A north-east charity group is hard at work transforming a village hall formerly “full of cracks and covered in flaking paint” into a local amenity people can be proud of.
Over the last two months, volunteers have put in numerous hours of hard work to bring Aberchirder Village Hall into the 21st century and ensure it can be used by the whole community.
The refurbishment work on the main hall, which includes insulating the roof, installing new flooring and putting in new arch and basement windows, is expected to be completed by Tuesday.
Now, the Friends of Aberchirder Village Hall are trying to raise more than £25,000 to go towards the next stage of the revamp.
Main hall revamp
Claus Nielsen, chairman of the Friends of the Aberchirder Village Hall, said all of the volunteers have worked really hard to get the hall ready as soon as possible.
He said: “It was difficult in the beginning, because we weren’t allowed to have more than one person in the building, but ever since some of the restrictions were lifted, it’s been full steam ahead.
“The main space is nearly completed, so we’ll soon be able to invite people in and show all of the progress that we’ve made.
“We still have quite a lot to do to finish the whole project, but once it’s all ready, the hall will look absolutely stunning.
“Aberchirder Village Hall is the heart of the local community and our aim is to provide a more comfortable and up-to-date facility for users of all ages.
“It’s a really busy place and there is no limit to what it can be used for – from birthday and Christmas parties, to fundraising events, weddings and community council meetings.”
As part of the improvements, the main space of the venue has been completely refurbished with a brand new ceiling and modern LED lights.
The walls, which were previously “full of cracks and covered in flacking paint” have also been skimmed and refilled to give the building a fresh new look.
In addition, all of the outdated electrics have been upgraded with new cables for an integrated sound system, which can be used for a wide range of events.
Fundraising efforts
The next phase of the ambitious project is to replace the existing kitchen and to install new toilets in the facility, which would cost between £25,000 and £30,000.
Quotes initially suggested the whole refurbishment of the building could cost anything between £75,000 and £275,000.
Now, the Friends have launched a new membership scheme to help raise money for the rest of the revamp.
Anyone who wishes to support the project can make a one-off payment of £100, £250, £500 or £1,000 and over to receive a bronze, silver, gold or platinum membership respectively.
The scheme includes two newsletters a year with updates on the progress being made, e-bulletins with all the latest news and invitations to summer and winter parties.
The Friends have also planned to create a “legacy wall” to show their appreciation to all of their generous donors.
Each member will receive a plaque with their information, which will be displayed within a framed area in the hall foyer.
Mr Nielsen added: “The support has been amazing and the amount of funds that’s already been received is just incredible.
“The renovation project is quite expensive, so all donations are very much needed and appreciated.
“So far, we’ve raised more than £30,000, but we still have a long way to go, so we are hoping to start holding different fundraising events from the end of June to generate some more income towards the rest of the restoration.
“We are very grateful to everybody who has donated to the project and I’m sure that people will continue to support us as we move on to the next phase.”
Anyone interested in supporting the Friends of Aberchirder Village Hall can find more information on the group’s Facebook page or by contacting aberchirder.village.hall@gmail.com.