MSP SPEAKS OUT FOR VILLAGE HALLS IN ROXBURGHSHIRE (Jim Hume)

MSP SPEAKS OUT FOR VILLAGE HALLS IN ROXBURGHSHIRE

August 21, 2007 12:00 AM

South of Scotland MSP Jim Hume has pledged his support for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation's Halls for All campaign and last week spent a day touring village halls in Roxburghshire.

Jim said:-

"Village halls play a vital role within any community, but particularly so in remote or rural areas simply because many rural areas do not have the variety of public facilities commonplace in larger, more urban areas.

"Last week, accompanied by Heather Batsch of Roxburgh Association of Voluntary Services, I visited Stichill and Heiton village halls and spoke to Alex Robertson from Stichill Village Hall Committee and Sylvia Burgon of Heiton Village Hall Committee.

"Both Stichill and Heiton village halls are excellent examples of the sheer hard work and dedication local people put into running their local halls, and both are used for social events which provide an invaluable place for the community to use.

"Stichill and Heiton are also examples to other halls of what can be achieved. It's taken roughly three years to modernise the facilities and whilst it hasn't been easy, the rewards now are being reaped by the community. Stichill is finished and Heiton should be ready for use later in the year.

The MSP continued:-

"Essentially one of the difficulties faced by village hall committees is first obtaining initial set up funding and thereafter maintaining a level of funding to meet the running costs of halls.

"One of the problems the Halls for All campaign highlights in particular is the numerous application procedures hall committees have to go through to obtain funding from different sources, some with differing criteria for eligibility. The campaign is calling for one single pot of money which would make that process a great deal easier and straightforward for the committee members who devote their free time to their local community.

"SCVO's campaign to highlight the importance of village halls has my backing. That's why I have signed their petition and would encourage anyone else to do the same.

"I shall be taking the opportunity whenever possible to raise this with the Scottish Executive."