AN impassioned plea to safeguard the future of Tillicoultry’s Centenary Hall has been made by its committee amid fears it will close within the next year.

Tillicoultry Centenary Hall Company Limited, who run the centre, worry the building will form part of a council firesale to claw back some of the £2.3 million savings needed.

The community group feel that if they don’t receive more help from younger people in the area they will struggle to hold on to the building.

The hall, which has stood in the village since 1864, currently plays a crucial role in holding functions, dances and meetings for community groups in the Hillfoots village but the recent loss of its only commercial booking and the ageing committee mean new blood is required.

Ahead of their AGM later this week committee chair Graeme Watt said: “We’re really hoping more young people will join the committee and help us out because at the moment the hall will be closed within the next financial year.”

The centre, which was a British Legion building, was closed by the council ten years ago  before the group stepped in to lease it for a pound per year.

Over the past decade committee members have spent hours improving the building and helping fund vital refurbishments to the hall including the electrics and heating.

And the group are not finished there. They aim to fund an upgrade to the kitchen and create a new access point for disabled users.

Ahead of next Monday’s special council meeting into the authority’s financial blackhole, SNP leader Donald Balsillie warned the closure of Alva’s Dalmore Centre is a worrying sign for groups across the county.

He said: “The group that run the hall have done magnificent work but this illustrates the concerns people have over the levels of cuts and savings the council will need to make.

Sadly the bitter experience of the Dalmore Centre, which I felt didn’t make sense from a community or financial point of view, proves there can be no financial guarantees for community halls and front line savings. Having said that, I welcome the pro-active steps the group are taking to try and get the community involved.”

Earlier this month Clack-mannanshire Council revealed they needed to make huge savings after double counting £2.3 million in cash.

And Graeme is worried that the hall will be a prime target for any such savings but insists its existence is vital to the community.

He said: “This hall still has plenty of use for the people of this village. You can fit 30/40 kids in here for a party or 70 people here for a dance and I’d encourage more people to use it.

“We suffered a double blow when the yoga club moved to Alloa and our only commercial let Scottish Slimmers left in June. The hall only costs £8 per hour and we want to keep in going. We just hope the community will get behind us because the committee are baring the brunt just now and the situation is nearly critical.”

Committee member May Barker said: “There was a campaign to save the hall ten years ago where people were up in arms about this place closing. Now we need them to help us out because the members are getting older and we need some younger people with fresh ideas and contacts to breathe new life into the place.”

Councillor John Biggam backed the group’s fight said: “The size of the hall makes it extremely useful for a number of events and I have every faith in the group in charge of the hall.”

The committee will hold their AGM on Friday, November 27 at 7pm for 7.30pm. They will be accepting donations of £1 for membership on the night.