ALL GO FOR MOFFAT VOLUNTEERS!

Moffat Town Hall Trust has just set up a new body to help develop volunteering in the town.  It aims to increase the numbers of volunteers in Moffat, to encourage volunteering amongst younger people in particular, and to work with other organisations in the town to co-ordinate activity and share volunteers.

The new group – to be known as Moffat Community Volunteers (MCV) – has just received a small grant from the Voluntary Action Fund.  The grant will pay for a part-time volunteer Coordinator post, training and equipment for volunteers and promotional materials.

The newly appointed Coordinator, Jon Haydon, will develop the scheme over the next year or so.  Links have already been made with the Academy, and Jon is looking forward to an exciting future for the scheme.  “There is an awful lot of volunteering already in Moffat.  We are in the early stages just now, but we plan to grow the number of volunteers and try to give them a consistent and positive experience”, he said.  “We are also keen to work with groups in Moffat to share volunteers and develop good training and support for all volunteers in the town”.

For further information, anyone interested in volunteering, or groups wanting to work with MCV, should contact Jon on 07812 914188

Take a look at the Notice Board !

Good morning, All,

If you're passing the Town Hall, please do take a look in the Notice Board on the Library side - it now has some notices in it !  It's just a small start at present, but we look forward to receiving lots of posters now that you can see we really are using it.  Notices will be changed/updated each Monday afternoon.

Enjoy reading what's there :)

A NEW OPPORTUNITY

We hope you have spotted the smart new notice board that is outside the Town Hall on the library side of the building.  It is not only for Town Hall events, but for any Community Group/event organiser to supply posters to be displayed.

We would obviously like to have posters for all upcoming events in the Town Hall (particularly the regular coffee mornings), but subject to space, will include other Community items.  At present, we propose the posters to be included will be in A3 format.  Just email your A4 poster to 

MTHRT@visitmoffat.co.uk

and we will do the rest.  Alternatively, drop your printed A4 poster into the Town Hall and we will enlarge it to A3 and place it on the board.  There is NO CHARGE for this new facility.

HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR TICKETS YET? SUNDAY'S JAZZ AT THE TOWN HALL WILL BE BRILLIANT!

I was very fortunate yesterday afternoon to sit in on a workshop being conducted by a young jazz pianist - Tom Gibbs from Glasgow - with the Moffat Piano Ensemble from Moffat Academy.  Also present was Champian Fulton giving the students advice about performing and their performance.  The Champian Fulton Trio supported by the Moffat Piano Ensemble will be performing from 12.30 p.m. on Sunday.  

Tickets are also still available for Tim Kliphuis supported by the Moffat Schools Jazz Group at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.  Tim has had many sell-out gigs in the region, but this is his first visit to Moffat and we very much look forward to enjoying his sound.

Tickets, £8 are available for both gigs until 5 p.m. on Saturday at Present Time, High Street, Moffat and will also be available at the door on Sunday.

TOWN HALL KITCHEN BACK IN ACTION

Saturday 14^th September saw the use of the kitchen for the first big event (the British Legion Coffee Morning) since its refurbishment.  The volunteer ladies were able to enjoy the new units, with the range of stainless steel fittings and appliances. 

The kitchen refurbishment has been the Community’s top priority for refurbishment since the original consultation on the fate of the Town Hall back in 2006.  Thanks to funding support from Scottish Hydro Clyde Community Fund and Dumfries and Galloway LEADER Programme, the refurbishment has now been achieved.  Instock, a leading commercial kitchen supply company from Carlisle, together with a local joiner and electrician completed the refit in time for the coffee morning.  The new kitchen provides a much better working environment, and provides a greater range of facilities which can be used for catering during events

Peter Beck-Samuels, a Trust Board member, stated “It is great to see the kitchen refurbished at last, with up to date facilities and work surfaces.”  

The lovely new stainless steel kitchen

The volunteers enjoying using the new facilities

MOFFAT TOWN HALL REDEVELOPMENT TRUST A.G.M.

Moffat Town Hall Redevelopment Trust held its fifth Annual General Meeting on Thursday 22 August 2013.  There were a good number of members present who were greeted with a glass of wine/soft drink as desired.  The official business commenced at 7.30 pm when Peter Beck-Samuels, Chair, took the floor and welcomed everyone.  He also announced that, as previously indicated, with the Town Hall now entering a very new stage with the Trust having commenced managing the building in November, he would be stepping down as Chair.    In doing so, he thanked his Board for their support and work and also to Gerard Godfrey whose Project Management, particularly of the renovation stage, had gone above and beyond the call of duty and was continuing with him as a volunteer.  Jane McCulloch was also thanked for all she has achieved in the short time since she commenced her post.

The Trust has received many favourable comments regarding the cleaned stonework and looks forward to the official unveiling of all the completed outside works on Sunday 6 October 2013.

The works to the kitchen that had only recently been commenced were also mentioned and those present were invited to take a look at the bare room now that the floor has been lifted so that there is no longer that awkward step down into the kitchen.  The kitchen will be finished by mid September in time for the first coffee morning of the post-summer season.  After Peter Beck-Samuels had finished his report, Martin Brown, Vice-Chairman, proposed a vote of thanks to the outgoing Chair.

Under the agenda item "Election and reappointment of Directors", it was revealed that only one nomination had been received for the post of Chair, that of Lord Johnstone of Raehills.  It is entirely appropriate that he is taking this post as it was his family who originally gifted the land to the town for the Town Hall to be built in 1827.  Resignation from the Board had been received from Martin Tilstone who has taken up a post away from Moffat and will only be in the town at weekends.  He was thanked for all the time and effort he has put into his Board membership since joining.

The main business of the meeting concluded with Jane McCulloch making a presentation showing the progress of the Town Hall to date.  Following the business of the meeting, all present were invited to enjoy refreshments and to mingle.

AN EXCITING EVENT at the TOWN HALL on Sunday 27 September 2013

NEW THIS YEAR: Lockerbie Jazz Fesstival is spreading its wings to MOFFAT and there will be 2 gigs in MOFFAT TOWN HALL on Sunday 27 September. As well as tickets being available in person from Present Time, they are also bookable online a thttp://www.lockerbiejazz.com/index.php?pageID=166.
There will be a bar open for the event, kindly being run by THE STAG HOTEL, Moffat.
As you will see in the programme, at 12.30 p.m. will be the Champian Fulton Trio - hear a clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzCkDquycc4. 
At 4 p.m. will be Tim Kliphaus - hear a clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWRCYYurUI4
The timing of these gigs is just a few days before the official unveiling of the works that have been ongoing at the Town Hall since February this year.  It's all exciting stuff !!

Ongoing Kitchen works

I saw the early stages of the work being done on the kitchen yesterday evening.  The step down into the kitchen has now gone and so there is flat entry and exit to the kitchen from the Wedding Room.  The cupboard that was always kept locked now looks like a very useful storage cupboard - if it were in my own kitchen, it would make a wonderful larder!  The walls, where necessary, have new plasterboard and await plastering.  It's a large open space at the moment, but the potential is there to see.  It won't be long before it's a brilliant, much more usable kitchen!  You will be kept posted.

Scaffolding now removed from the Town Hall

I went away for a long weekend and, lo and behold! when I returned and drove up through the town, it was such a pleasure to see that the scaffolding had been removed from the Town Hall and the stonework was now revealed in all its glory.  Doesn't it look stunning?

In my view, that I believe is widely shared, the building now adds a real "presence" to the town centre.  The builders are working on the windows and there's still about 6 weeks' work to be carried out.

Here's a detail of the central gable showing detail of the sandstone carving.

KITCHEN REFURBISHMENT

The kitchen in the Town Hall is to be totally refurbished during the coming month.  The kitchen is extensively used by the Community for all sorts of events; particularly for the Saturday coffee mornings, where more than 200 cups of tea and coffee and home bakes are served by a willing group of volunteers. Much of the equipment is old and does not meet the latest health and safety standards.  It has always been the highest priority for the community for improvement to the Town Hall.  The Trust has been helped enormously by an enthusiastic group of volunteers in developing the plans for the new kitchen.

Thanks to funding support from Scottish Hydro Clyde Community Fund and Dumfries and Galloway LEADER Programme, the refurbishment can now take place.  We are delighted that Instock, a leading commercial kitchen supply company from Carlisle, have been awarded the contract.  They will be using local joiners and electricians during the refit.  There will be a totally replaced floor, hygienic wall panels, new worktops, new cooking facilities including a microwave and an instant water heater; a refrigerator, and replacement crockery, pots and pans and tea and coffee pots.

The new kitchen will provide up to date facilities in the Hall, and will provide enhanced cooking facilities which will allow the Trust to offer more extensive opportunities than have been possible previously.

Peter Beck-Samuels, Chairman of the Trust, stated “We are delighted after a number of years that we can now proceed with the refurbishment of the kitchen, and meet the community’s top priority. It will enhance the facilities, and further improve the use of the Hall, especially with its external face-lift as well”.  One of the volunteers who helped with the planning stated “We are looking forward to using the new kitchen, which is well overdue”.

Moffat Baths Hall

During the renovation work of removing the paint from the sandstone, the Trust were delighted to find a section of carved sandstone that reads "BATHS".  We assume that originally there was stone carved to read "BATHS HALL" or might even have had the word "Moffat" at the beginning.  This carved stone would have been installed at the time of the hall being built in 1827.  A Community questionnaire is available, one of the questions being asked is for your view of whether the hall should continue to be called the "Town Hall" or changed. 

It is quite remarkable how, during the period when the small section of scaffolding was removed to allow the Gala stage to be put in place, there were many folk surprised at how attractive the hall looked without a coat of paint and we hope to be able to keep it as the natural sandstone.  In this blogger's view (not necessarily representative) a natural sandstone building would have a much greater "presence" in the Town Centre.

The original "BATHS" carved sandstone

Partial removal of the scaffolding with the Gala stage in place

The 2013 Moffat Run

Always a highlight of gala week in Moffat, -the 2013 Moffat Run from the Ram to Ericstane and back took place this this Tuesday evening.

Despite the weather being far too hot for sane runners, there were healthy numbers from running clubs across Dumfries & Galloway, Lanarkshire, the Borders and Strathclyde, as well as brave locals, including two game ladies celebrating their 40th and a "scrum" from the Rugby Club raising money for charity.

I was hosting a friend from Cumbria-representing St Bees Tri-ers and we trotted across to the Town Hall to register his entry for this year-(I pulled the excuse of a bad back!).

The Town Hall is very much the support centre for the race and as well as registration and toilets inside, the stage erected out front for gala week is used for the announcements, prize giving and general urging on of competitors:

Come in No 22 your time is up!

The sun may have deterred some runners, but not the spectators and several hundred had gathered to watch first the junior races and then the main event;

The first runners amazingly completed the 15K run in around the hour point and were happy to sit and eat their medicinal chips and shade their eyes from the psychedelic orange t shirts given to each runner in their goody bag, while their friends completed the race over the next 3/4 hour.

 

 

 

See you all next year!!!!!

A mini-unveiling in readiness for the MOFFAT GALA stage

WOW !!  Along the 10-year road to work starting on the Town Hall, it has oft been said that the building was "an old lady in need of a facelift".  Well, with MOFFAT GALA starting on Saturday, a section has been unveiled to facilitate the action that takes place on the stage.  What do we see?  We see a section of the facelift work, and how fantastic it looks!  

It's much easier with the paint removed to see the wonderful carvings in the sandstone and the colour of that against the grey stone makes it stand out even more.  

Here are some photographs to be going on with, but enjoy what you see during all the coming week's MOFFAT GALA celebrations as we look forward to a full unveiling in the Autumn.

Library Refurbishment Complete

We are very pleased to report that the refurbishment works to the library roof, both inside and outside are now complete.  Here's a photograph taken from inside the library showing the smart paintwork, as well as the new roof lights that have brought in much new daylight.

All works are currently on schedule - keep a watch on this page to see the next piece of completed refurbishment soon.

Jane McCulloch

Further to our announcement last week regarding Jane joining us as Community Liaison and Marketing Officer, here is a photograph of her.

Jane has "hit the ground running" and will be making contact with community groups in the coming weeks.

TRUST WELCOMES NEW APPOINTMENT

The Trust is delighted to announce that it has appointed Jane McCulloch to the short term post of Community Liaison and Marketing Officer.  Jane's role, which has been established with support from Dumfries and Galloway LEADER and Dumfries and Galloway Council Area Committee funding is aimed at engaging with the Community in Moffat as to how we can encourage further use and development of the Town Hall.  Jane started with the Trust yesterday, 19th June, and her contract runs until the end of December.

Jane has lived in Moffat for nearly 30 years, and has a wide experience of working with the Community in Moffat.  She comes to us from the Royal Voluntary Service where she has worked as Project Manager.

Jane will be making contact with Groups and Individuals in and around Moffat over the next weeks and months.  Two of her first tasks will be to establish a User Group for the Hall, and to forward the plans for the refurbishment of the kitchen which is due to take place in August/September of this year.

“We are delighted to welcome Jane as a member of the Team at this exciting time as the Hall starts its life, refurbished, as a centre for the Community of Moffat.

Dr Peter Beck-Samuels

Chairman

Here are the results of the Library having been closed for a few days the other week - it has now been replastered as can be seen in the photographs below.

     _

Library plastering

Following the few days' closure of the Library last week, the plastering work has been completed.  There will be some photographs soon.  Watch this space!

SIGNAGE

It's good to see that there is now signage on the scaffolding to let everyone know who is the Architect and who are the main Contractors and the sponsors:

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS WITH THE TOWN HALL - PRESS RELEASE: 210513

Repairs to Moffat Town Hall are progressing rapidly, and on time.  The latest changes have seen the installation of the new roof lights to the library:

and the new beam put in above the stage inside the Hall.

In addition the old and peeling paint is being removed and is revealing the sandstone underneath.

Little can be seen of the Hall at the moment, but it is 'business as usual',

The Trust is grateful for the patience and understanding being shown by users and staff of the Hall, recognising the improvements that are taking place.

Peter Beck-Samuels, Chair of the Trust said "We are really pleased with the progress taking place.  It is exciting to see the old building being brought back to a good state of repair.  There have been no major problems detected as we get into the details of the work, and Ashleighs have ensured that the Hall remains in use as far as possible."

The next phase includes re-plastering of the library roof.  This will mean closure of the library for the period 6th and 7th June to enable the work to take place with minimum disruption.

Signed,

Dr. Peter Beck-Samuels, Chairman

01683 221 456

peter@peterbeck-samuels.orangehome.co.uk