If you are looking for information regarding Saint Ninian’s Hall, Tearoom and Shop you will find it here. For up-to-date information on what’s happening in The Isle, please follow us on Facebook.
Isle Futures is a Registered Charity and community-led Company with members from the village and elsewhere in the country. The Charity is run by a Board of Trustees who are elected by the Members, and who also act as directors of the Company.
We aim to:
- Relieve the need, suffering and distress of people who are isolated due to their age, sickness or disability; ease individuals’ isolation by involving them in the community,
- Provide or assist in providing amenities to benefit the general public (not taking on the responsibility of statutory bodies to do this, but in addition to what the statutory bodies do), ensuring that any private gain is greatly outweighed by the benefit to the public.
Isle Futures is a Company Limited by Guarantee, and having no Share Capital. Our Company No. is SC 226372, and our Registered Charity No. is SC037758.
Our Registered Address is Saint Ninian’s Hall, St Ninian’s Terrace, Isle Of Whithorn, Dumfries And Galloway, Scotland, DG8 8LH
You can find out more about our commercial activities in support of the community at Companies House. For more about our charity details and operations go to our page at the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
Our main activity is running St. Ninian’s Hall which was converted and extended with the support of the Big Lottery Fund.
History
The information and photos here, and those they link to, are contemporary accounts of the project to develop and construct the tearoom and shop, and reflect what was known at the time, and should be viewed in that context.
Unfortunately, the opening of the renovated hall, new tearoom and shop does not appear to have been documented, and no contemporary reports have been found.
Award
In 2013, the St Ninian’s Hall Development Plan
SUCCESS AT D&G LEADER AWARDS
The fourth D&G LEADER Rural Awards took place recently at the Easterbrook Hall.
The event was hailed a great success by the 130 participants who travelled across the region to participate.
Frank Strang, Lead of Food and Drink & Rural Communities for the Scottish Government, provided the keynote speech.
Jim McFarlane, of Scottish Enterprise announced the project he had chosen for special recognition in the “Wealthier & Fairer Scotland” category, which recognises projects that had in some way contributed towards the development of a diverse and dynamic business base within the region.
St Ninian’s Hall Development Plan was the winner in this category.
A new 58 page Good Practice Guide ( which includes the hall development) was also launched at the event.
Project Overview
Following the momentous announcement of the grant funding award for the St. Ninian’s Hall Development project by the Big Lottery in April, Isle Futures and Smith Design Associates in Dumfries, the architects appointed to manage the project build have been meeting regularly during the summer. Invitations to tender were issued to six contractors with all responding by the requisite time in late July.
A Project Management Group, chaired by Craig Ronnie and representatives from Isle Futures and the Isle community has been closely involved with a wide range of design issues that arise with such a project. To date these have included agreeing the environmental standards for the build, reviewing visitor & reception requirements and the communications infrastructure, agreeing the kitchen layout and fitment requirements, being involved in the tender process for the build and timeline. Members of the Hall Management Committee have also contributed during this stage of the project.
It was hoped that the successful contractor would have been appointed in August to allow construction to commence in September. However further work on the tender costs submitted is required before approval is received from Big Lottery. It is anticipated that construction will start in December. Although this will mean completion is likely to be next summer, the community is assured that the final result will be one that we can be proud of.
During the period of construction, the existing Hall building will require to be closed to allow some work to be undertaken. Further information about the period of closure will be advised when the detail of the construction project has been agreed.
November 2013
Project Management Group is set up and invitations to tender issued.
Progress Report November 2013
Following the momentous announcement of the grant funding award for the St. Ninian’s Hall Development project by the Big Lottery in April, Isle Futures and Smith Design Associates in Dumfries, the architects appointed to manage the project build have been meeting regularly during the summer. Invitations to tender were issued to six contractors with all responding by the requisite time in late July.
A Project Management Group, chaired by Craig Ronnie and representatives from Isle Futures and the Isle community has been closely involved with a wide range of design issues that arise with such a project. To date these have included agreeing the environmental standards for the build, reviewing visitor & reception requirements and the communications infrastructure, agreeing the kitchen layout and fitment requirements, being involved in the tender process for the build and timeline. Members of the Hall Management Committee have also contributed during this stage of the project.
It was hoped that the successful contractor would have been appointed in August to allow construction to commence in September. However further work on the tender costs submitted is required before approval is received from Big Lottery. It is anticipated that construction will start in December. Although this will mean completion is likely to be next summer, the community is assured that the final result will be one that we can be proud of.
During the period of construction, the existing Hall building will require to be closed to allow some work to be undertaken. Further information about the period of closure will be advised when the detail of the construction project has been agreed.
7 January 2014
3B Construction Limited are appointed as the successful bidder for the build contract for St Ninian’s Hall Annexe.
Progress Report 7 January 2014
Isle Futures are delighted to announce that 3B Construction Limited have been appointed as the successful bidder for the build contract for St Ninian’s Hall Annexe Project.
During the summer, tenders for the build were issued to six contractors. The project group, members of St Ninian’s Hall Management Committee and representatives from the local community have been closely involved with a wide range of design issues that arise with such an important project.
Following a lengthy period of evaluation of the tenders submitted, Isle Futures are delighted to receive approval from the Big Lottery to appoint the contractor of the winning tender, 3B. Stuart Barr, Director of 3B Construction Limited advised ” We are very glad to be involved in the delivery of this community project in our local area”
Work is due to commence in early January with completion anticipated in late summer.
28 January 2014
Site preparation begins.
Progress Report 28 January 2014
At long last, we are now officially under way with the Isle’s Annexe build project.
Last week, 3b construction began preparing the site, erecting security fences, installing storage containers, and getting earthmoving equipment ready, so that there would be a flying start for today, the first official day of building works.
They didn’t waste any time either – by 10am the public toilets had been reduced to a pile of rubble, and by lunchtime hardly a trace of that remained. (Don’t worry folks, there’s one of those blue tardis thingys outside the Hall to help anyone in need, and until the Annexe opens with its own brand new loos).
To mark the occasion, two ‘senior’ Isle of Whithorn residents, Ron Bramley and Billy Brown, both long-standing volunteers in the community, helped launch the Isle Futures’ project by lifting the first turf sod. Cheered on by a large group of villagers, and accompanied by Robert Marr of 3b construction, this was the start of a seven-month building project that will bring a new building equipped with tea room and shop, as well as a visitor reception facility, and which will augment the existing award-winning Hall.
February 2014
Preparatory work complete, construction begins.
Progress Report February 2014
What a difference a day can make – or a week for that matter! Following the sod-cutting ceremony for the new St Ninian’s Hall Annexe at the end of January, contractors 3b construction have lost no time in getting stuck in with the building …works.
Excavations for the foundations, followed by a steel reinforcement matrix were quickly followed by a day during which a shuttle service of lorries from Glenluce delivered the concrete mix. A perfect day for the job, with bright sunshine, and a lull in the weather before an expected stormy Saturday.
On Monday 10th, an 0730 start with the first delivery of steel beams and uprights needed for the main framework of the annexe. Shortly afterwards, a huge consignment of concrete blocks arrives to enable the start of work on the surrounding walls.
As soon as the structural steel had been placed on site, a giant crane moved in to begin the delicate task of lifting the sections into place. Fortunately, another calm, sunny day enabled the work of assembly to proceed quickly, and by 4pm passers-by and youngsters coming home from school could hardly believe the transformation that had taken place.
April 2014
Sixteen weeks in and the roof is on!
Progress Report April 2014
We are now 16 weeks into the project and it is steaming ahead at a fast pace – In main due to the very hard work of the staff of 3B Construction.
The roof of the hall has been strengthened and now has the solar panels fitted and in place, the roof is also now on the annexe build and inside is starting to take shape, with it now being easy to visualise the spaces and what it is going to look like.
The Board of Directors and sub-groups are working very hard in the background to finalise details on such things as the kitchen, the tearoom, retail space and furnishings required, which is taking a lot of time, but exciting at the same time!
The hall will close from Monday 16th June to allow the existing and new build to become one, and all the inside work to be completed on both areas, this should take about 5 weeks, with the hall being re-opened after this work in complete.
June 2014
Interior fitting has started.
Progress Report June 2014
The new Annexe to St Ninian’s Hall continues to make excellent progress. The floor base has been prepared with an insulation layer, followed by the installation of underfloor heating pipes. Electrical and data cabling has been run, and today, 14 June, a succession of lorries delivered the liquid screed that will create the final floor. Tomorrow morning, Sunday 15th, volunteers complete removing all equipment and furnishings from the original Hall in readiness for 3b construction to begin linking up the two buildings and undertaking a complete renovation there.
As part of their programme of reinforcement of the power network in the area, SP Energy Systems are undergrounding the supply in a section of Main Street where existing unsightly powerlines… would otherwise spoil the view across the harbour for visitors to the new Annexe; the entrance doors and windows are now being installed; audio-visual systems cabling is being run; and the Main Hall has been stripped ready for major renovation and openings through into the new Annexe have been made. It’s all happening!