Residents of Scotland’s “Shaky Toun” are in talks to buy their beloved village square after a fundraising campaign succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.
Just six weeks after launching a bid to raise £100,000, Comrie’s target has been smashed with a staggering £114,000 worth of pledges and donations now secured.
Bumblebee Square has been a community hub since 2010, when it was loaned to the village by Braemore Estates.
Its future was thrown into jeopardy after plans for a convenience-style Co-op store and seven flats were unveiled.
The landowner, nonetheless, offered the community a window of opportunity in which to secure the funding needed to purchase the site for the village.
In light of the successful summer campaign, a well-attended public meeting was held this week at which the Friends of the Square’s trustees were given a mandate to move forward with a bid.
And the charity is now in talks with Braemore Estates to determine if it is possible for the community to go ahead with the purchase.
No matter the outcome, the organisers of the “Show You Care About the Square” fundraising campaign have thanked the people of Comrie and beyond for their support.
“We have doubled the value of pledges we had before the campaign began in July and have received additional cash donations,” said Libby Urquhart, chairwoman of the Friends of the Square.
“The contributions come from across the community and represent the wishes of hundreds of people.
“We know that we will need a much larger sum of money to complete the purchase, but we feel optimistic that the community is solidly behind the effort.”
Treasurer Ted Henderson said: “It’s only through the generosity of Braemore Estates that Bumblebee Square was established in the first place.
“We realise that they are considering other possible uses of the site, but we are delighted to have the opportunity to work collaboratively with Braemore to potentially secure this community resource for the benefit of generations to come.”
Anyone interested in volunteering to help with the campaign is invited to contact the Friends of the Square at bumblebeesquare@gmail.com.