Rotary £3,000 boost to Rockfield arts plan

The Rotary Club of Oban has made a generous donation of £3,000 to The Rockfield Centre to enable the creation of a community arts programme ready for the opening of the main building, writes David McPhee.

The funding will be targeted towards a ‘messy space’ room which will support wide engagement in community arts across all ages.

With an innovative method of funding, the Rotarians’ funds will be matched pound for pound by MacQueen Brothers Charitable Trust to enable the working space structure to be ready for use immediately the main building opens.

Eleanor MacKinnon, project facilitator for TRC, said: ‘This is a huge pledge from the Rotary Club of Oban and from MacQueen Brothers Charitable Trust (MBCT). We are delighted to put these funds to such good use. This joint funding method means the trust can prepare the messy space room ready for our opening and thus enabling hands-on community arts activity from day one in the main building.

‘This project will not only enable our tenants, such as the young carers, and the wider community to participate immediately, but also will play an integral part in our programming of arts activities in the main building for the future.’

Graham MacQueen said the funding would enable huge community involvement across the board: ‘Community involvement is the ethos of our charity and the use of these funds matched together with Rotary to give a significant amount will contribute greatly to help everyone of all ages participate and enjoy The Rockfield Centre from the first day it opens.’