24-01-13 Network Carradale

Update on the Tearoom and Heritage Centre.

"As many in the village will have noticed, work has begun to refurbish the Network Centre Tearoom. When it closed at the end of September, a detailed inspection revealed considerable damage to the walls and floor caused by damp and the ingress of water. Fortunately, grant funding totaling Ł13000 was quickly secured from Awards For All and the Wind Farm Trust, enabling a contract for the work to be agreed before Christmas.

In order to keep within the grant funding and get the building ready for the contractors, Network Carradale volunteers contributed over 50 hours of their time removing, fittings, plasterboard and flooring. It was literally a case of all hands on deck to get the work done on time. Thanks must go to everyone who turned up and put in such a great effort.

The building works are due to be completed by the beginning of March so it can be decorated and fitted out before Easter. While the grant funding will cover the cost of repairs there is a very tight budget for decorating and fitting out. This means volunteers will again be sought to do the painting while the local business community will be approached to assist with floor coverings and fittings. As the tearoom is very much a social hub where local residents and visitors can meet together, as well as the focal point for annual events such as the Bunny Hunt, the Kintyre Relay and geocaching, it is important to the community that it is reopened by Easter.

Also opening at Easter at the Network Centre is a new community business that will hire out mountain bikes and special all terrain electric buggies for use by the disabled. A seasonal employee has now been recruited and the mountain bikes and buggies will be delivered in the next month or so. This is an exciting initiative that as well as making quality mountain bikes available to visitors and local residents, will provide access for the disabled to the many miles of forestry roads and tracks in and around Carradale.

With refurbishment of the tearoom and the Bikes & Buggies initiative both on schedule, the hunt is now on for someone to take on the lease of the tearoom. If you know of anyone who might be interested please get in touch with Network Carradale." A Bennett.

Gutting out the tearoom.

The new build begins.

Further pics will be posted as work progresses,

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