A community group in Fife is appealing for support to save a 500-year-old church hall that is the focal point of a local music festival.
The Hew Scott Hall in Anstruther is usually used as the main venue for Home Game, organised by the Fence Collective, but this year a crumbling roof has forced the building to close.
Now a campaign is under way to raise the £2m needed to repair the historic building so it can be used for years to come.
Home Game sees dozens of artists perform at small intimate venues across the small seaside town. Until this year, the focal point of the whole weekend was the Wester Town Halls.
Kenny Anderson, who performs under the name King Creosote and set up Fence Records, said the event, which ran last weekend, was not the same without the halls.
He told STV News: “By the day we really rely on all the small halls. About three or four years ago we became aware that the hall complex had the little hall above and the main hall below and it became the focal point of the whole festival.
“It’s become synonymous with Home Game so it’s really weird this year that we’re not in there because that’s the first place people go.”
The Anstruther Improvements Association (AIA) said it needs £2m for repairs. They have applied for money to cover the basic repairs but need the support of the community to successfully apply for funds to upgrade the halls.
Jennifer Gordon from AIA said: “We initially need to make the larger of the two halls safe. At the moment the roof needs to be fixed before the building is useable again and then it could be used. In the long term it would need a lot more work than that.
“We are at the stage at the moment of finding out if the community is ready to support the AIA in their campaign so we are doing quite a lot of consultation. We have applied for some money and there are plans to apply to the Big Lottery for the cost of the additional work that will need done after the basic fixing of the roof.”
The group hope to refurbish the hall with sound systems and lighting that would allow gigs, drama and other art events to take place. They also want the community to be able to use the venue for weddings and coffee mornings.
Crime writer Ian Rankin and singer KT Tunstall have lent their support to the campaign and an online petition has been set up to help save the historic halls.
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