It’s time for another update on what we are up to and how redevelopment of Glassford Village Hall is progressing. Click below to download the newsletter as a PDF. Or continue down the page to read it here.
We are keen to find out how you would like the hall to be used and for what purposes over the next year ahead of the major planned redevelopment. We have put together a survey we would like you to complete.
To complete the survey go to https://forms.gle/8Bzv9K4TsHRmQqe66. The more people who complete the survey the better we will understand what your priorities are for the village. The survey will be open until May 15th 2024.
After the success of the last Comedy Night in Glassford Village Hall in January, Stuart Mitchell is working with the Community Group to present a quarterly comedy night in the village. This will be the latest fundraiser for Glassford Community Group as it develops its plans to turn the village hall into a community hub.
Next up on May 25th 2024 we have a fantastic line-up including Stuart Mitchell as host with Danny O’Brien coming all the way from Dublin and Marc Jennings.
For tickets scan the QR code or go to https://www.wegottickets.com/event/615650
Stuart Mitchell is now regarded as one of the UK’s top comedians and TikTok stars with over a 50M views online.
He is currently the longest running panellist of BBC Scotland’ Breaking The News and recently starred in his own Radio 4 series Stuart Mitchell – “Cost of Living”. In addition he has made numerous appearances across TV and Radio including Chris McCausland’s ‘You Heard It Here First’, The Blame Game and The News Quiz.
His debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, with his show ‘Dealt a Bad Hand’ at The Pleasance Courtyard received critical acclaim and sell out audiences throughout the month, culminating in an extra show due to demand. His follow up show “Gordon Ramsay’s Karma Café” received excellent 4 and 5-star reviews.
He is also creator and star of the Glesga Da Podcast with over 50M views on TikTok.
His exceptional writing skills and the ability to tailor material for any audience means he is highly in demand as a host of corporate events and award ceremonies across Europe and beyond!
Danny O’Brien has been performing stand-up comedy for over of a decade, headlining regularly at top comedy clubs and festivals to worldwide audiences.
As the resident host and owner of The Comedy Crunch in Dublin one of Ireland’s most successful comedy clubs – his friendly, high energy and anecdotal style draws in an audience and brings on the big laughs with ease!
Following in the footsteps of Simon Pegg, Dylan Moran and Dara Ó Briain – Danny was handpicked in 2016 to perform as part of the iconic ‘Best of The Edinburgh Fest’ Show across Australia touring Perth World Fringe, Adelaide Fringe Festival and The Melbourne International Comedy Festival. He was asked back in 2018 and again 2019, making him the only Irish comic to do the tour a record three times.
He performed his first solo show at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe Festival to rave reviews and scooped the title of “Dublin’s Funniest Comedian” at the prestigious Stand Up For FM104 that same year. In 2013 Danny took part in Irish TV show The RTE Comedy Awards and released his first comedy album on iTunes as part of the Irish Underground Comedy Show. He also beat sixteen of Ireland’s best up-and-coming acts to take the coveted Toilet Duck Award at Tedfest (the now-famous Father Ted celebration).
He has returned to The Edinburgh Fringe with a brand new hour each and every year since. His 2019 solo show ‘Lock-In’ sold out it’e entire run at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival as well as Galway Arts Festival, Wexford Spiegeltent Festival, Clifden Arts Festival and received rave reviews. The show toured over 60 dates all over the globe including an extensive Irish tour and to cities around the globe including London, Prague, Brno, Budapest, Berlin, LA and finishing with a month long tour of Asia including Bangkok, Saigon, Hanoi, Jakarta, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. His brand new show ‘Reformer’ will debut at this years Edinburgh Festival in August 2019.
Glaswegian comedian Marc Jennings is one of the country’s brightest new comedic talents.
Marc is a regular panellist and writer on BBC Scotland’s satirical news show Breaking the News and has appeared on the new stand-up television series The Comedy Underground (BBC Scotland).
A three-time Scottish Comedian of the Year finalist, Marc sold-out his entire run at the Edinburgh Festival in 2019 and has garnered a significant online following after several clips of his stand-up went viral, amassing in excess of 5 million views and gaining more than 30,000 followers online.
One of the most promising new acts on the Scottish comedy scene, this English Literature graduate from Clydebank regularly plays clubs up and down the UK, and in 2015 was selected for the BBC’s New Comedy Award competition as well as being nominated for Best New Comedian at the Scottish Variety Awards.
Marc is part of the popular sketch troupe SCRAM!, has written and produced his own 30 minute political-mockumentary Party On, as well as clocking up over a million views as writer and star of his own viral video on Unemployment.
Introduction
We are now almost into spring after a wet and windy winter and it is time to give you an update on where things are with Glassford Community Group.
As you will know, Ian Dickson took over as Chair last year after James Newall stepped down following a very successful five year spell as chair in which much was achieved in the village. Paul Denning has now taken over as Treasurer from Lisa Webb. Les Hoggan is still Secretary. Ian is now also a Trustee on the Charity and this will be reported to OSCR as part of the annual return later in the year.
Village Hall
Glassford Community Group is now the proud owner of our village hall following the completion of the Community Asset Transfer last September. Towards the end of 2023 volunteers spent hours and days in the hall doing essential repairs and maintenance to get the hall ready for use. There was a launch event in November that included a selection of local musicians performing on stage after an open day to display the proposed redevelopment plans.
The hall is now available for hire for birthday parties, weddings, meetings, leaiure activities, art classes, fitness classes, etc. If you are interested in hiring the hall contact us on Facebook or send an email to glassfordcommunitygroup@gmail.com. The hall costs £30 an hour to book with a minimum booking of two hours.
Redevelopment and Funding
Plans for the redevelopment of the hall are forging ahead. Following the award of a grant from the Community Led Local Development Fund (CLLD) we appointed an architect, Angus Design Associates which is based in Hamilton. There were many meetings to discuss requirements and a final set of drawings was agreed in December 2023. There were submitted to South Lanarkshire Council in December 2023 as part of a formal planning application and we expect to hear the outcome over the course of the next month or two.
A further grant application was made to enable us to fund the development and submission of an application for Building Warrant and to develop tender documents for issue. We expect to put out a formal tender after the outcome of the planning application is known.
There are also plans to identify an area to be used as an offsite site base given the restrictions around the village hall. More on that later.
Discussions have started with potential funders for the redevelopment itself. This is going to be well into seven figures and there are also ongoing discussions about VAT implications and how we manage that aspect of the funding. The group has opened a second bank account specifically for the redevelopment to keep those funds from separate day to day running costs for Glassford Community Group.
The expectation is that work will start on the redevelopment early in 2025 and take around 18 months to complete.
Hall activities
We are already seeing a good number of hall hires. Jo Martin is running two Clubercise classes, on a Monday Evening and a Thursday Morning. We have regular yoga classes on a Wednesday evening and we have a number of birthday parties booked for the coming months.
As mentioned above if you would like to hire the hall Glassford Community Group would be delighted to hear from you.
Community Garden
Glassford Community Garden was completed in 2021 with funding from the Spirit of Lanarkshire Fund, with the land leased from Church of Scotland. With the coming of spring, we need volunteers to help us maintain the garden with planting, weeding, etc. If you are able to help please contact us on Facebook or at glassfordcommunitygroup@gmail.com.
Caretaker
With the growing number of events and activities taking place in the hall, we are in need of caretaker support. We would be happy for more than one person to offer to help and would develop a rota to support scheduled activities. Duties would include opening and closing the hall, setting up for events, cleaning up afterwards and ensuring the event procedures checklist is completed. We anticipate around 10 hours a week being needed . This would be on a self employed basis with payment made based on a completed timesheet.
If you are interested, please contact us by email at glassfordcommunitygroup@gmail.com, message us on Facebook or contact one of the committee.
Planned events
March 23rd: Glassford Beer and Gin Festival. From 1pm to 9pm. Tickets available at https://tinyurl.com/4wr9az8x or from Stevie Urquhart in the Glassford Inn weekends in the evening.
April 27th: Singing I’m No a Billy, He’s A Tim. This is the opening date for this national tour of a popular play performed for over 20 years. Ticket information is at https://www.scottkyle.co.uk/
Quarterly Comedy Nights to be scheduled from May 2024.
Following the successful community asset transfer of Glassford Hall to Glassford Community Group on September 6th 2023, and the superb efforts of a group of volunteers in painting, repair work, replacing lights and checking out the water system, the group held a series of launch events on November 10th 2023.
The first event was a coffee morning with a raffle that over the course of the three events raised over £800 for Community Group funds.
In the afternoon residents of Glassford were invited into the hall to see the proposed redevelopment plans (designed by Raymond Angus of Angus Design Associates, https://www.angusarchitects.co.uk/) and to have a chat with GCG Committee members. There was a great attendance and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. This was a family event with a bouncy castle provided by Gary at Strathaven Castles to keep the kids occupied whilst the parents looked over the plans.
In the evening there was a family night in the hall with entertainment provided by three local acts.
Glassford Community Group Chair, Ian Dickson, gave a welcome speech before Kenny Quigley of Avondale Radio introduced the acts.
First on was Robert Laing on keyboards, guitar and vocals. He was followed by Opaque featuring Kodi Buchanan and Nina Baxter. The final act of the evening was Auld School. A great evening to end a fantastic day where the support of the community shone through. Thanks also to Kenny Quigley of Avondale Radio and David Johnstone for providing the PA system and sound system support throughout the evening.
The Glassford Beer and Gin Festival will take place on March 23rd 2024 from 1pm – 9pm. Planning is already underway with details to be announced over the coming weeks and months. We are looking for sponsors so if you are interested in supporting our event through your business or as an individual please get in touch either through our Glassford Community Group Facebook page or by emailing glassfordcommunitygroup@gmail.com.
October 2023
Village Hall plans update: The community asset transfer is complete and funding has been awarded to allow us to get on to the next stage, which is to develop a design for the redevelopment of the hall by March 2024. We are working with an architect on next steps and with our consultant on further funding for the rebuild project starting in around August 2024. It is proposed to include a shop and a café in the plans.
Work on the hall to enable ongoing use: We have started some repair works to enable the hall to be hired for events, parties, functions, leisure and exercise classes. This includes plumbing, electrical and joinery work along with painting. We expect to be able to start hiring out the hall from November 2023.
Glassford Beer and Gin Festival 2024: This will take place on March 23rd 2024 with tickets initially going on sale within the village on November 11th 2023 and then on Eventbrite and at local outlets, including Roasted and the Glassford Inn.
Ongoing communication: We will be updating the website to focus on future plans and on the Glassford Beer and Gin Festival 2024. This work will be completed by the end of November. We will also be using social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) to keep you all up to date with what is happening and we will also be doing regular features on Avondale Radio. There will be an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed design and plans for the future of the hall.Please keep in touch with us through glassfordcommunitygroup@gmail.com or through the Glassford Community Group Facebook page, which is being amended to focus solely on Community Group activities. The Glassford Beer and Gin Festival Facebook page will be amended to solely focus on the Festival with the Glassford Facebook page being a generic page for news about the village. Our website is at www.glassfordcommunitygroup.org
November 11th 2023
With the community asset transfer of Glassford now complete
it’s time to celebrate before the hard work starts.
10am – 1.30pm Coffee morning in the village hall.
2-5pm Come to the hall and have a look at some preliminary ideas for the redesign of the hall, prepared by our appointed architect. Have a chat with members of the Glassford Community Group
7-10.30pm Enjoy an evening in Glassford Village Hall with three local acts and a raffle. Bring your own bottle. Only £2 entry for a great evening of socialising and entertainment. Tickets available on Eventbrite at https://tinyurl.com/bdtxr4uk. Local tickets for the 2024 Glassford Beer and Gin Festival will be on sale at the event as well as during the day of November 11th. We are asking for donation of raffle prizes for the evening event. These should be handed in to Linzi Fallow or Joanne Smith.
Recently we posted the need for more people within the Glassford community to step forward to volunteer to help with Glassford Community Group and its objectives as a charity.
From that post three people have asked for more details on what help is required and two people offered to help out at events. We thank them for contacting us
This follow up is to clarify the level of help needed and to highlight the fact that without more people willing to get actively involved, we will not be able to sustain Glassford Community Group, its events and its objective of completing a community asset transfer of Glassford Village Hall. We have summarised the needs below.
1. The first major issue is that we need a chair to take over from James Newall and continue the superb work he did over a number of years in that role, taking us to charitable status and getting to the stage that an application for a community asset transfer of the village hall was successful. We also need a treasurer and secretary, and although Lisa and Les have said they are willing to continue, they will not be able to do so without significant community support and someone willing to take on the role of chair. Without a chair we cannot fulfil our obligations as a Scottish Incorporated Charitable Organisation.
2. We need volunteers to both organise and support events. This includes identifying and negotiating with acts to appear in the hall, arrange and configure sound and lighting equipment and organise licences and hall hire. We also need a pool of people to take turns at events, running the bar and organising raffles.
3. We need people to contribute to the development of a business plan, detailing how the purchase of the hall will be taken forward and building on the original business plan in terms of income, expenditure, insurance and ongoing costs, events and functions and regular facilities including potentially a shop and café and regular cinema.
4. We need support for the development of a management plan to identify how the hall will be run and managed, including a booking system, caretaking services and key/access management. It will also need to cover facilities management as once the hall is the property of GCG all maintenance will be our responsibility.
5. We need people to develop plans for fundraising, which will be a significant piece of work as we anticipate major costs in renovation to transform the hall from its current state (which would require major work in itself to make it suitable as a long term venue even without making changes to reflect community priorities.) This is a critical element of the project.
6. Lastly we will need a management committee to run the hall once the asset transfer is complete, to ensure that day to day operations including g cleaning, maintenance can be effectively managed.
It is impossible to see how the above can be achieved without a significant increase in the number of active people involved in each of the above. We have had great support over the years from many people who have given time for events and meetings and to plan and prepare for events and the submission of the asset transfer application. However due to many circumstances, many of them are unable to continue to offer their time, which is understandable but leaves us in a position to state that without a significant number within our community willing to get involved we will have no option but to withdraw from the community asset transfer and rescind our hard fought for charitable status.
We have already incurred legal and consultancy costs on this matter and we need to cut our losses now to avoid spending more money unnecessarily.
We therefore have very little time to reach a decision and without positive responses from across our community by February 8th we will have to formally make contact with SLC to advise of a decision to withdra
Happy new year and we hope 2023 is a good year for everyone in Glassford and beyond.
This is really a make-or-break year for Glassford Community Group. We were established as a Scottish Incorporated Charitable Organisation in 2020 and we currently have three trustees (James Newall, Lisa Webb and Les Hoggan) and a number of volunteers, included in our Facebook group.
James has since stepped down as chairman of the group but will still get involved in the group if and when he is available. 2020 and 2021 were focussed on the development of a business plan and an application for the Community Asset Transfer of Glassford Village Hall. That application was approved by a committee of South Lanarkshire Council in December 2021, as was the award of a grant of £41,000 to cover the purchase cost and upkeep for around nine months following the handover to Glassford Community Group.
We have run three highly successful Beer and Gin Festivals and many music fundraisers since 2018, however there are no planned events yet agreed for 2023. We now need to make a pragmatic decision on how to proceed for the future, with the asset transfer not yet completed due to delays in the legal process. We cannot continue to complete the asset transfer until we are clear on a structure for Glassford Community Group to take us into ownership of the hall. That will involve significant management, financial and maintenance responsibilities which will be impossible with just three trustees and a reliance on volunteer availability.
We need a clear structure in place to ensure the successful transition to ownership and sound management of what would be a community asset and with plans for development of a community hub. The trustees are therefore asking for a community view on how we should proceed, and for volunteers to step up to help set out a management plan for the future. Without this we will have no option but to take the decision to withdraw from the Community Asset Transfer and to reassess the feasibility of continuing as a charity.
These decisions need to be taken as quickly as possible to avoid Glassford Community Group being left with an asset that it cannot effectively manage. The legal process to complete the asset transfer is continuing and we need to make a final decision quickly on the future of Glassford Community Group and also the Asset Transfer of the hall.
South Lanarkshire Council will already be in discussions on where next year’s budget will be going and will have no plans to provide further funding for the hall to keep it open due to approval for the Asset Transfer already having been agreed.
Approval for the Community Asset Transfer of Glassford Village Hall in December 2021 was based on a business plan developed by Glassford Community group after extensive community consultation showed that a community hub in the Village Hall was a high priority. Lisa and Les are happy to remain in their current positions if this is acceptable to the Group but only if we can agree an effective structure with adequate numbers actively involved to make the asset transfer work. Sadly, if we don’t get the commitment and help needed to effectively manage the hall, it may be closed/lost to the Glassford community forever and Glassford Community Group will be unable to continue as a charity.
August 3rd 2022
Glassford Village Hall
Attendees
Lisa Webb, James Newall, Lynn Webb, Martin McManus, Peter Coll, Fiona Coll, Clare Miller, Morag Walker, Les Hoggan, Stevie Urquhart, Steven Hefti, Donna Hefti, David Kilby, Sandra Kilby
Minutes of AGM 2021
Approved
Chair’s Report
The pandemic brought fundraising to a halt, however events have restarted almost once a month since November 2021. We completed work on the Community Garden in 2021 based on funding from the Spirit of Lanarkshire Fund, with a working group in place to keep it in shape.
In December the Community Asset Transfer of the Glassford Village Hall was approved along with funding through a Renewable Energy Fund application to cover the purchase cost and ongoing costs for around 9 months. Our third Beer and Gin Festival was highly successful with over 700 people attending. We are currently undergoing a feasibility study for redevelopment with the aim of having the work costed by a quantity surveyor and to get sketch drawings that would allow us to put out a tender for architects to redesign the hall based on community priorities.
Various groups are looking to restart bookings for the hall and we have had a few enquiries about bookings for parties. We have three further bookings for the remainder of the year for fundraising events.
Secretary’s Report
We were successful in a renewable energy fund grant of £41,000 to cover the cost of the purchase of the hall and the ongoing costs for the first nine months. Our business plan meant that SLC gave us a 63% discount on the purchase cost leaving a net cost of around £32,000. We also are working on an application for fees to cover legal, consultancy and architectural costs.
We are looking to implement a booking system for the hall allowing us to book individual rooms or the whole hall. This is estimated to cost between £170 and £350 per year.
We applied for a regeneration grant under a Scottish Government scheme for around £700,000 as a first step towards the refurbishment costs. Our application was well received but we were advised to reapply in 2023 when the work is scheduled to start as that fits better with the working of the scheme. SLC was very supportive of our application.
Treasurer’s Report
The bank account currently has around £10,300. Events are bringing in between £400 and £1300 depending on attendance, which has been good for most acts. There is a core bar stock in place after it having to be refreshed after the pandemic. The group has bought a number of items of sound equipment to support events including lights, speakers, amps, etc. the five latest events brought in £3999.71 with the bar the main profit area followed by the raffles. The Beer and Gin Festival generated £2927 for the group’s finances and there was £40 received through Amazon Smile. The charity return is due to be submitted by early October 2022.
Martin McManus
Martin took the meeting through a presentation on the background to the Community Asset Transfer including the community consultation and the development of the Business Plan that supported the application. He highlighted the need for the community to get involved in the next steps which will be crucial to the success of the transfer of the hall. He proposed that we move on with the establishment of the five sub-groups covering Operations, Building, Funding, Collaboration and Community Comms & Marketing. It was also confirmed that a full condition survey had been undertaken which didn’t show up any major structural issues.
Next Steps
It was suggested that the Business Plan should be uploaded to and available on the website and it was agreed to do so. The website will be updated with images and video from recent events and that a blog should be added summarising the current position and the way forward. This would include where we are with the Asset Transfer and proposals for redevelopment, ideas for funding, plans for the year ahead, etc. We should also look to promote the website as the place to go for information.
There are also plans to see how Glassford Community Group can assist people over the winter.
Future events planned for the hall, outwith parties and community bookings, will feature Deacon Blue/Simples Minds tribute act on November 26th and the Soundsational Choir on December 17th.
Election of postholders
It was proposed that James Newall remain as Chair, Les Hoggan as Secretary and Lisa Webb as Treasurer, with Stevie Urquhart continuing to take responsibility for managing the group’s social media. It was agreed that this be put in a post on the Group’s Facebook page asking for the views of the wider community.
The meeting ended at 8.15pm
The meeting was held online
Janet Crawford
Les Hoggan
Morag Walker
David Kilby
Sandra Kilby
James Newall
Lisa Webb
Stevie Urquhart
Mark Shields
Leanne Caldwell
Gary Miller
Clare Miller
Andy Gray
Lynne Urquhart
The community asset transfer application for Glassford Village Hall went in on schedule on July 21st 2021. A community consultation ended on September 9th with no submissions. An initial review of the business plan was carried out by South Lanarkshire Council with no major issues identified and the feedback was very positive. Further meetings have taken place with SLC including one relating to funding. An enquiry to the Renewable Energy Fund was submitted for £35,000 to fund the purchase of the hall and the first quarter’s ongoing costs. This was approved and moved on to application status. The group can also apply to REF for funding to support legal, architect and consultant costs.
The Assessment Panel is due to sit shortly and a decision should be made on the discount level and the net cost for purchase once that is in place. The Hall was valued at a gross cost of £80,000. The Environmental and Community Resources Committee sits on December 8th to formalise any decision by the Assessment Panel.
To date around 100 tickets have been sold which covers the cost of running the event. Posters have been printed for distribution around the area and articles have appeared in Strathaven Echoes. An application is in for an alcohol licence and the hall is booked. Prior to the event a review of alcohol stock will take place to identify what is needed for the event.
The calendar is now complete and ready to go for printing. It will sell at £8 meaning that around £6 will go to the Group funds for every calendar sold. It will be promoted on social media and on the website. It will also be available to buy from the website for local distribution or for £10 to be posted. Calendars can also be collected from the Creative Strathaven shop at 2 Barn Street Mews.
The Xmas lights will be going up towards the end of November 2021 and there will be a switch on ceremony at a date to be confirmed. Liz Cooper of The Common Greenery to be contacted about a Xmas Tree for the corner of Alston Street and Jackson Street. A decision has still to be made about who will switch the lights on.
It was agreed to plan for an event in the Hall on the last Saturday of each month. There will be a Freddie Mercury tribute act in January and a Quiz Night in February followed by the Glassford Beer and Gin Festival at the end of March. Contact has also been made with Oasis and Fleetwood Mac tribute acts.
Planning for issue of tickets was discussed. People on the priority list will be contacted on November 5th and will have a week to confirm purchase. Tickets will cost £12.50. Glassford residents will have access to tickets w/c November 8th with a public sale taking place from November 13th.
Acrylic pens have been purchased to update the year on the 2019 souvenir glasses. This will mean they will not go to waste and reduce costs.
To enable more space for customers it is planned to extend the area used for marquees further up Jackson Street. Glassford Church has confirmed that the car park can be used for catering vans. At this stage it is not known whether the container currently in the pub car park will be removed ahead of the event. Discussions ongoing about where the stage will be located. John McNiven to be contacted about building platforms for the bars.
It is planned to have five brewers, 2 gin suppliers, Select Drams and Old Mother Hunt Rum at the event. Brewers were confirmed for the 2019 event and will be contacted first to assess whether they are available for March 2022.
It is planned to apply for a road closure from 7pm on Friday until 10am on the Sunday to allow time for marquees to be put up and taken down.
Book hall for Beer and Gin Festival: LH
Apply for alcohol licence for Beer and Gin Festival: LH
Assess current sponsors list: MS
Check Brewer and Gin supplier availability and also Old Mother Hunt Rum. Contact Select Drams: LH
Contact with guy who took lights down last year: JN
Apply for road closure: LH
Contact Joe Bailey about marquees: JN
October 20th at 7.30pm. Details below. Follow link or scan QR Code.
Glassford Community Group Meeting
Time: Oct 20, 2021 07:30 PM London
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 881 1096 7753
Passcode: 092055
You may recall we carried out an extensive community consultation a couple of years ago to identify the priorities of the community for what Glassford needs and also to gauge interest in the Group completing a Community Asset Transfer of the Village Hall.
We have been in discussions with South Lanarkshire Council for some time and made good progress, with plans to submit an application for a Community Asset Transfer of the Village Hall by July 21st 2021. This would allow a review of the application and a decision by the end of December 2021.
to support development of our business plan we really need to know what you think of the plans, how you would like to see the hall used and to assess your views on establishing it as a community hub with numerous facilities, services and activities.
We ask you to help us by completing the online survey at https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=161962644066. It won’t take long and you really would be helping not only the Glassford Community Group but the community of Glassford in supporting our aims to establish a community hub.
