Hub/Pub Update - What’s next?

At the public meeting held on 27th May in the village hall we raised a glass to celebrate the village Hub (formerly The Tiel/Kiwi Tavern) now being owned by the community.  There was great enthusiasm in the meeting and the number of willing volunteers putting their names forward to help with the project showed just how much this project means to so many of us.  In earlier surveys people of the village said they wanted a pub/hub/shop/café and that is what we're setting out to achieve.

At the meeting Dr Pat Carragher, Chair of Auchtertool Community Trust (ACT), introduced the current trustees and outlined next steps. 

How long will it take?

The project will be in three stages. 

Phase1 - Short Term (less than a year)

• Low cost clean and tidy up of the building and the carpark garden.  This work, led by Paul Field, with volunteer support (our Hub Heroes!) has already started. Over the summer you will see the building and garden area come to life.

  
  

• Preparation work for phase 2, including finalising architect drawings and sourcing funding for the renovations through grant applications and approaches to local companies.

  
  

• Raising money for the project will continue and in time will include the opportunity to buy shares.

  
  

• A steering group will be formed to help manage these developments and a Community Benefit Society (CBS) will be set up to manage the Hub in the longer term. 

More detailed information about all of these developments will be provided as the project progresses. 

Phase 2 - Medium Term (1-2 years)

With initial funding in place renovations can begin. As the renovations progress we will see a village Hub with a shop, café and part time pub becoming a reality for our community. 

Phase 3 Long Term (3+ years) 

Depending on how the village Hub is progressing a restaurant may be a possibility.  

Project Management Support

The Scottish Land Fund grant (SLF), included money to pay for project management support for one year. Alan Jones Associates is a company with many years experience supporting community projects. Tom Campbell, the local representative, explained their role.

They will help organise various forms of fundraising, work with architects to finalise plans and oversee companies carrying out renovations. It’s fair to say Tom brought both realism and encouragement about the task ahead in equal measures! Having such an experienced team giving advice and support during the first year will be a huge help. 

How can you be involved?

The more volunteers and supporters we have the faster we’ll have our village Hub up and running. There are various ways in which you can become involved and support this project. 

You could:

• volunteer over the summer (join the Hub Heroes!) and help with the Phase 1 tidy up;

• put your name forward to be part of the steering group and help manage the project;

• when the time comes, participate in the share offer;

• be part of the Community Benefit Society. 

We’ll be delighted to have you involved and helping in any way you can. Look out for updates on progress and next steps on the Village Website, the Auchtertool Billboard on Facebook and at the Drop-in Café.

The phase 1 tidy up is underway and Paul Field will continue to put information about dates and times for the next sessions on the Auchtertool Billboard on Facebook. 

To express an interest in any of the other opportunities to be involved email docpat10@hotmail.co.uk

Let’s all look forward to the time when we’ll raise our glasses inside our Village Hub!