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The Council agreed that the final instalment £25,000 of a £200,000 Community Investment Fund proposal could be released – originally set aside in 2018 until the project was fully funded.
The North Coast & Cumbraes Locality Partnership supported the regeneration of the town hall, following consultation with local people and now that the additional funds have been granted, plans can move up a gear to make the much-anticipated regeneration project a reality.
The funding boost is all part of the Council's Community Investment Fund (CIF) – a £5.6million fund for supporting local community groups. The CIF fund also includes a recent £2million allocation by the Council to help community groups to recover in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Spearheaded by the charity with support from NAC, the project secured £1.5 million Scottish Government funding last year from the Regeneration Capital Grants Fund (RCGF). And, at the end of 2021, the Scottish Government pledged a further £364,478 to help the project recover from the challenges and rising costs associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alongside the North Coast & Cumbraes Locality Partnership, the North Ayrshire Ventures Trust (NAVT) has contributed £15,000 funding. An additional £540,911 was also raised by the group itself for the locally-led regeneration and now the project is fully funded so that the charity can move forward with the refurbishment to create a vibrant community space capable of accommodating a variety of uses while enhancing the local economy and enriching the lives of its residents and visitors.
Angela McCallum, Chair of Trustees, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have received the additional funds required from North Ayrshire Council and their Community Investment Fund, none of which would have been possible without the support of the North Coast & Cumbraes Locality Partnership who helped to put forward our recent CIF application.
"The additional boost can ensure that our renovation can go-ahead as planned as Millport Town Hall has faced increasing challenges over the last year due to the context of the external and political climate, the complexity of our funding partnership and the rising material prices associated with the pandemic.
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"Our most grateful thanks are extended not only to North Ayrshire Council but to the Scottish Government, Local Councillors and Locality Partnership who have continued to provide encouragement during these challenging times.
"I also like to once again say a huge thank you to our wide range of supporters and volunteers who keep us going in so many ways and a special thanks to the neighbours on all sides of the property for their forbearance as the renovations progress."
Building work started at the end of September providing a huge boost for the community and a renewed interest in the project and residents were encouraged to take away salvaged wood for firewood and upcycling projects.
Significant progress has already been made on internal restoration works and the exterior has recently been upgraded with the installation of new custom-made timber windows.
The project is also already having a positive impact on the local economy, Angela added: "We have been delighted to so far be able to provide six local employment opportunities to date through the Millport Town Hall renovation project.
"Several have been self-employed on a consultancy basis and one member of the construction group is our first PAYE employee as a Community Liaison Officer who will be engaged with the project for the next two years through National Lottery funding. This officer will engage with individuals, residents and groups to develop bookings, events and whole Island initiatives. We have also engaged a local person as our Clerk of Works for the duration of the build to ensure the best possible spend of our secured funding."
The plans for the town hall are based around the Council's ambitious Community Wealth Building model with local partners, businesses and anchor organisations – in this case the Council – working together to develop a project that can benefit the whole area both economically and socially.
Councillor Louise McPhater, Cabinet Member for Participatory Democracy commented: "We are delighted to further support Millport Town Hall Charity in their ambitious community-led regeneration project.
"The Council has been working closely with Millport Town Hall Charity every step of the way to ensure we can bring this important historical building back into community use.
"The additional funding will ensure the Town Hall Charity's exciting plans can be fully realised and that's excellent news for everyone involved – those in the local community who will use the town hall regularly as well as the wider economic impact of supporting community wealth building by creating new jobs for the Island which will have a positive and lasting effect on the local economy.
"To date, over £1.7million has been awarded across North Ayrshire and this is all thanks to the CIF fund, the dedication and community-focus of the six Locality Partnerships and the work of our dedicated Locality Officers to help community groups tackle local priorities the way they see best.
"The Fund is making a huge difference raising the profile of local groups and the groups we have helped in the last year have been able to leverage an additional £3.5 million from external funders to help them achieve their goals and allow local residents to come together, tackle social isolation and thrive in their communities.
"This really is putting community ambition into action; not just words. It gives meaningful power and resources to local groups that are making a real difference in our communities."
The restoration works will include a new accessible entrance and the creation of a series of multi-use flexible spaces incorporating a Community Hub, Arts and Culture Centre, starter Men's Shed, main staged hall and three holiday let flats. A second phase will then see the creation of a Heritage and Conservation Centre in the basement.
