Kilmelford Church Annexe project
Ross MacKay, our Property Convenor, gave an update to the recent Annual Stated Meeting on the proposed Kilmelford Church Annexe project – for those not there however the position is as follows.
Firstly, a quick recap perhaps? The proposed addition of an annexe to Kilmelford Church in order to provide a meeting room, kitchen, WC and disabled access has been under way since perhaps 2015 at least but in 2019 consent was obtained from Argyll Presbytery to the overall project in principle (with the General Trustees in Edinburgh also doing so in January 2020). Thereafter, the required Council planning permission and listed building consent were issued in August 2020. That of course was right in the middle of Covid restrictions and so matters necessarily had to be put on hold.
The project however recommenced with discussions in 2022 resulting in the required Council building warrant being issued to us in 2023. That then allowed us to start looking at and working on the required finances to fund the building works.
Over the last year I am pleased to say that with a mixture of generous personal donations, grants, sale proceeds and our own reserves we now have in hand or pledged a sum in the region of £170,000. Our target to cover contractors costs, fit out and contingencies is £225,000.
The annexe planning group continue to work on fund raising initiatives (of which the recent Music Night is an example)
We are finalising plans to deal with the relocation of the sheep fank currently to the rear of the church as also liaising with the new Presbytery of Cleir Eilean I and the General Trustees to hopefully tick off the final boxes before any work commences.
If anyone wishes to know more, please simply get in touch – and of course, all thoughts as to fund raising possibilities will be appreciated!
