A taste of something new at Craignish
CRAIGNISH Village Hall is to host a vegan cafe - one of a number of ideas to plug a funding gap.
Argyll and Bute Council had used the hall for pre-school provision since 2005, when the hall first opened its doors.
Changes in legislation forced the local authority to move preschool classes closer to schools, meaning a sizeable chunk of income was lost to Craignish Village Hall.
Far from resting on its laurels, the hall committee began looking for ways to plug the gap of £4,000 per year which had been received from Argyll and Bute Council.
Paul Smyth, hall treasurer, said: ‘We are grateful to Argyll and Bute Council for using the space for so long. It gave us a steady income, particularly in the early years.’
A trial period with the pop-up vegan cafe, called ‘A Taste of Craignish’, is the first step in the recovery project.
To make the most of the space, the cafe will sell local crafts alongside vegan food. It will also serve as a historical archive, a tourist information spot and a community resource centre.
Hall manager Tiziana Tedoldi told the Argyllshire Advertiser: ‘We had various suggestions from the community. Some were good ideas that didn’t work, for instance the ceiling proved too low for a gym, and some were worthwhile but didn’t bring in the income.’
The combination of all these activities in one location would make visiting the tourist office or grabbing a coffee an experience in itself.
Craignish Village Hall is used to doing a lot with a little and the centre is already an outstanding events venue, hosting everything from yoga classes to film nights to weddings.
Tiziana continued: ‘We are fortunate that people in Ardfern and surrounding areas feel a real connection with the hall. There’s a sense of ownership and we appreciate their support.’
A Taste of Craignish will be open from May 24. Opening hours are Thursday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm.