Murieston Community Development Trust have a long-term plan for community asset transfer to ensure community facilities in Murieston thrive. However, we are in discussions with West Lothian Council on road access to Murieston Village Hall to allow deliveries and disabled access. Until that is resolved, we cannot be sure that community asset transfer is viable.
At the public meeting on 21st October 2024, the 132 attendees gave unanimous support for the proposal that Murieston Initiative SCIO take a 2-year lease to give more time for our discussions with West Lothian Council. An enormous thank you to everyone who attended the meeting. The strength of public support gave us reassurance that we are taking the right steps.
Murieston Initiative have been ensuring there are more lets, which have already improved income. New since April are the weekly Saturday cafe, the monthly Sunday cinema, weekly Monday tai chi and pilates classes, and a lot more private parties and other one-off bookings. A new weekly Saturday robotics club is starting on 18th January. There are also plans to start running monthly events to ensure the hall is fully used at weekends. However, to ensure they break even, there are likely to be increases in room hire rates. The implications are being worked out at present and a full business plan is being prepared.
Building maintenance costs would have to be covered by grant applications and other fundraising. It will require a lot of fundraising effort and we will be looking for help and support from the community. Our first steps after taking a lease will be to improve energy-efficiency by insulating the roof, replacing the inefficient lighting with smart energy-efficient lighting, and installing instant water heaters. Although we’d love to make the hall more attractive, we are not permitted to paint the hall without using costly Council-approved traders until a lease is taken, so that will have to wait till April 2026.
The only chance to make our plans work depends on many volunteers helping. After our public meeting, we were delighted to get 8 volunteers as new trustees and 35 new general volunteers, bringing our total number of volunteers to around 60. Even more would help: lawyers, business leaders, planners, painters, joiners, plumbers, electricians, builders, gardeners, administrators, event organisers, and anyone willing to help occasionally with events and other volunteering. Contact us if you think you can help and we will add you to our growing volunteer WhatsApp group. Volunteering opportunities will be limited until the new lease is in place.
As soon as we can resolve road access, we will be in a position to progress community asset transfer. If we are successful, ownership of the land and building will transfer to Murieston Community Development Trust, and our members will have a direct say in the future of the centre. Join the Trust to get voting rights and play a part.
Our long term aim is to provide better facilities for Murieston. We are proposing to raise funds to build a new community social hub more suited to the needs of our community. It will take at least 10 years and a lot of effort, but our vision is for a vibrant zero-energy centre with cafe/bar, shops, small multi-use theatre, and more and better rooms for community use. We will need community help to shape the future centre and consultations will take place on the exact form it will take.
Please come and discuss the future of our community centre at our AGM on January 27th. Your support for our plans is crucial for us to take them forward and get future funding.