BIG PROGRESS AS THE HALLS TAKE SHAPE

Big Lottery Fund Scotland visits Maryhill Burgh Halls
MARYHILL'S historic Burgh Halls this week played host to a visit by the Big Lottery Fund Scotland which is a key funder of the restoration work.
Big Lottery Fund Scotland has provided grant funding to the tune of £980,910 - a major contribution to the overall £9.2 million cost. 
Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s Chair Alison Magee and Committee Member Helen Forsyth toured the ongoing work which is due for completion next year.
They were welcomed by Irene Scott, Chair of the Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust.  
The Trust comprises of  people living or working within the local community and 3 key partner organisations - Maryhill Housing Association, Cube Housing Association and Glasgow City Council. 
Once restored, the Halls will be a fabulous 21st century community asset which will recapture the splendid historic beauty of one of the city's most
treasured buildings and be developed  into a modern public hall, cafe, 11 offices, a commercial and a community recording studio, a nursery, meeting
rooms and courtyard garden. 
The grant from Big Lottery Fund Scotland came from its “Growing Community Assets” fund in April last year.
Hunter Reid,  Project Co ordinator and Company Secretary of the Trust said: “The Big Lottery Fund Scotland money is a vital part of the overall funding needed to restore the Halls. It will allow us to hand back Maryhill Burgh Halls to the people of this community and make it a historic yet modern-day asset to benefit the people who live here and who are firmly in the driving seat.”
Alison Magee said:  “When we made the decision to fund this community led project we knew that we were putting Lottery money in the hands of local people who had the drive, determination and passion to turn a dream into reality. Since then a year has passed and I am delighted to see what has been achieved so far and to meet those people who have given their all to get the project off the ground. I look forward to the day when I can return for the official opening of the Halls and join in the celebrations that the restoration of this much loved historical building will bring.”
The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) is the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding and is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
The Scotland Committee has been making Big Lottery Fund decisions on Scottish projects since March 2007. 
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Notes to Journalists:
The full breakdown of the funding received by Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust for the restoration of the halls is as follows:
Scottish Government City Growth Fund Phases 1 and 2    £1.25m 
Heritage Lottery Fund    £990,000
Big Lottery - Growing Community Assets Fund     £980,910
European Regional Development Funding    £1.279m 
Glasgow City Council Better Glasgow Fund     £1.02m
Glasgow City Council Vacant and Derelict Land Fund     £650,000
Scottish Government Town Centres Regeneration Fund     £1.8m
Historic Scotland     £500,000
Scottish Government Housing and Regeneration Directorate    £750,000
The Robertson Trust   £28,000
Total: £9.2 million 
News release issued by Ross Wilson Public Relations (www.rosswilsonpr.com) on behalf of the Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust. Further details from Ross on 07768 280021.

Replica stained glass panel on display in Glasgow Club, Maryhill

On display in the foyer of the Glasgow Club Maryhill, Gairbraid Avenue.

The panel is the Engineers - The likely source of this panel is the Maryhill Engine Works on Lochburn Road, built in 1873 for the Clarkson Brothers. Possibly one of the brothers is featured here, explaining to the workman with the spanner the details of the next job. The building still exists in Lochburn Road.

The Andy Scott designed Firemen Gates can be seen in the background.

Thanks to Glasgow Museums for the loan of the replica panel.

Billy McAllister speaking at Big Lottery Investing in Communities launch

Billy McAllister of Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust at launch of Big Lottery Investing In Communities Fund from Maryhill Burgh Halls on Vimeo.

 

The Burgh Halls Trust was a recipient of a previous round of Big Lottery funding.

Board member and former Chair of Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust Billy McAllister talks at the launch of the new Big Lottery Investing in Communties Fund about the importance of the Halls to Maryhill, and how the money from Big Lottery is helping bring the Halls back to life.

Site Progress: Late June

The facade retention steelwork on the former police station frontage has been taken down, now that the retained stonework is fully tied into the new steelwork behind it.

This former entrance will be a glazed window, giving views through to the cafe and garden courtyard beyond.

Standing in the middle of what will be the outdoor garden courtyard, looking in towards the double-height cafe space, and the main entrance from the shared courtyard with the leisure centre on the right.

In the main Hall, looking out towards the new garden room and courtyard. New doors will be formed beneath the windows, and the glazing will be re-instated. This also gives a good view of ten of the square windows, on which were hung the Stephen Adam stained glass panels showing the trades and industries of Maryhill.

New concrete floors taking shape in the new-build portions of the site, with the old stonework and roof of the main Hall on the right.

Site progress: Early June 2010

The final sections of steelwork for the new nursery and recording studio buildings has been delivered and erected on site, to the rear of the main Hall.

A lane of Maryhill Road was closed for 2 days to allow a crane to lift the new steelwork into position.

In the new attic floor above the main hall, the decorative trusses are wrapped in plastic to protect them while the new skylights are fitted.

Lord Provost officially opens Leisure Centre next to Maryhill Burgh Halls

Lord Provost Bob Winter unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening of the Glasgow Club Maryhill - a brand new leisure pool and indoor facilities on the site of the former Baths and Washhouses, next to the Maryhill Burgh Halls site. The centre is entered through a new courtyard created behind the retained facade of the former fire station, which will form a joint entrance with the Halls when they re-open in May 2011.

Latest site progress - new attic floor takes shape

New roofspace floor takes shape amongst the ornate original roof trusses, which will remain in place.

New steelwork behind retained facade of Police Station meets the main Halls building itself.

Inside the Hall, the new openings which will give access to the Garden Courtyard and Cafe areas of the new build.

Standing where the cafe will be, looking towards the retained wall of the former Police Station

MINISTER VISITS THE HALLS SAVED FOR MARYHILL

Praise for “cultural gem’ as Alex Neil sees first hand how historic halls are being brought back to life

Monday, April 26 2010
     
THE campaign to save Maryhill's historic Burgh Halls took a major step forward today.
132 years to the day after the Halls were opened, Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil visited the ongoing £9.2 million restoration project, which will breathe new life into the iconic Halls and save them for the community.  
Alex Neil and Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust Chair Irene Scott, with reproductions of two of the stained glass panels in the background

The Minister's visit follows a contribution from the Scottish Government's Town Centre Regeneration Fund of £1.8 million - the largest single piece of funding in the £9.2 million total.
Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust raised this remarkable sum to secure a bright future for the treasured halls and in doing so recapture the splendour of one of the city's best loved buildings. Work began in November 2009 and will be completed in May 2011.
 
Maryhill Burgh Halls were the seat of municipal government in the days when Maryhill was a Burgh. They were built in 1878 and designed by renowned architect Duncan McNaughtan, but have lain derelict for the past eight years and are listed on the buildings at risk register.
Once restored, the Halls will include a modern public hall, cafe, 11 offices, a commercial and a community recording studio, a nursery, meeting rooms and courtyard garden. 
While at Maryhill the Minister signed a steel beam which forms part of structural steelwork which is ongoing at present.
More than 5 years hard work has been put into developing proposals for the project. The Board of the Trust, which comprises local people and representatives from partners Maryhill Housing Association, Cube Housing Association and Glasgow City Council have worked tirelessly to deliver the restoration.
Funding of the project has come from the following sources: 
Scottish Government City Growth Fund Phases 1 and 2    £1.25m 
Heritage Lottery Fund    £990,000
Big Lottery - Growing Community Assets Fund     £980,910
European Regional Development Funding    £1.279m 
Glasgow City Council Better Glasgow Fund     £1.02m
Glasgow City Council Vacant and Derelict Land Fund     £650,000
Scottish Government Town Centre Regeneration Fund     £1.8m
Historic Scotland     £500,000
Scottish Government Housing and Regeneration Directorate    £750,000
The Robertson Trust      £28,000
The outstanding architectural appeal and historic merit of the Halls is further enhanced by a unique series of stained glass panels depicting the trades and industries of Maryhill in the late 19th century and which are currently in the city archives.
The restoration will also see a significant collection of these 20 windows, which were taken out for safe keeping in 1963, returned to the Burgh Halls.
Facsimile of the Steel Moulders panel, showing where in the Halls the stained glass was originally displayed
Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil said: “The £60 million Town Centre Regeneration Fund has succeeded in encouraging dynamic public and private sector organisations to get involved in regeneration projects that will have a lasting and widespread effect. 
“The refurbishment of the Maryhill Burgh Halls will restore an invaluable cultural asset in Glasgow, upgrading it as a place for the local community to meet and socialise. 
“It has a rich artistic history and I hope that with this funding, it will once again take its place as one of Scotland's cultural gems.”
Hunter Reid, Project Co-ordinator and Company Secretary of the Trust, said: 
“All of the Board Members of the Trust are delighted with the progress of the works on site and would like to say a huge thank you to all of the funders, the project team and everyone else who has given their support to the project. We are all very much looking forward to the Halls opening in May 2011. 
“Everyone who is interested in following the development of the project through to completion can view progress and comment on the project on the Trust's new website at www.maryhillburghhalls.org.uk
Meanwhile, the contractor for the project Graham Construction is intending to maximise employment opportunities within the local community by creating two apprenticeships in joinery to work on the Halls’ restoration during the next few months
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Notes to Journalists: 
This news release is issued on behalf of Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust by Ross Wilson Public Relations www.rosswilsonpr.com - PR Consultants to the Trust. Further information is available from Ross Wilson on 07768 280021 at any time
e mail: ross@rosswilsonpr.com
A selection of images of the Halls are available. 

 

New steelwork erected on site

The first consignment of steelwork for the new build portion of the Burgh Halls project arrived on site early this morning. The contractors have wasted no time, and already the first sections of it have been erected behind the retained facade of the former Police Station.
The majority of the steelwork will be erected by the middle of next week.