Saved church will build a stronger community
A charitable trust has saved a historic church from private buyers.
Purchasing Kilberry Kirk from the Church of Scotland, with plans to use it as a community hub, means that people living between Torinturk and Kilberry in a sparsely populated area of remote South Knapdale will no longer have to drive an average round trip of 30 miles to get to their nearest village hall at Ormsary or to Tarbert for events and entertainment.
The sale, for an undisclosed amount, went ahead after four Kilberry Road residents held extensive talks with the head of Church of Scotland’s general trustees in Edinburgh and set up a new Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation in October 2021 to buy the building and keep it for community benefit.
The community council had previously carried out a wide consultation and the idea of using the church, built in 1821, as a future multi-use village hall won people’s blessing.
At the start of lockdown, the Church of Scotland closed all its churches with the caveat they could be opened only following a structural survey.
Kirk Elder and Kilberry 1821 Charitable Trust trustee Peter Minshall said without the community stepping in, the church would have been on the verge of being sold on the open market privately.
They now have the opportunity to covert “a dwindling religious congregation into a broader community congregation,” he added.
Kilberry was officially transferred into the hands of the trust on Friday February 24 this year. Mr Minshall said: “This initiative is all about sharing opportunities within the community.
“We shall be paving the way for a more resilient community by improving an important building, which in turn will tackle the effects of loneliness and isolation and will allow us to re-build and develop a stronger community.
“It will remove financial barriers for people along the Kilberry Road, who will no longer have to travel so far for activities designed to help with health and well-being.
“The activities planned by residents will be of active and educational benefit for old and young people.”
Musical concerts, art exhibitions, dances and talks are
just some of what is to come, including lectures, which in recognition of the war memorial plaques on display in the building, may include conflict resolution education for the area’s school.
It is expected that activities and projects will generate funds, and the community will be encouraged to help contribute to the building’s running costs via a new website at https://www.1821.scot.
The first event will be a formal handing over ceremony at the church on Easter Saturday at 2.30pm.
“There will be a moment to celebrate the last 200 years, a veterans’ formal acknowledgment of the war memorial plaques, a key handing over ceremony and a special dedication for the future of the building which will involve the oldest and youngest residents of Kilberry Road,” said Mr Minshall.
To mark the special event, Pipe Major John Hunt will also be premiering a piece of music he composed as a signature tune for both the building and the trust.
Traditional Easter teas will follow and everyone is welcome to witness this significant
turning point in the building’s history.
Parking is extremely restricted so car sharing is encouraged.
It would be helpful if people planning on attending could let the trust know by sending an email to enquiries@1821. scot.