Dunaverty Hall’s grand opening
NEARLY two decades after the plan was mooted, a new hall was formally opened at Southend.
Last Saturday, in front of a large crowd, summoned by pipers Eve MacMillan and Steven MacPhail, the ribbon was cut by long-standing hall committee member and one of the founders of Dunaverty Players Janet Ferguson, 82, and the primary school’s youngest pupil, Grace Irvine, five.
Earlier committee chairman Malcolm Ronald spoke about some of the hall’s history from its first days in 1882 to a rebuild in 1913 when it was the drill hall home of C Company, 8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Mr Ronald said that after its military start when hostilities ceased it was handed back to the community.
He added: ‘In 1998 the community decided that a new hall should be built in Southend.
‘One of the initial fundraisers was Susan Paterson who is not able to be here today.
‘David McCallum cut the first sod in 2014.’ In a letter to the
Courier Mrs Paterson wrote: ‘We did it – Southend has a new Dunaverty Hall. We proved the Big Lottery wrong and that we could do it. Now Southend has a wonderful asset and one we can be proud of for the future.
‘It was in August 1998 that I was asked to join the committee to bring a new hall to Southend and little did I or others realise what a journey we would be on and how it would dominate our lives.
‘There have been tears, laughter and pulling of hair as we filled in forms, stormed Kilmory Castle, soaked in Conie Glen burn for the duck race, made scarecrows, crafts, painted, baked and manned stalls for the Christmas fair.’
Mr Ronald added that there were a number of setbacks during the process and the building but it is testament to the determination and sheer hard work of the people involved that the hall is opening today.
Mr Ronald thanked the following and apologised for any omissions: Campbeltown Rotary Club, People and Communities, Active Places, Sport Scotland, Argyll and Bute Council, SSE, Southend Community Council, Trust Fund, A4A, Beautiful Scotland, Foundation Scotland Landscaping, the Foyle Trust, MACC, Robertson Trust, Prince’s Trust, Argyll and Bute Landscaping and McKerral’s for haulage.
Argyll First councillor, Donald Kelly, who attended the opening, said: ‘It seems a life time ago since I secured the initial council funding for this project and a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then.
‘I would like to congratulate the hall committee and Southend community for their resolve and determination in seeing this project through.’