Hill Kirk work is to start very soon
Players’ delight as project gets under way
Long-awaited work on the refurbishment of the Hill Kirk in Blairgowrie is finally expected to get under way in the next few weeks.
The move comes as local drama group the Blairgowrie Players, which owns the building, has announced that it has received around £45,000 in match-funding from the Rural Perth and Kinross LEADER programme for the project.
President of the Blairgowrie Players, Graham Reid, is pleased that the Hill Kirk is to be upgraded, saying that the work will create facilities for the group that will last them for many years to come.
He said: “At last, after having been talked about for over ten years, the refurbishment of the Hill Kirk - the former parish church and present home to Blairgowrie Players - is expected to start within a few weeks.
“The Players bought the B-listed building in the late 1970s and work was undertaken then to allow a stage to be built, a toilet installed and a false ceiling added.
“Over the years various other fixtures have been added as the need arose. Now the time has come to make the building more fit for purpose and to meet health and safety regulations.”
Work to be carried out on the building includes a new suspended ceiling, a kitchen area and new toilets including disabled access.
Graham continued: “Since our first idea of a community arts centre, we have had a rollercoaster ride of highs, where we had some really good ideas, and lows, where most of them failed either through lack of finance or sheer impractability.
“Many times we came to a full stop, became disheartened and abandoned one scheme after another.
“We had a project that was part of the Blairgowrie and Rattray Regeneration Company (BARRC) bid for Lottery funding that was rejected.
“We had a feasability study prepared by consultants and we had a business study prepared by students of Abertay University. Neither of them met our criteria.
“But we kept coming back to the concept that something needed to be done if we were to continue using the Hill Kirk as the base for the club.
“Finally we pared our ideas down and eventually employed a local architect to draw up plans. Several meetings later, and with a great deal of help from PKC officials, we were able to put forward our plans on a match-funding basis with the Rural Perth and Kinross LEADER programme.
“Fortunately, over the years we had set up a fund that was ringfenced for the refurbishment and by dint of lots of fundraising activities, we had a healthy sum available.
“However, the process of actually filling in forms, supplying relevant information, which had to be constantly updated, and waiting for approvals, has still taken over a year to reach this point.
“Contractors had to be contacted to tender for the work and then the tenders assessed. Building and planning warrants had to be applied for and all this takes time. There were times when we thought nothing was ever going to happen. But here we are, by coincidence in the week our panto Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves takes place, announcing that work should be starting in the next few weeks.
“When the refurbishment is finished we will have facilities for future Players to enjoy that are fit to take us forward for many years.”
Facilities for future Players to enjoy that are fit to take us forward for many years