained at a fairly stead level in recent years the deteriorating condition of the hall is likely to have a negative impact on both rental and event income, and lead to increasing costs associated with routine maintenance. It is therefore vital that at least some aspects of the planned building development works are taken forward to maintain the sustainability of the hall. It is recognised that the building development plans are ambitious and will require much larger grants than have been obtained to date, however the SCIO treasurer has significant experience in both sourcing funding and the development of successful funding bids. In addition to this funding advice and support is available to the SCIO via the Funding Officer at Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway, and from the Business Manager at Dalbeattie Community Initiative. As required by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) detailed receipts and payments accounts are prepared, independently inspected and submitted to them each year. These accounts can be viewed via the OSCR website and copies of the most recent return (2018/19) is attached in appendix G. As required by the SCIO financial standing orders a reserve is held which is roughly equivalent to one year’s annual running costs and all grants for specific projects are held as restricted funds.

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8. Risks (hall building development)

All projects of this nature come with associated risk, however given the poor state of the building, and the likelihood it will continue to deteriorate over time, the SCIO trustees must take forward the development plan or face the greater risk that the building will become unusable. The key risks which have been identified and current plans to mitigate these are summarised below: Key Risks Mitigation Council reject the If this is based on issues that can be resolved, then proposal to transfer the the SCIO will seek to address these. If these cannot green and car park (which be addressed, then the plan for the West extension will jeopardise the plan for will not be taken forward in its current form and the the West side extension) second costed option for development could be pursued. Failure to secure funding The building development plans are ambitious, with many funders facing growing demand and diminishing resources. A second less costly option for development has been prepared as a contingency. External sources of support for the development of funding applications have also been identified. Emergency repairs are Parts of the hall building are in a poor condition, in required prior to the particular water ingress at the South end of the fruition of building building. The SCIO currently holds some general development plans funds which could be used towards emergency repairs. If necessary, funding applications could also be refocused to address pressing needs. Costs for the building The issues at the South end of the building (roof and refurbishment are greater gable wall) may be worse than current surveys have than anticipated indicated, and this may only become clear once the roof is opened up. This will be explored further as part of the next stage of the project (development of full planning application) so that necessary contingency arrangements can be put in place. Key trustees, members or The SCIO works on an ongoing basis to seek new volunteers leave members and volunteers and promote the opportunity to become a trustee. If trustees with key skills leave then the SCIO will attempt to replace these, and if necessary, consider the employment of staff or consultants with the skills required for the hall development project (with their remit to include fundraising to cover the costs of their services.)

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9. Acknowledgements

The SCIO wishes to acknowledge and thank all of the organisations and individuals who have supported Maxwell Memorial Hall and our development plans including: • Amanda Flockhart (Flockhart Architects) • David Link, Engagement Officer Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway • Dumfries and Galloway Council officers including our Ward Officers Sean O’Toole and Melinda Dolan and Senior Youth Worker Paul Chisholm • MacRoberts Solicitors for their advice and services re: hall title transfer • Mark Pollitt, manager of the South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre (SWSEIC) • Michelle McRobert, Business Manager at Dalbeattie Community Initiative

Finally, we would also like to thank all our funders for their generous support. This includes • Kirkgunzeon Community Wind Farm Fund • Dalbeattie Rotary Club • Dalbeattie and District Lions • The Galloway Association of Glasgow • Nineveh Charitable Trust • The many individuals who have given donations to the hall and to support our projects such as the War Memorial refurbishment

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Appendix A - Community Engagement with Hall Development Activity 2016-19 Current work to develop the hall commenced following a building condition survey carried out in late 2015. Hall trustees have sought to ensure that any development meets the needs and aspirations of their local community and attempted to engage, involve and consult the community at every stage. This appendix offers an overview of the engagement activities carried out between 2016 – 2019 and presents outline findings from each stage which demonstrate a high demand for hall development and support for the plans developed. Engagement Activities Community engagement has been facilitated via a range of methods including information displays and discussions at community events, use of village notice boards, doorstep discussions when flyers are distributed, community surveys and through the Kirkgunzeon Community Facebook page2. The hall SCIO committee meetings are also publicised and open to any member of the community to attend and participate3. During 2017 a new ‘Friends of Maxwell Memorial Hall’ scheme was also initiated aiming to increase community engagement with the hall and the plans for its development. This has facilitated the development of an e-mailing list for community updates which are sent out on a regular basis to both SCIO members and friends4. The consultation work carried out during 2016 concentrated on asking about current use of the hall, views on its condition, whether physical improvements would encourage more use, and what type of improvements the community wished to see. A community survey was carried out at this time, which was made available in both paper copy and on-line formats. During 2017 the focus of consultation was on the types of hall based activities and services the community currently use and how they would like to see these developed. Views on the types of facilities and activities that would be of benefit to the community were also drawn from a community survey which was carried out by Stewartry CVS for the Plascow (Kirkgunzeon) Community Wind Farm Fund in 2015. Outputs from the activities undertaken in 2016/17 informed a ‘development brief’ which was used as the basis for a feasibility study commissioned from Flockhart Architects in 2017. During 2018/19 consultation activity centered on seeking views about the outputs from this feasibility study (which was completed in August 2018.) This commenced with a community consultation event and BBQ which was attended by the architect. It offered detailed information displays and as opportunity to discuss the plans. The community were also asked to take part in a further survey to obtain more detailed views and suggestions for any changes to the proposed plans. This survey was again made available in both paper and on-line formats. The feedback

2 This Facebook group has over 300 members 3 These are currently not well attended 4 At January 2020 around 140 individuals received these 15 received will inform further development of the feasibility stage plans prior to them being submitted for planning permission. It was initially anticipated that this ‘planning stage’ would follow directly after the feasibility study, although this has been subject to delays linked to issues related to hall titles. The community have been kept up to date with the situation, although there is some concern that delays have caused a degree of frustration and feed into a sense of ‘consultation fatigue’. Summary Findings Gala Day August 2016 In order to capture ‘face to face’ comments and to generate discussion about hall development, visual information displays were produced for the annual summer Gala Days in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, a display which offered three draft plans for a potential reconfigured / rebuilt south wing of the hall was produced, along with a further option of a total demolition and rebuild. This aimed to gather views on the type of physical development of the hall that people would support, and hall trustees were available to discuss the potential options. People were also asked to leave written comments indicating which of the options they preferred. Although only a small number of written comments were received the display generated a lot of interest and discussion on the day. These draft plans were also posted on the Kirkgunzeon Community Facebook page. In general the community favoured an option that offered an additional smaller ‘hall’ / lounge area to the west end of the south wing, which had west facing windows and the potential for a serving hatch to an adjacent kitchen. This option also included the removal of the current single brick extension which houses the male toilets, with new toilet facilities placed at the east end of the south wing. Some additional suggestions made on the day included the potential for a ‘removable stage’ for occasional use, and improved sound dampening to improve the acoustics in the main hall. One respondent also indicated that if the south wing were rebuilt then they would wish to retain the granite block structure of the existing hall. Community Survey Oct / Nov 2016 A short survey was carried out in late 2016 to capture more structured feedback. It asked respondents about their current use of the hall; their views on its condition; whether they feel hall facilities require improvement; and whether improvements would encourage them to use it more. Initially a paper based survey was circulated via the hall, and, as there was a limited response to this an on-line version was produced using the free version of Survey Monkey software. Overall 36 paper responses were received, and 100 responses recorded to the on-line survey (this was the maximum number available with free use of the survey software). The paper survey asked for yes / no / not sure responses to questions, and some multiple choice questions were added to the on-line survey asking respondents to rate aspect of the hall such as heating, from very good to very poor. Of the 136 responses to the survey 79% (107) indicated they live within

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Kirkgunzeon, and based on the population of 3195, this was felt to be a very positive response rate of over one third (34%) of the village community. Headlined findings indicate that the majority of responses to on-line survey questions rating hall facilities score them as poor or very poor. In particular around 80% of those that rated hall toilet facilities and interior decor and around 73% of those that rated the hall heating scored them as poor or very poor. Overall responses to both surveys were very supportive of improving the hall, with 93% of respondents indicating that it would be a good thing to renovate and extend the hall. The majority of respondents also indicated that they would be more likely to attend events and use the hall if it was improved. 74% would attend more if it was warmer and more welcoming and 78% would consider using the hall more if toilet facilities were upgraded. Both surveys offered the option to leave other comments on the hall and activities based there, and 29 comments were recorded. These covered issues including the poor state of the hall which some felt was leading to a downward spiral in terms of its use. Others commented on specific areas that they felt require attention, and some made comment or suggestions on hall activities. Views on the types of facilities and activities that would be of benefit to the community were also sought in a community survey which was carried out by Stewartry CVS for the Wind Farm Fund in 2015. This postal survey was sent to every household registered on the electoral roll for Kirkgunzeon, and it achieved a 29% response rate. The most popular facility which respondents to this survey indicated would be of benefit to the community was adult evening classes. When asked about the type of projects that respondents would wish to see implemented with resources from the Wind Farm Fund there were good levels of support for a range of projects, including the maintenance of community buildings / land and a desire for outdoor recreational facilities. These options also rated highly at a community ‘drop in’ evening held to inform the spending priorities of the Windfarm Fund in June 2015, where people were asked to indicate the types of activities that are important to them. Other popular options relevant to the hall included a ‘pop up’ up pub facility and concerts / dances. Gala Day August 2017 The consultation display at the 2017 Gala Day sought to widen community engagement with the hall development project via the initiation of ‘Friends of Maxwell Memorial Hall’. This was felt to offer a simple way for community members to demonstrate their support for the hall, and by providing their contact details they will be kept informed about the work of the project, and personally invited to participate in future community engagement activities. The information display also focused on seeking views about activities and services provided via the hall. Details of current and previous activities and services were presented, along with some of the suggestions that have been made for new activities. Again, people were asked to leave written comments, this time on which activities they would like to see continue, or be introduced, and hall trustees were

5 Derived from Local Authority Area Profile 2011-14 who drew their figures from the 2011 census. 17 available to discuss these. As with the previous year very few written comments were received, however several people did sign up as ‘Friends’ and this has provided a useful route for subsequent engagement with the work of the hall. Feasibility study consultation event and community survey 2018 A consultation event and community BBQ was held in August 2018, which offered detailed information on the outputs from the feasibility study including detailed displays and information on the factors which informed the study (such as building condition and structural reports) and the various options for hall development which were produced for consideration. It was attended by the architect and offered an opportunity to discuss and comment on the plans. The community were also asked to take part in another survey to obtain more detailed views and suggestions on the proposed plans. Again, the survey format was both paper based and available on-line, with the latter version available until Dec 2018. Overall 118 survey responses were received of which 74% (87) indicated that they live in Kirkgunzeon (27% of village population). Despite several follow up activities the response rate was slightly lower than the 2016 survey6 and it was felt this may be due to a sense of ‘consultation fatigue.’ Despite this the overall feedback to the feasibility plans was very positive. With an overwhelming majority of respondents (94%) indicating that they would be more likely to use the Hall if the developments plans are completed. The majority (87%) also felt the plans include all the improvements that they wished to see made to the Hall, and did not include changes they would not like to see (92%). This survey also collected asked respondents to indicate which of the planned improvements would make them more likely to use the hall and collected detailed qualitative data on a range of design issue to inform the development of the feasibility plans.

6In 2016 136 responses were received of which 79% indicated they live within Kirkgunzeon, around one third (34%) of the village community 18

Appendix B - Community Hall Visits 2017 Location / Age of Hall, General Layout Income Renovations Costs / Funding / addnl. capacity, activities Mgt of works notes Circa 1900, Main hall with stage, rear Used as a post Hall had previous Most recent project capacity 100. room used for storage / office x2 a week. work i.e. insulated cost circa £100K Carry out post office. New extension VAT registration wall cladding, air approx £60K from annual roof New meeting room has side entrance foyer, has facilitated source heating local windfarm inspection used on a daily large meeting room (has ‘claw back’ of system, double fund, the rest from basis e.g. by craft wi-fi), large kitchen with approx £20K glazed windows, a variety of sources Creative group serving counter & toilets. modernisation of (inc. lottery? sourcing of toilets (2 female, two Awards for All) furniture / male & 1 Quotes from 2 local equipment accessible). Most builders. Oversaw recent project -new work themselves. side extension and reroof rear extn. Haugh of 1907, capacity 100. It had main hall and a Solar panels Since 2008 have Funding to date Urr smaller library to one end cover all energy gutted main hall, Stewartry Area A range of weekly (this is now new kitchen) needs. new windows, Cttee, Awards for Have found activities including 1950’s side extension (old insulation, electric All (A4A) Lottery toddlers group kitchen and toilets) wall heaters (run by Robertson Trust. applications solar panels), Have applied to difficult. acoustic panels, A4A & Big Lottery Stated new kitchen. Current for new work – community plans to demolish rejected. Now engagement 1950s extn and working with must be via rebuild - meeting Andrew Ward 3rd party (?) room and toilets (Creetown CI) to (male, female and seek funding. accessible)

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Plans – D.L. Will oversee work themselves (did this on previous work) 1954, capacity 120. Main hall with stage, Mainly events Following structural Majority of funding kitchen and meeting room and windfarm survey (approx 10 Village Hall Have useful Tend to be one off behind this. Toilets at other funds yrs ago) have Improvement Fund trolleys for events (inc. end near entrance. Patio phased the work. and Windfarm.First folding weddings) No side door from main hall to Roof, insulation and stage of work tables / regular community grassed area at side air source heating overseen by D.L. stacking use first. Not entirely Last stage chairs happy with results. overseen by Aitken More recently new Turnbull architects kitchen & – found latter refurbished meeting approach better. room, patio door in mail hall. Last project refurbish toilets – male, female & accessible toilet & disabled access to hall Terregles Circa 1906, Main hall and rear section Via groups and New windows, Have had funds capacity 120. housing a small meeting events. Also had insulation, kitchen, from Hollywood Good links room, kitchen to one side an adjacent plot air source heating. Trust, Robertson to McGowan Many regular and toilets to the other. No of land which was Current plans to Trust, Awards for Miller weekly groups and fixed stage - large folding sold (useful pot build side extn with All and Landfill other large events. doors between main hall for match refurbished toilet Communities Fund and meeting room. Stage funding) facilities (circa £60K) (SWEAT). Helpful platform can be erected to have visits from when required. Robertson &

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Holywood Trusts. Found Lottery ‘problematic’. Use McGowan Miller Crocketford Circa 1839, The layout has a main hall Income Phased Funded via a capacity 120. with a stage and a large generation a refurbishment since number of routes In the extension to one side challenge, try to 2005. Initial inc. illage Hall Imp. process of Have some weekly (kitchen, toilets and smaller minimise costs - feasibility study then Fund, Stewartry redecoration events (such as room) currently circa new roof, lowered Area Cttee, Energy when we coffee mornings) £2k p.a. Do not ceilings, new floors, Saving Trust and visited pay water / insulation, new the Lottery. Need Have held film council tax, windows, a new link funding applics screening and can favourable kitchen and air to Local advise this electricity tariff. source heating Community / Area Post office 2X (latter only partially Plans. Bad week & charge successful.). experience of £400 for polling Overall cost circa Lottery funding and station. Noted £160K. use of consultants need for a pot of to support funds for match applications – funding. wouldn’t do this again

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