Our Future Plans
Our project is centred on building community capacity through social cohesion. It involves the provision of a Community Shop and Café on the site of the existing village hall. The hall itself has served the wider Kildonan community for 120 years. It is governed by appointed Trustees and its day- to-day operation is overseen by Kildonan Hall and Improvements Committee (KHIC), which is a registered charity (SCIO). The existing hall is well used, its activities financed entirely through fundraising activities, but it is very restricted in terms of capacity and as such it is completely unsuitable to house the new facility which the village so badly needs.The new shop/café will be built on land adjacent to, and already owned by, the hall (thus unfortunately rendering our project ineligible for funding from such external agencies as the Scottish Land Fund).
Kildonan is a small rural village situated on the southernmost tip of the island of Arran. As such, it is relatively remote from the larger population centres on the island, but very popular with tourists and holidaymakers all year round and particularly in the main tourism season. In the past few years, the population of the village has grown steadily due to its natural beauty and popularity, while the available commercial and social facilities have declined to the point where the only remaining outlet is a hotel which has been closed since October. The nearest shops are 5 and 12 miles away respectively and the island's main Co-operative supermarket is 15 miles distant. Many of Kildonan's indigenous residents are increasingly elderly and/or infirm, some do not drive and the local bus service is very limited. In essence, the village's residents now feel increasingly isolated and vulnerable, and desperately need a new community 'hub' where they can buy essential foodstuffs and basic everyday supplies, whilst being able to meet their friends and neighbours for a chat over a cup of coffee.
Our Ideas & Plans
In the summer of 2021 (during lockdown when our local community felt particularly isolated) KHIC appointed a Steering Group, comprising 4 local people with considerable experience in commercial business, finance, local/central government management and community engagement/mobilisation. The group was tasked with exploring the feasibility of constructing and operationalising a 'community hub' to address the needs of the village and surrounding locale.
With the welcome assistance of North Ayrshire Council, we have now delivered on a number of key requirements - a detailed Feasibility Study, prepared by an experienced local architect, which helped us to identify a suitable site and informed the strategic direction which our project should follow; a fully-costed Business Plan, prepared by an experienced consultant which demonstrated the strong financial viability of our project in terms of expected footfall and commercial enterprise; a wide-ranging Community Consultation, carried out by another experienced consultant, which demonstrated almost unanimous enthusiasm for such a community hub, and specifically (in response to 'open' questions) for a retail and social facility exactly in line with the community shop and café which the group had originally envisaged; submission of our Planning Application, which has now been approved by North Ayrshire Council with no conditions attached and no local objections having been submitted.
Phase 1 of the project including groundworks and services is almost completed. So advanced are we in our consultations with our community that we have already identified a whole range of associated facilities and activities which we will deliver. In addition to our core community hub business which will revolve around a village shop selling basic foodstuffs/everyday household supplies and a café providing hot/cold drinks and snacks in a spectacular indoor and outdoor setting, our plans are well-advanced to provide fully accessible toilet and social facilities and an information technology hub.
Bringing Kildonan Together
Our project will make an enormous difference to the socialisation and social cohesion within the
village and across our wider community, and to the overall quality of life of our residents as well as to the experience of our many tourists and visitors. The project enjoys overwhelming local enthusiasm and support, and is much anticipated.
In terms of UKSPF Communities and Place outputs, we will achieve - the development, improvement and integration of our existing village hall facility with our new custom-built community hub, the joint operation of which will see enhanced social, shopping, catering and toilet provision; our community premises and facilities overhauled and completely rehabilitated in line with the government's and the council's carbon energy and decarbonisation strategies; huge improvements to the provision of retail and social facilities in our neighbourhood; a real commitment to Community Wealth Building (CWB) through the meaningful involvement of local people, and promoting and selling local Arran produce first and foremost; much-enhanced opportunities for local people of all ages and abilities; a custom-built facility to help us enhance and extend our existing range of popular community, sporting and cultural events and activities; a fit-for-purpose community hub to assist us in promoting our well-established tourism, cultural, historical and heritage activities and events; the provision of a range of voluntary and participatory opportunities for local people, including full and part-time employment based on Fair Work Principles and paying the Real Living Wage; the establishment of a facility which will draw in and meaningfully involve local people and visitors, and reach out to support the most isolated and vulnerable in our community.
We will achieve -a significantly higher footfall accessing our local services, which at the moment are near non-existent; a significant increase in the number of tourists, visitors and people from across the island itself, who will recognise our shop/café as a 'destination facility' as well as a much-needed local amenity; significantly greater numbers of local and visiting people using the wide range of new and improved amenities/facilities available in our community hub; a much-improved perception of the local facilities/amenities available in Kildonan, and by extension, of the greatly enhanced infrastructure of the village; the creation of a wider and more accessible/affordable range of events and activities, including the provision of youth services, information technology opportunities, historical and cultural experiences in a village with such a rich history and heritage; better opportunities for local people to volunteer and actively participate in the life of our community, together with associated job and career prospects based on Fair Work Principles and paying the Real Living Wage; greater awareness of environmental, conservation and energy-efficient considerations through the eco-friendly nature of our community project; and perhaps most importantly of all, the creation of a wider and more robust infrastructure which will deliver social cohesion and a wide range of new and vastly improved facilities, services and amenities for the community of Kildonan, the island of Arran generally and our many tourists, holidaymakers and visitors
What's Next?
We're currently working our way through the roadmap with ongoing works to the structure of the hall and surrounding area being prepared for future development of the project.
The Roadmap
Stage 1
Get Quotes & Plans
Status: Completed
Community consultations, feasibility and business plan were carried out and architectural drawing made.
Stage 2
Gain Planning Permission
Status: Completed
Planning permission and building warrant were gained.
Stage 3
Raise Funds
Status: In Progress
£24k was raised to commence the first phase of development to clear and prepare the ground for the structure and to put in all groundworks and services. This first phase will be completed by March 2024.
Stage 3
Begin Construction
Status: Awaiting
Continue on our fundraising journey to secure the £90k required to fulfil our ambition and complete the build to become operational.
Hear From The Committee
Our film describing our plan to bring something new to Kildonan
