The project to bring a community hub to Friockheim has received another boost with a £138,000 award.
The long-running campaign to remodel the former village school into a multi-purpose centre received their latest grant from the Angus LEADER fund on Tuesday.
It follows news at the start of this year that FriockHub would receive a grant of more than £1m from Big Lottery Scotland – enough to ensure that the project became a reality.
Approval for the former Eastgate School building and grounds to be transferred from Angus Council to the ownership of the local community group was approved in March.
FriockHub will see the old school converted into a resource that will provide support, facilities, spaces and services to the community of Friockheim, and its extensive surrounding rural hinterland.
Project chairman Dougie Pond said: “To receive the lottery funding we had to raise co-funding of around £250,000. This money means we will achieve the co-funding.
“The lottery money will mainly pay for the building and the Angus LEADER grant will go towards facilities within the hub – things like the equipment for the fitness suite, the café and sports facilities.
“We are very pleased for the grant and the fact it is an Angus grant from a fund that is managed by the council. I think it demonstrates the commitment of Angus to the project.
“We are looking forward to getting started on the work.”
New facilities will include an IT suite, fitness suite, indoor sports facilities, outdoor play/activity areas and community café.
There will also be the opportunity for the delivery of services such as health screening, hairdressing and chiropody, bank/post office, Citizens Advice, for example.
Special provision will be made to cater for youth facilities, elderly residents, the disabled and disadvantaged, as well as established resident groups, pre-school and mother and toddler activities, and educational and college activities.
A key development will be the focus on community business, with the provision of six business start-up spaces.
Angus LEADER is a European funding programme for rural development projects with a fund of over £2 million available for rural Angus.
The fund’s outcomes are to build community capacity, improve connectivity, develop community assets and facilities and to strengthen the local economy.
