4 days ago
Plans for community buyout of Ayrshire church gain momentum
The community in Girvan are looking to buy the vacant South Parish Church and turn it into an events space and a bunkhouse.
Plans in Girvan to bring a disused church back into use for the benefit of the local community are gaining momentum.
Community groups in the town have come together in a bid to try and purchase the former Girvan South Parish Church, also known as Church on the Green, after it closed last year.
Built in 1839, it is the older of the two churches in the town but was recently deemed as surplus to requirements by the Church of Scotland.
The building is still in good condition and the community are hopeful they can take it over and transform it an events space and a bunkhouse.
Part of the inspiration for the idea is to fill the gap left by the closure of the Beach Pavilion and create a larger events space for the town so they can attract artists, travel theatre companies and other performers.
The project is still in its early stages but feedback from most community groups in the town has been positive.
A drop-in public consultation event is planned for the near future, date to be confirmed, to engage with the community and find out exactly they want from the facility.
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Alan Jeans from Girvan Arts Festival, one of the community groups involved, said: "We have put together a group to try and purchase the disused South Parish Church in Girvan as a community venue for performances, functions and anything else where a large venue would be useful.
"Girvan doesn't have a town hall, and the largest unrestricted venue at the moment holds around 130 people seated, or 90 with tables.
"As a way of making it financially sustainable, we are proposing to convert one of the two church halls into bunkhouse accommodation for passing walkers and cyclists, etc.
"The other hall will contain a catering grade kitchen and a suitably sized toilet block.
"The project is called 'The South', but we are in the very early stages. There's no guarantee we will be successful in buying the buildings."
