A huge project to renovate a well-loved Aberdeenshire village hall is underway thanks to the efforts of a small band of volunteers.
Logie Durno Hall, near Pitcaple, is used nearly every day of the week by various groups, ranging from the under-fives, Cubs, Beavers and Brownies to the SWI.
Youngsters at Logie Durno Primary also use the hall for gym, assemblies and concerts, and a community cafe is run from the venue twice a month.
Over the last few years, members of the hall’s fundraising committee have secured £22,500 of funding to modernise the venue while also hosting their own events to raise a further £12,000.
Now work has started on the renovations, which will include upgrading the toilets, putting in insulating and sprucing up the main hall.
Jenny Glennie, from the committee, said: “The ladies and disabled toilets were needing urgent work, so that’s where we’ve started. The existing cubicles will be ripped out and replaces, and there will be better insulated and a new storage cupboard will be created.
“There have been several burst pipes over the last few years, so the insulation should help alleviate the problem and make the building more energy efficient.
“In the future, we’ll get the main hall floor sanded and varnished and get the hall painted. Then we’ll carry out the same upgrade work in the gents toilets.
“We’re starting this summer and aiming to get everything finished by the end of next summer.”
Aberdeenshire Council contributed £12,500 of grants towards the refurbishment from the area budget, planning gain contributions and Gordon Leisure project trust and a further £10,000 was allocated the Lottery’s Awards for All pot.
Miss Glennie, who grew up in the area but now lives in Inverurie, said the committee and wider community was thrilled to see work had finally started.
“We’re delighted, it’s been a long time coming,” she said. “A lot of hard work has been put in by the committee to secure grants, it’s been a hard slog but it’s all been worth it and it’s been rewarding. It’s good to see it all now taking shape.”