Surprise, surprise Eleanor
The Rockfield Centre marked an end of an era with a surprise party for its project facilitator Eleanor MacKinnon, who was retiring.
Over the last seven years, Eleanor has spearheaded the establishment of Oban’s new community hub and been ‘an indomitable force in so many areas – fundraising to organising, steering and overseeing the day-to-day running of a very challenging post,’ said chairman of Oban Communities Trust (OCT) Gordon McNab.
‘At an inaugural meeting seven years ago in Oban cinema, more than 100 members of the community voiced protest at plans to demolish the former Rockfield Primary School building. As was said then, it was not enough to save a building but to save it for a purpose. Eleanor facilitated this meeting which gave feedback on the need for a community hub, not just for Oban, but Argyll and beyond. She subsequently went on to project manage the refurbishment of what is now known as The Rockfield Centre which has arts and culture, history and heritage, education and enterprise and community wellbeing at its heart.
‘It has been a rollercoaster seven years – through the early days of co-ordinating volunteers to barrowing “dry rot” out of the building, to using the huts to fundraise, to running a community share scheme, appointing a design team and getting TSL to carry out the work to what we have today, we have been so lucky to have Eleanor. Indeed it is important to say we would not have The Rockfield Centre as it is without her determination and attitude to “do things differently” and succeed.’
‘The centre is now fast becoming a vibrant community hub on many fronts and is a fitting legacy to Eleanor’s hard work,’ said Mr McNab.
Eleanor will still be involved in the Heritage Hunters group at the centre and will be taking part in lots of activities it offers.
Carol Devine has been appointed as the new operations manager.