The building is now wind and watertight following works in 2019 to replace (and insulate) the roof, and as it will no longer be a place of worship, we have the option to phase development work based on funding available at the time. If we take this on there are many challenges ahead in terms of securing funds to purchase and convert the building, ongoing operation of the facility and marketing the space to ensure the facility breaks even.

You may have received a survey from the Barthol Chapel Community Association (BCCA) back in 2018 when we were investigating the potential of creating a shared space for community use and worship but now the Church of Scotland have confirmed their intention to sell the building, focus has switched to progressing the acquisition of the building solely for community use. 

We held an open meeting on the 20th of March 2023 which was very well attended. As with previous meetings the mood was positive about the general plans being proposed and provided a mandate from the community to progress further and present a business case to the General Trustees for us to purchase the building and convert it into a community hub.

We appreciate that not everyone may have been able to attend our meeting in March, and we wish to capture the views of everyone as this would be a space that will benefit everyone! One of the first and vital steps of the process is to, therefore, canvass our local community on their views about how the building may be run and used to support the business case and proposed submission to the church.

This is a huge commitment for the community, and we want to hear your views as well as finding volunteers to join us to take this forward.

Please could you and your household take a moment to respond to a short survey that can be accessed via this link https://forms.office.com/e/9GaAyvefTT  

Alternatively, if you wish a paper copy of the survey then please email us at communityhub@bartholchapel.com and we will happily provide you with one.

To fully gauge the views of our community we would appreciate as many people in the household completing the survey as possible. 

Please complete the survey as soon as possible, but no later than 30th June 2023.

For the latest news on the Community Hub (and all other Barthol Chapel news) please keep an eye on our website or join us on Facebook.

Thank you for taking part and sharing your views.