A Community Hub for all

On Monday 15^th January, the community of Rum met in the Village hall to hear about and discuss the planning of a Community Building. The location of the building had previously been chosen and it has been decided that it will be located on the South Shore of Kinloch Village, between the Old Pier and the Boatshed. This is an excellent spot as it boasts fantastic views of Loch Scresort and is accessible from the roads already running through the village.  

The purpose of the Hub would be to bring several key community facilities under one roof. It would also provide space for public sector services to co-locate and ensure visitors to Rum are properly welcomed and served. Similar buildings have already been built on the Isle of Eigg and Isle of Coll with great success for the island’s community. 

It is anticipated that the building will host some much-needed facilities such as a cafe, laundry, drying room, doctors’ surgery, toilets and showers, classroom, offices, coastguard/mountain rescue area, as well as relocating the shop to a more functional and modern space. It was reiterated that the space would not be a replacement of the Village Hall that is favoured by many but stand-alone building that worked separately in its own right. It is also hoped that as the island is in the process of gaining International Dark Sky status, there would be potential for an external stargazing platform.  

During the consultation, representatives from Community Enterprise and Anderson Bell Christie presented ‘Where we are at’ with the Community hub, followed by a Q&A and breakout where islanders were given the opportunity to write down ideas, obstacles and benefits, as well as viewing images of similar community buildings to gain a better understanding of potential architectural designs that could be used. 

It will be a long-term project that will make a huge difference to our small island community. It is hoped that the building provides a welcoming and essential space for both islanders and visitors alike. It was highlighted during the meeting that it will be a space that has to ‘work-hard’ by being both practical and multi-functional.  

There was an excitement during the consultation about the potential a community hub will bring to the island, and it was evident how important it would be for the Isle of Rum. It was great to see so many islanders who came out in the winter weather to have their thoughts and opinions heard. It is safe to say, that everyone is looking forward to the next steps in creating such an important asset for the Isle of Rum. 

Please comment below, as we would love to hear your thoughts on the planning of the Community Hub.