Last March, storms across Kintyre and Arran plunged many local areas into darkness, including Southend.
In the aftermath of the adverse weather Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) set out to shed some light on how best to help the communities affected. The discussions that took place left SHEPD in no doubt that the main thing residents required was a large enough place to gather.
During the spring storms, the local Muneroy tearoom - famed for its baking - had been kind enough to throw open its doors to residents and SHEPD workers as a place of refuge, and this served to highlight the need for a centre in Southend that could be used throughout the year.
Dunaverty Hall had been the beating heart of the village until its demolition in 2010 and SHEPD saw the opportunity for the village to bring back the stalwart of their social scene by investing £20,000 of a community funding initiative to help rebuild the hall.
Mo Bates, SHEPD’s Community Liaison Manager, explains why the project received the backing: “The rebuilding of Dunaverty Hall helps to rebuild the past in this thriving community. While we saw the need for a centrally located building to give the village - and its residents -resilience in situations such as last year’s storms, we also realised that the hall was much missed for the social events it hosted through the years.”
She added: “From a platform in the 1950s for the plays put on by the Women’s Rural Institute to a venue for weddings, anniversaries and even pantomimes, Dunaverty Hall really was at the very heart of this community and we’re delighted to be able to help rebuild it.”