Barrmill and District Community Association run a successful community centre from a prefabricated former army barracks building in the centre of the village. The age of the building is beginning to show through general wear and tear, exacerbated by the centre having to pause lets and other activities due to COVID restrictions. Water is running into the centre in a few places from the roof, and the windows are reaching the end of their life.

The Community Association uploaded their request for support with the centre in September 2021, and an offer of support came through the wish list a month later.  Jean Gilbert, the Association’s Chairperson, said ‘the wish list threw us to start off with – is it just a ‘wish’? We need action! But when we read into it, we realised what it meant.”

City Building are a Glasgow-based construction firm who delivering a contract to supply new kitchen units for North Ayrshire Council. Following a discussion about the support that the group required, they offered to complete a roof survey for the group to give them a clear picture of the state of the roof and provide suggestions for next steps.

The surveyor from City Building visited the centre to carry out his review and had completed his follow up report by December 2021. This has provided the group with an up to date picture of the hall’s structure, in addition to recommendations about the next steps the group should consider to ensure they have a full picture before any significant repairs are carried out. The surveyor was also able to make some suggestions based on his experience of working in the construction industry while he was visiting the hall, such as whether there might be local businesses interested in sponsoring the construction work in return for advertising on the building or within the village. This has helped to provide the Association with some ideas about ways forward in addition to their practical next steps from the report. In response to the survey, the Association have updated their wishes on the list, and are keen to hear from businesses who may be able to help them to complete an asbestos survey, or could arrange a conversation with a structural engineer about the options available to them for new roof coverings.