Organisers behind ambitious plans to reopen a tourist attraction in Monifieth have one final hurdle to overcome to ensure their dreams don’t become a distant memory.
Monifieth Local History Society has six weeks to raise £10,000 for a year’s running costs for its new base in the former Access Office on the High Street.
If unsuccessful they will pull the plug on the Monifieth House of Memories community project.
A crowdfunding page has been set up with £4,000 already pledged, but society president Margaret Copland has warned, if the target is not reached, the project will be scrapped.
Mrs Copland explained the not-for-profit group was in a “chicken and egg” situation regarding funding the lease for the building, the subject of a successful community asset transfer agreement with Angus Council last year.
She said: “We have not signed the lease agreement and can’t apply for grant funding until we do.
“We have to make sure we have sufficient funding before we commit.
“Over the 15 years we ran the House of Memories in our previous building, we averaged £9,000 a year to keep it open and raised that through donations.
“Our annual rent will be £4,500 but we have to secure funding of £10,000 to cover all our running costs including insurance, heating and lighting.
“We have committed ourselves to renting the building for three years but it would be foolish to sign the lease until we have the funding.
“If we don’t get it we would have to dispose of the community property by some means or the other and the House of Memories, as a feature in Monifieth, will no longer exist.”
The society has the backing of a number of community groups, including the community council, befrienders group and Voluntary Action Angus.
Margaret continued: “They are all keen we survive.
“Unlike our original building, the new premises have disabled access and a number of ante-rooms which can be used for a number of groups.
“We hope to set up a library research room and a reminiscing room for clients from care homes.
“We work closely with Angus Council’s social work department whose dementia clients come along to reminisce.
“If we meet the £10,000 target by April 28 we will sign the lease at the start of May.
“With a big community effort and the help of our volunteers, we would open on June 1. That would be us back in business.
“If we don’t, I would be dreadfully disappointed and would feel we had let the Monifieth community down.”
Further details on the project can be found at www.monifiethhistorysociety.co.uk.
To pledge a donation visit GoFundMe.
