AFTER nearly seven years of fundraising activity and with the support of the local community and the South Lanarkshire Council Renewable Energy Fund the new St Athanasius Community Hall is ready to open its doors.
For the past fifteen months the building has slowly been taking shape and now at long last the new hall is ready to accept what it is hoped will be the first of many bookings from local people in the town and the surrounding area.
Welcoming the opening of the new hall Ronnie Cook, Chairman of the Hall Management Committee, said "We are very grateful indeed for the goodwill and continuing support from parishioners and people in the town particularly in this last year or so as the building work has been going on". "We now have a first class facility here in the town which we hope will be well used by everyone".
Fr Jim Naughton Parish Priest of St Athanasius added "that over the last twenty-five years the old church hall supported activities and events for some thirty local activity groups including youth groups, mother and toddler groups, senior-citizen groups and dance and keep fit groups".
"We would like to see many of those activities returning to the new hall. We would also like to welcome new groups and others looking for somewhere to start new activities or who want to hold functions and other social events applying to use the new hall".
It is expected that the hall will be ready to accept bookings from May 23.
Before that, however, Fr Naughton and parishioners of St Athanasius would like to welcome people from the town to come along and see the new hall on Saturday 10 May between 2pm and 3.30pm. Enquiries and applications to hire the hall can be made on Saturday or by contacting the Secretary on 07591 996 709.
The new hall comprises two separate halls, the larger hall catering for around 130 people and a smaller hall able to accommodate up to 60 people. If combined, the facility can accommodate almost 200 people.
Both halls will have full catering facilities and will be able to be used by all members of the community. Fr Naughton added that the support from the Diocese of Motherwell, the Renewable Energy Fund and the ongoing generosity and support of parishioners had ensured that we have a ''comfortable and flexible facility that meets the high standards of the 21st century".
St Anthansius did not want to reveal the full cost of the hall and the amount raised, but it is understood to run into six figures. There has been a lot of fund-raising over the years!