A DOUBLE funding boost is helping to progress community plans to take over Tullibody Civic Centre.

The efforts of local people, as well as a helping hand from the Scottish Land Fund, mean proposals and negotiations are being taken forward by Tulllibody Community Development Trust, with deadlines fast approaching.

Due to cuts at Clackmannanshire Council, the civic centre will be available for a Community Asset Transfer from October when local authority funding for the facilities stop.

The trust has been working on a bid to take the building and surrounding greenspace over so it can keep its doors open for local residents.

A fresh funding boost came from St Serf’s Church Ladies, with their work being hailed a “tremendous effort” by trustee Charlie Watt.

Normally, the ladies host a soup and roll event one Saturday a month for church funds, however, at the end of August, they held a strawberry tea instead.

This raised more than £700 which has been handed over to the trust to help cover core start-up costs.

Thanks go to Moira Mitchell and her colleagues for organising the event.

The trust has also been successful in attracting money from the Scottish Land Fund for an architect’s feasibility study on the civic centre.

This will inform people on whether it is more realistic to refurbish the current building or if a new build would be more sustainable in the long run.

Part of this £22,000 funding will also go towards a professional marketing and business plan.

Once the above are complete, the trust can apply for further funding to purchase the civic centre land.

Janet Gowran, trust secretary, said is was a “very exciting time” for the organisation.

She added: “We have all been working so hard over the last 12 months since the trust was formed and it’s great to see something tangible now happening.

“We’ve had so much support from our community who are coming forward to place bookings for the centre, we’ve even got interest from two football teams who want to make Tullibody their home venue.

“We’re feeling more confident with the community’s support we can make it happen.”

With the deadline for the takeover fast approaching, the trust’s next meeting will take place tomorrow, Thursday September 13, from 7.30pm and is open to anyone interested in helping.

Janette McGowan, chair, said making the target date will be "really difficult", but she does not want to see the centre close its gates at the end of the month.

She added: “Our biggest concern now is the condition of the building.

“There are some areas that aren’t wind and water tight and when it rains there are often puddles in the Games Hall.

“We hope we can work together to resolve these issues in time to take over the running of the centre.”

Visit mydonate.bt.com/charities/tullibodycommunitydevelopmenttrust to donate to the trust, email enquiries@tullibodycdt.org.uk for bookings.