Campaign urges Executive to tackle village halls crisis (1-Jun-2007)

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Campaign urges Executive to tackle village halls crisis

1-Jun-2007

A new campaign, led by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, urges the Scottish Executive to tackle the "slow-burning crisis" in Scotland’s village halls. SCVO are encouraging everyone who uses or values their community’s hall to get behind the campaign.

The Halls for All campaign highlights the vital role that village halls and community buildings play in Scotland’s rural communities and urges the Executive to aid their survival by boosting financial support and cutting red tape, making this investment a key part of their Rural Development Policy.

A key part of the campaign is an e-petition to the Scottish Parliament, launching today 1st June 2007, with paper copies being circulated around Scotland’s rural communities.

Poor funding, rising costs and too much red tape

SCVO’s Rural Information Officer Sandra Hogg said, "Village and community halls in Scotland are inclusive community spaces that perform a vital role in rural areas. They are valued public assets, a focus for community activity and house a range of community services. But they face a slow-burning crisis with poor funding, rising costs and too much red tape.

"The volunteer committees that run these halls are finding it too difficult to keep them running as funding has been cut and costs rise. It is time that their value was recognised by putting a new grant scheme and support service in place.

"We want to encourage everyone that uses or values their local hall to sign this petition."

Petition details

The petition calls on the Executive to:

Create a Scottish Halls Fund to refurbish or modernise community buildings to increase the level of community use and improve the range and quality of services provided
Fund a Village Halls Support Service
Establish a fair relief scheme for water charges for all charities that will maintain the exemption beyond 2010
Work with appropriate partners to cut regulatory burdens and support the interests of Hall Committees.

The petition will be on the Parliament’s website until 27th July 2007 before it is formally submitted to the Public Petitions Committee.

Want to back the campaign?

To sign the petition, follow the links from the Village Halls website. On the Village Halls site, you will find additional information as well as a poster to print off. You can also print a paper version of the petition to sign and return.

To help publicise the campaign, SCVO are asking people to put copies of the poster and petition form in your hall, shop, pub or post office and to forward the e-petition to your networks, friends, supporters and colleagues.

Links

Village Halls website
Press and Journal article - 1st June 2007
Good Morning Scotland -1st June 2007 (interview with Sandra Hogg)
The Whitsome Ark - a vision of shared use community building

Norette Ferns