MEMBERS of Tullibody Action Group (TAG) are celebrating this week after receiving a grant to conduct a feasibility study for the former industrial town

The Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS) has awarded £5,000 for the venture, which will involve the assessment of community facilities and their use.

It has been less than a year since TAG emerged from the support of the Save the Tullibody Public Park campaign group, and has stayed committed to their key aims of protecting the park and retaining the Civic Centre as a standalone facility in the town.

The group have wasted no time and have already had their first meeting with Sandra Macaskill who is conducting the study.

Expected to be completed later this summer, the project will develop a business plan and feasibility study for viable community ownership.

This information will be compiled following stakeholder meetings and identifying funding streams.

Janette McGowan, TAG committee member, said: "We were fortunate in securing this funding at the right time when community ownership of our community centre is possible.

"It is disappointing, despite making local councillors and officers aware of the need and want of the community to keep the Civic Centre and develop it since last year, that Clackmannanshire Council are continuing with plans to place community facilities within the new Tullibody South Campus.

"We strongly feel that for the population of a growing Tullibody and its neighbouring villages that there needs to remain a standalone community or civic centre which can host fun days, parties, meetings, events, day time groups and fitness classes along with our local heritage centre, and our recent survey demonstrates this."

TAG carried out a community survey based around Tullibody Civic Centre earlier this year and said that 77 per cent, of more than 500 responses, wanted to see it remain as a standalone community facility, while only six per cent were in favour of integrated facilities in the new campus.

And in addition, TAG have also just secured a further £500 grant from DTAS's knowledge and exchange fund to visit working examples of community ownership centres.

Linsey McKinlay, chair, added: "This will be a great opportunity for TAG members to meet with their management board and manager(s) to learn from their experiences and offer guidance.

"TAG committee members had previously extended an invite to local councillors prior to the recent local election to join them on this visit to benefit from this experience and will extend this offer again now that a new council has formed which we hope they will take advantage of."

For more information on the progress of Tullibody Action Group, or to join please, email: admin@tullibody.org or visit www.tullibody.org