An ambitious bid to transform an abandoned medical centre into a thriving community hub has secured a £500,000 lifeline.
Coupar Angus residents have been working for more than four years on designs for the former health centre on Trades Lane.
The planned Strathmore Community Hub will be home to a café, arts and craft centres and a Men’s Shed.
The team behind the initiative, which claims to have enthusiastic support from throughout the area, secured planning permission at the end of last year.
Now, the project has won nearly £500,000 through Scottish Government’s Town Centres Fund, which will allow renovations to get under way.
The extra cash, agreed by cross-party Perth and Kinross councillors, is on top of a previous award of £150,000.
Strathmore ward councillor Fiona Sarwar (SNP) said: “I am so pleased that others have seen the strength and wide benefit of this project.
“This funding boost will transform the Strathmore Community Hub into an innovative, green, multi-use community asset that I’m sure will be treasured for generations to come.”
She said: “At a time when community resilience and support has been so critical, I am over the moon that we can fund such a worthy project.
“I have lobbied hard for this project because I have seen first hand the commitment and sheer determination of the local volunteers who got this project to this point.”
Local firm Steampunk Outfit has won the contract to carry out work at the building.
Strathmore Hub vice-chairman Keith Langelaan described the boost – totalling £637,000 – as an “amazing windfall”.
He said there were too many people to thank for supporting “what will be a valuable and lasting facility to Coupar Angus and, as the name suggests, the Strathmore district as a whole.”
Mr Langelaan said: “This funding boost will allow us to be prepared to offer community support as we come through this horrible Covid pandemic.”
One of the aims of the new initiative will be to combat social isolation and promote inclusion amongst local residents.
