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Community Asset Transfer and lockdown

richardx on 8 October 2020

When Moray Council took the decision to close Forres Town Hall completely in 2017, Forres Area Community Trust (FACT) stepped in to lease and manage the building on behalf of the community. This has been very successful as FACT have worked with user groups to increase occupancy and use of the building which doubled in the first 12 months of taking on the building. 

Until lockdown earlier this year a wide range of user groups including Forres & District Pipe Band, the Varis Players, Film Forres and the Forres branch of the Royal Scottish County Dance Society have been able to continue using this space. 

FACT has also been able to offer various activities in the Town Hall such as the popular Forres Online drop in sessions, and Older Persons Project activities such as gentle seated exercise and welcomed new groups to use the building including Turning Point Church, Zumba and Pound exercise classes, Guide Dog Training and community meals with Moray Food Plus. 

During lockdown it has been possible for Forres Town Hall to serve as a hub for the Forres & Kinloss community food project which has allocated over 1,000 meals since May of this year. It has also been open at limited times for donations to be made to the Scrubs project, food donations, masks, and blankets for the Cameron Project in a Covid-safe way. It has even been possible during lockdown to have the help of volunteers to refresh some of the current décor in the North Room on a socially distanced basis. 

Following the successful lease period, FACT is now in the final stages of concluding a Community Asset Transfer for Forres Town Hall, with support from the Scottish Land Fund. The final sale has not yet gone through as it has been delayed by the pandemic, however this is expected to complete before the end of the year. The building will then be owned by the Forres Area Community Trust on behalf of the community.

Community group celebrates first anniversary running Moray town hall by submitting bid to own it

richardx on 1 July 2019

by David MacKay, Press & Journal

Picture: L2R – Vicky Flood (Community Development Worker), Kirsty Williams (older Persons Project Co-ordinator), Janice Cooper (Forres On-line Co-ordinator), Kirtsy-Ann Wilson (graduate Marketing), Rory Dutton (Tenant Co-Worker) and front – Debbie Herron (Development Manager) Picture by JASON HEDGES

A community group has submitted a bid to take over a cherished Moray landmark and bring it back to life.

Today is the first anniversary of Forres Area Community Trust (Fact) signing a lease to prevent the local town hall closing.

Now the charity is aiming to take over the ownership of the Victorian building, which has been a gathering point for generations, as well.

Today new art gallery will be opened in the hall during a party to celebrate the landmark, which dates back to the 1850s.

Annual Hogmanay bashes have been revived at the hall for the first time since the 1960s and the town centre venue is also now fully booked for Saturday coffee mornings until the end of next year.

Debbie Herron, Fact’s development manager, wants to preserve the building’s strong links with the community.

She said: “During the last year we’ve had a few people come in who have met their husbands and wives here – it used to be very popular with a lot of evening dances.

“The social history of the building is really important. We knew it was important to the community but I didn’t realise how much until this year.”

Forres Town Hall faced closure with similar venues last year due to budget cuts from Moray Council. Fact has applied to the authority for ownership of the hall to be transferred to them.

Meetings have been set up between Fact, other groups who have taken on their own community facilities and council staff so they can learn from what each other is doing.

The group has drawn up plans for a £1.9million refurbishment of the Forres hall to build on the success of film screenings in the venue with tiered seating and more gallery and office space.

Mrs Herron added: “The biggest challenge for us at the moment is the condition of the building.

“It’s nearly 200 years old now. The roof leaks in places, it’s safe but it’s just another thing that needs repaired.

“Ultimately we want to completely refurbish the entire hall over the next five years. It doesn’t make best use of space at the moment so there’s a lot of untapped potential.”

The celebration at Forres Town Hall today will run from 4pm to 6pm with regular users of the venue present to provide information about what they do.

Planning The (next) Big Lunch Forres

richardx on 13 March 2019

Volunteers get together at St Leonard’s Church to plan the next Big Lunch

by Forres Gazette

REPRESENTATIVES from a national charity stopped in Forres to discuss an event to be organised in the area for the third year running.

The Eden Project communities team were at the town hall to discuss The Big Lunch which took place over the last two summers at Transition Town Forres and Grant Park. The Eden Project want as many people as possible to get into the picnic spirit, grab a blanket, neighbours, friends, sandwiches and have a Big Lunch on June 1 and 2.

Richard Lochhead MSP attended the workshop and expressed support for the event.

He said: “It was great to hear how the initiative helps to bring people in communities together. There are many social benefits to people being more connected and it’s clear that The Big Lunch is making a difference to communities right across the country. The Scottish Government recently published its strategy for tackling loneliness and social isolation, and projects like The Big Lunch can play a vital part in that agenda.”

He added: “Forres has a fantastic community spirit, and I pay tribute to those who have organised big lunch events in the past – I hope that they’ll continue.”

Big Lunchers provided first-hand accounts of the power of the Big Lunch in bringing people together, offering suggestions arising from their experience throughout the workshop.

Kirsty Williams of Forres Area Community Trust, the creative force behind last June’s Big Lunch in Grant Park, helped organise the workshop.

She said: “It was an informative day and my colleague Vicky and I have already arranged a planning meeting for March 19, inviting different groups along so we can all work together to make The Big Lunch a success this year.”

Discussions led to possible future Big Lunches in the town hall, the Findhorn Foundation and Hopeman, to add to those planned for streets and gardens around Moray.

One participant, native to Forres but working in Gairloch promised to take the Big Lunch to the west coast after attending the workshop.

Over 40,000 people in Scotland took part in The Big Lunch last year.

Free starter packs, tips and ideas can be found at www.thebiglunch.com or by calling 0845 850 8181.

Hogmanay celebrations to return to beloved Moray venue for first time in half a century

richardx on 22 December 2018

Forres Town Hall has stood on the High Street since the mid 19th Century.

by David Mackay, Press and Journal

Hogmanay celebrations will return to a treasured Moray town centre venue for the first time in half a century.

Findhorn Bay Arts is hosting the shindig at Forres Town Hall with a wealth of traditional music acts taking part.

The venue used to be the home of Hogmanay for the local community but has not hosted such a party since the 1960s.

Now revellers are being invited to dress up with “dazzle and sparkle” from the era of the last celebration held at the town hall in order to bring in 2019.

Kresanna Aigner, director of Findhorn Bay Arts, explained that the recent takeover of the venue by the Forres Area Community Trust from the council had inspired the decision to revive the events.

She said: “The hall is in the hands of the community now which has made it possible to open it again for Hogmanay.

“We had such a successful festival this year that it just felt like the right time to resurrect the parties at the town hall.

“We’ve got people from six to 86-years-old coming. It’s a real mix but we want to help bring people together.”

Tickets for the event are nearly sold out with proceeds being put towards supporting creative activities in the local area.

Crowds are also expected to gather at the foot of Dufftown’s clock tower to bring in the bells, while sharing drams and shortbread.

In Aberdeen, meanwhile, ABBA tribute band Thank You For The Music will be one of the top attractions.

They will be joined on stage on Schoolhill by local musicians Rachael Bisset and Scott Mellis and the Celtic rock band Gleadhraich, with the fun beginning at 9pm.

Marie Boulton, the city council’s culture spokeswoman, said: “There is always a great atmosphere in the city centre on Hogmanay.

“Our free street party is an excellent way to bring in the bells.”

Toun Mercat just one of Scottish Week highlights

richardx on 30 May 2018

by Forres Gazette

SCOTTISH Week returns on Saturday and with it comes a buzzing street market in the town centre.

The triennial event co-ordinated by Forres Community Activities Association (FCAA) continues the Gala Week tradition, including the highlight for many, the crowd-drawing Toun Mercat on Friday, June 8.

Rachel Philp, from Philp’s Fine Food, is organising the market stalls this year.

She said: “With just three weeks to go, there has been a phenomenal interest from both stall holders and performers wanting to secure a place at the popular open-air market held along the entire length of Forres High Street between 6pm and 9pm.

“We have almost 80 stalls confirmed already and applications are still coming in!”

Attendees will find a pedestrianised high street, closed off to traffic for the evening, full of stalls, demonstrations, fairground rides and live performances.

Cafes, bars and shops will also be open, and a new farmers’ market area will offer fresh, local and organic products direct from the producers.

The theme for window dressing and fancy dress (open to everyone) is ‘Come As You Were’ in keeping with Scotland Year of the Young Person 2018.

The entire event will also be compered by Wave Radio.

Forres Area Community Trust development officer Debbie Heron is organising the entertainment.

She said: “We know from experience that people look forward to the Toun Mercat but it’s up to businesses make it special.

“I’m delighted we’ve had so many applicants but there is room for plenty more, especially street performers.

“Anyone interested can contact me at the FACT office, 1 Leask Road, Forres or by telephoning 01309 674388.”

Stalls are £15 and High Street retailers are given priority outside their shops.

Booking forms for stall holders can be downloaded at https://forresarea.org/tounmercat or picked up from the FACT office on Leask Road between 9am and 1pm.

They are also available from Rachel at Fresh Horizons Café on the Forres Enterprise Park between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday.

Scottish Week 2018 runs from June 2-10.

A Rock concert at the terraced hills in Grant Park on Saturday, June 2 at 8pm kicks off Scottish Week with a bang showcasing some of the best live music Forres has to offer; there will be performances from Forres Pipe Band including a march through the town centre to the park on Saturday, June 2 at 7pm; street racing for children and adults around the town centre on Monday, June 4 at 6pm has been organised by Forres Harriers; the Burgess Ceremony at Forres Academy is on Tuesday, June 5 at 7pm when six worthy folk will be officially recognised by the townspeople and installed as burgesses of the Royal Burgh to the live sound of Moray Concert Brass; a vintage tea dance with John ‘The Prof’ Matheson and friends is on at Forres Town Hall on Wednesday, June 6 at 2pm; historical tours are on offer including an evening walk around local landmarks and a lecture on witches at the Tolbooth on Thursday, June 7 at 7.30pm; a pet show located between Forres Area Soccer 7’s clubhouse and Forres st Lawrence Cricket Club pavilion will show off youngster’s handling and looking after of their animals on Saturday, June 9 at 11am; and the Riding of the Marches is on Sunday, June 10 at 2pm, a modern twist of the ancient tradition of riding the town’s boundaries on horseback – this year it will be by bicycle!

FACT working on three projects for Forres

richardx on 22 February 2018

by Forres Gazette

During January’s meeting of Forres Community Council, Forres Area Community Trust (FACT) officer, Debbie Herron, talked about the campaign to get a local skate park built, plans for a Community Asset Transfer of the Town Hall and the ongoing digital support service, Forres Online.

She said: “We have been working to get a new skate park since 2012. With support from AJ Engineering, BAM Nuttall and Forres Tesco, we now have a pop-up ramp currently in use at The Loft in Kinloss.”

Forres Skate Park Initiative outsource the ramp by arrangement. It is hoped to set it up in Tesco car park in the Springtime.

Debbie added: “We will work with the 2020 Vision green spaces group to find a permanent spot for a skate facility over the next few years. Fundraising will begin in earnest once we have a clear plan agreed.”

FACT has approached Moray Council about a CAT of Forres Town Hall and carried out costings for major improvements including raised seating similar to that at Nairn Community and Arts Centre.

Debbie explained: “We want to have have movable raked seating to enable us to use the space as a open hall for dancing, band practice, coffee mornings etc, and to have seating for things like Film Forres, the panto and youth concert. There could be office space at the far end of the building, a studio and multipurpose area, and lifts at both ends. We estimate the upgrade would cost around £3 million in total.”

Around 4500 people currently use the Town Hall every week. FACT is scoping support for its ideas among the user groups.

It is hoped financial support could come from local fundraising, online crowd funding and organisations such as Heritage Lottery Fund, Big Lottery Fund and Big Issue Invest.

Finally, Debbie appealed for volunteers to help the FACT Forres Online scheme which already provides: free access to computers in a safe and encouraging environment; one-to-one development in customer support and engagement skills; and access to online courses to develop skills gained while volunteering.

She said: “Forres Online has recorded 610 attendances from 185 individuals/groups over the period September, 2016 to November, 2017. These include people over 55, unemployed and benefit claimants, small businesses, community groups, social enterprises, young families, vulnerable adults and refugees.”

Last year, FACT was awarded £149,427 to develop its volunteer base, as well as a social enterprise centre/hub to facilitate more partnership working in the area.

“FACT has 250 members and is free to join,” finished Debbie. “We have a strong board and a sustainable business plan. To get involved, please contact 01309 674388 or vemail [email protected]”