A former Perthshire medical centre will finally be transformed into a community hub after five years of planning.
Work will begin on the old Coupar Angus clinic on May 17, with hopes it will be completed by September.
It will host charities and community groups, with residents working together to decide how best to use the space.
The board of the Strathmore Community Hub says it is “delighted” to be able to see their plans become a reality.
Community hub
The board says the hub will provide a space for everyone in the community, with charities and groups already expressing interest.
Susie Black, who sits on the board of trustees, said: “It’s going to create a flexible and usable space.
“Between the easy to access parking, adaptable room layouts and the central location that Coupar Angus offers to the Strathmore area, we see the Strathmore Community Hub as being able to support charities, local social groups and small businesses alike.
“Many local charities and community groups are already booking their space which has been a strong deciding factor for our funders.
“The knowledge that we have community buy-in reassures the funders that we’re able to best utilise those funds provided.”
Multi-purpose space
The idea for the hub came from locals David Downie and Keith Langelaan who were determined to see the building put to good use.
They initially planned to use it as a space for the Strathmore Men’s Shed but they instead decided to make it a multi-organisational space.
David said: “Keith and I were founder members of the Strathmore Men’s Shed and had been searching with others in the group for suitable premises.
“We were told by the Scottish Land Fund, that a single purpose such as a men’s shed would be too exclusive for the building, so we began to look at wider purposes which would also include space for the men’s shed.
“Today’s vision is pretty much what came out of those early ideas and our Scottish Government Advisers helped develop this as well as provide funding to carry out the feasibility and business plan research.”
‘Lease of life’
The community is at the core of what the hub aims to achieve, with local residents working together to decide how best to use the space.
The Strathmore Community Hub was established as a charity to take the building into community ownership and run it for the benefit of local people.
It aims to offer local groups affordable and comfortable spaces to establish themselves.
Keith said: “This has, after much hard and sometimes frustrating work, resulted in where we are today.
“We are on the brink of a new era and lease of life to the building which will be to the benefit of all in many ways.
“It is principally for developing social interaction the area, bringing visitors to Coupar Angus, supporting local enterprise, and providing activities suitable for all age groups.”
Funding
In November last year, the project was awarded almost £500,000 from the Town Centre Fund.
The funding – agreed by cross-party Perth and Kinross Councillors – was on top of a previous £150,000 award.
Groups interested in using the space can contact the hub through its Facebook page.