Dumfriesshire Lord Lieutenant Fiona Armstrong has officially launched Sanquhar’s newly-refurbished and extended A’ the Airts.
And there was good news from centre manager Yvonne Barber, who revealed the facility has secured £84,000 from the Lottery Community Fund, spread over the next three years.
She said: “We have been very fortunate and thankful to have achieved this core funding from the Lottery towards core costs of running – £28,000 for the next three years means that the centre is staffed and ready to keep offering the facility and events to the community.
“The Holywood Trust have also awarded £16,000 over the next two years for the work that is carried out with the young people of Upper Nithsdale. This funding assists massively with the work conducted with local schools and young people in the area.”
The fully accessible community hub serving Upper Nithsdale has grown from a vision which began 23 years ago when the town supported a plan to transform a rundown building on the High Street into an arts, crafts and cultural centre.
Funding was eventually acquired to purchase the site and the building work started but then stalled in 2008. Eventually, Upper Nithsdale Arts and Crafts Community Initiative secured grant aid to get building work started again in April 2010 and it opened in the November.
Its popularity since showed a need to expand to meet demand for the future and, following the purchase of an adjacent, dilapidated property several years ago via Scottish Land Funding, and securing cash from the Scottish Government, Dumfries and Galloway Council and the Hollywood Trust, work on creating the new A’ the Airts began 16 months ago.
For six months, the centre’s team and users were temporarily housed in St Bride’s Church Hall but moved back in towards the end of March.
They now have a community arts centre with charitable status which has doubled in size so that residents have the room and opportunity to learn new skills, meet friends and express their creativity.
The enhancements made include a dedicated gallery for local artists to exhibit; an upgraded 50-seat bespoke theatre/cinema area for performances and film showings; a state-of-the-art digital media suite and two craft rooms.
There is also a new upstairs hospitality area; an expanded shop where local people can sell their crafts and art; a new Sanquhar Pattern knitting facility and a larger café at the back of the building, leading out to an alfresco area and landscaped garden.
After special welcome events in past months for the community and for young people, and a key role in Sanquhar Arts Festival, the building was declared open by the Lord Lieutenant in a ceremony attended by more than 80 guests – partner organisations, Sanquhar Community Council leaders, funders and the staff and volunteers.
