Campaigners who fought to secure the future of Moray’s largest performance venue have been given the keys to the building.
The Elgin Town Hall for the Community working group were also reassured they will have a say in the Moray growth deal talks that will affect the hall in the future.
Members of the group met with Moray Council leader Graham Leadbitter yesterday to collect the keys and officially take ownership of the venue for at least the next two years.
It comes after a five month campaign to raise enough money and support for them to save the town hall from possible closure.
Mike Devenney, chairman of the group, said he was proud of what had been achieved in such a short space of time.
He said: “I think it’s a tremendous day and a great achievement.
“The working group has only been in existence since the end of February, so we’ve really no more than five months to get here.
“That is a tribute to my working group colleagues who have managed to do all that was required to be done.
“The council, quite rightly, were stringent in what they expected of us and we didn’t quite make it for our first of July handover but we continued with gusto to try and get to where we are today.”
A crowdfunder launched by the group helped them raise £3,000 for the day-to-day running costs, with Highlands and Islands Enterprise supplying them with a further £5,000 worth of funding.
Councillor Leadbitter was also full of praise for the campaigners.
He said: “It represents the end of a phenomenal amount of work and effort by the group from Elgin Town Hall who are taking it over on behalf of the community and a huge amount of effort put in by many council officials.”
With Elgin Town Hall also being an integral part of plans for a cultural quarter in the Moray Growth Deal bid, Mr Devenney was happy to be given an opportunity to be involved in that.
He said: “We were promised a seat at the table for the plans and we have been given that.
“We can now go along to these meetings to listen and talk about ways the hall can be utilised for the betterment of Moray – and Elgin in particular.”