Red Cross to sell its Campbeltown base
MANY voluntary groups which use Campbeltown’s Red Cross hall may need to make emergency changes if there is a quick sale of the premises.
The British Red Cross has a board outside its Lochgilphead hall and, although an agent has not been appointed, also hopes to sell its Campbeltown, Kirk Street base.
Lochgilphead’s hall at 17a Union Street has been listed, at £45,000, with Freeman MacLeod in Glasgow.
The building, in a primarily residential area, is described as a detached single storey building currently in use as a meeting hall with ancillary office accommodation.
Marie Hayes, the Red Cross national director for independent living and crisis response in Scotland said: ‘We have been looking at the suitability and viability of the halls in both towns and made the decision to sell the properties.
‘While the hall in Campbeltown has been well used as a community and fundraising resource for many years, a number of factors make it no longer fit for purpose for the services that Red Cross provides.
‘Leaving the buildings does not mean services in the area will end.
‘The Red Cross has had a long notable history in Kintyre and we are proud of the effort delivered by our volunteers.
‘We intend to continue to deliver our emergency response, mobility aids, and renal support services using a smaller, more cost effective location and we are looking for a new site in Lochgilphead to manage our services across Argyll.
‘We are also working with our volunteers in Campbeltown to identify space in the community to base their activities.
‘The Red Cross aims to help people in crisis both in the UK and overseas.
‘To do this well we need to ensure we spend our money wisely and buy or lease buildings that enable us to deliver our services in a cost efficient manner.
‘We realise that making changes to our buildings can be unsettling for our service users, staff and volunteers who have been meeting and providing a service from both locations for many years.
‘Their work to provide help to people in crisis has been incredible, and we have been careful to communicate this change as sensitively as possible and thank them for everything they have done.
‘We look forward to continuing to provide our vital services to people in Argyll.
‘We will be relocating our services and looking for a smaller location in Lochgilphead to base our services once the buildings are sold.’
The Guides hall in Lochend Street also used by voluntary groups is also on the market. See page 16 for more details.