As a group we've been very busy over the winter months, but little of our activity is publicly visible in the way the hall is currently run. All bookings are still managed by Live Active, and PKC is responsible for maintenance and upkeep.
The process of Community Asset Transfer is a long one - we've been going since September 2023 - and it's liable to take us a few more years before the community is in full control. But we will need your support and ideas to keep the momentum going. We have a fine body of volunteers from the village who are acting as the Group's trustees, but we will soon need others (that's you, by the way) to help organise events, promote the village and help us raise funds.
Since submitting an expression of interest to Perth & Kinross Council (PKC) in March 2024, we have been working out how to make the hall viable for the longer term:
- Preparing a business case, identifying local community/business needs, looking at other suitable venues in the village, surveying the hall and costing up improvement packages. Still work to be done here, but you can view our provisional wish list of improvement at https://trello.com/b/6mpacUno/dunning-hall-improvements.
- Contacted various funding bodies, including the Scottish Land Fund, with a view to potentially purchase the building. Due to Holyrood election in May 26, the timescale of this is likely to drag out to at least the end of 2026. We are currently preparing quotes for various surveys so that we can submit a Stage 1 application to the SLF to inform our business plan, and progress to a full Stage 2 SLF application (for purchase); Stage 2 application is unlikely to start before June 26. See attached PDF for a summary of the SLF application process.
- Arranged for a valuation of the building. Hopefully, this will be within the next 6 weeks.
- Have applied for community grants (via the PKC Advancing Community Assets Fund - ACAF) to support our initial period of operation, plus some improvements to the hall (specifically the kitchen, external doors, security hardware, internal decor, broadband/wifi and lighting/AV).
- Awarded a grant from PKC CIF to improve accessibility to the side/rear of the hall. This work will start once the valuation is complete and we are managing bookings.
- Awarded a grant from PKC CIF to support a programme of tea dances. Coming soon...
- Supporting a school wrap-around childcare & holiday activity proposal, hopefully starting in August.
- Investigating creation of a local musical centre of excellence (groups, lessons and performance).
What Next?
The strategic direction could well change (uncertainty is the only certainty here), but these are our main aims:
- To take over basic management of the Hall summer 2025
- We will make a Stage 1 application to Scottish Land Fund (SLF) by July 2025. This will help inform whether purchase or long-term lease is the best option for us as a community.
- We will start preparing a Stage 2 Community Asset Transfer application to PKC for either a long-term lease or full purchase this autumn.
What Can You Do?
Come and chat to us at Little Dunning in Rollo Park on Saturday 7 June. We need your ideas and offers to contribute. There'll be a tombola with great prizes too!
The current trustees would really appreciate another community member stepping up as a trustee to help us develop our strategy. Particularly anyone who has a marketing, PR or writing background (or anyone looking to develop a career in that area); anyone aged 18+ contact us (via Facebook or our form)
We will need to set up small working groups of volunteers to help arrange functions or support or establish new community groups: music, theatre, art, wellness, sport or youth support, in particular. We also need people to help us think about other aspects (interior design, maintenance, events, fundraising, promotion), so if you have any skills or just keen to learn, your community would love to hear from you.
We will be starting public fundraising campaigns soon, so keep an eye out for how you can contribute financially.