Revamp plans for shopping centre site
A disused shopping centre in Perthshire is set to be put to good use.
Penny Lane is being pressed into operation by Crieff Connexions and will be used to develop and expand the work of the local charity.
The aim of the project is to provide a safe and welcoming space to bring people together and to connect with partner organisations and services, as well as to “advance citizenship” locally and relieve poverty, loneliness and isolation.
Elizabeth Philip from Crieff Connexions explained: “We are planning to move to the Penny Lane building.
“We have been in the High Street doing some COVID response work there. We also have the school uniform bank, coffee and chat every day practically, and we have a community fridge there.
“But we are planning to have a whole lot of additional things at Penny Lane that we hope everyone will feel able to come along to.
“For Crieff Connexions, this building means that we can really focus on developing each of our project areas that we already have on the go but all in that tiny space on the High Street.
“We just really want to be here for the community and serve the community.”
Elizabeth said that the former cafe at Penny Lane is to be developed into a family-friendly community cafe.
Alongside that, the long-term plan is to have a soft play area at the site of the former MHair salon, which has glass windows so that parents will be able to watch their children playing from the concourse.
In addition, there are plans for a meeting and study space for high school pupils that they will design themselves.
This space will also be available for meetings involving the wider community during the day and peer-to-peer support sessions.
Other units will be filled with the school uniform bank and it is also hoped to get a zero waste food shop up and running, among other projects.
The foyer area at Penny Lane, which closed in 2014, will also lend itself to popup events and exhibitions.
Elizabeth added: “It’s an amazing space.
“We are really excited to be coming into the building and hope that people will support us.
“Funding-wise we have applied for a lot of awards and we are hoping that we can get some in place soon.
“Crieff Connexions is renting the building so we need to pay rental and running costs.
“We do have enough to get started and we are looking at starting during November but there is a lot of work to be done.
“We have had great offers from the community for help with painting, joinery work and cleaning, and we would love to hear from anyone that could give us some volunteer hours.
“We also still have a lot of fundraising to do to get the soft play area up and running.
“Thank you to Carys Hughes, Wayne McCartney and Louise Fridge, who have raised £600 already with a sponsored 100mile cycle – and Beth Field, or Sweeping Betty, who is currently on her mission swimming a mile in Loch Earn every day of October.
“We are hoping to raise £10,000 towards the soft play area.”
Anyone wishing to support the project can email admin@crieff connexions.org. uk or message the Crieff Connexions Facebook page.
Donations can be made via the online page https://gofund.me/14e50bda.