News from Princess Louise Hall Committee
Here’s an update on what we’ve been up to since our AGM.
Meet the committee. Our refreshed team is:
- Maggie Irving, Chair
- Tom O’Brien Barden, Vice Chair
- Bryan Jenkins, Treasurer
- Rhona Nisbet, Secretary
- Trisha Boyd, Minute Secretary
- Autumn Jenkins, Media, Promotion and Events
- Wayne Hodkinson, Health and Safety Lead
We’re also delighted to welcome some new trustees to the team. We’ll introduce them properly soon!
Howie Pavilion. We’re taking on Howie Pavilion in Howie Park and are working with Argyll and Bute Council to finalise the lease. We had a positive site meeting with the Council in October. Talks are going well, and we’re keen to open the doors as soon as everything is signed.
Becoming a SCIO. This month we applied to OSCR to become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). It’s an important step: it gives the charity a proper legal footing and protects our volunteer trustees as we take on a building. OSCR says the process takes around 100 days, so we hope to have news early in the new year.
Funding. We’ve applied to the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee Priority Fund for furniture, office equipment and a smart TV to get the pavilion ready. Fingers crossed!
What we’re planning. Your answers to our 2023/24 community survey are still shaping our plans, so thank you again to everyone who took part. Look out for a post soon sharing what you told us! Plans include:
- a community café run by the committee
- space for anyone who wants to run classes
- space for local clubs, sports groups and social activities
- the option to hire the pavilion for your own parties and events
- a confidential meeting room for visiting support services, so you don’t have to travel
- a focal point for local artists and makers
- activities that support health and wellbeing for all ages and help tackle loneliness
We’re always looking for ideas to help bring people to the centre, so if you have one, let us know!
What about Princess Louise Hall? We haven’t forgotten the hall! Restoring it is our long-term goal, and the Council supports this approach. Before we can take it on, we need to show that:
- the community is making good use of Howie Pavilion
- there’s enough demand to make the hall a viable concern
- we can secure substantial funding for the restoration
So the best way to help bring the hall back to life is to come along and use the pavilion once it opens!
What’s next. The committee meets on 26 November to catch up on the lease, the SCIO application and funding. We’ll post an update afterwards.
A big thank you to Autumn and her team of volunteers for running our car boot sales and fundraising events, and to everyone who has come along to support them. Every bit helps. If you’d like to get involved, send us a message here. We’d love to hear from you!
