Fri 19th September 2008

West Kilbride Community Initiaitve Ltd - Presentation to Church Buildings Renewal Trust Conference 2008

Angus Kerr, WKCIL Barony Development Group and Maggie Broadley, WKCIL Craft Development Manager, presented one of the three case studies featured in the Church Buildings Renewal Trust Annual Conference.

This year"s Church Buildings Renewal Trust (CBRT) conference was just one of a number of built heritage events set to coincide with Glasgow"s Built Heritage Festival.

The 2008 conference, "The Use and Re-use of Rural Church Buildings, was a special one-day event that took place at St Andrew"s In The Square in Glasgow.

The conference was opened by the Rt Rev David Lunan, Moderator of the General Assembly, and featured a number of keynote addresses on the role and future of church buildings in rural areas.

The Church Buildings Renewal Trust (CBRT) is a non profit making charitable trust, administered entirely by volunteers. It was set up in 1994 to bring together parties, organisations and individuals with a shared interest in finding new uses for redundant churches.

Groups participating in the keynote conference include the Church of Scotland General Trustees and the Presbytery of Glasgow, as well as representatives of other churches, heritage organisations, business groups and the Glasgow City Council.

Speaking in the run-up to the conference, Rev Lunan said: "There are a number of prominent church buildings across the length and breadth of Scotland"s rural areas. Many, but not all, of these premises provide vibrant, living centres of worship.

"This conference will examine ways in which these striking buildings can develop according to changing circumstances, yet still remain at the heart of their communities."

During the course of their 30 minute presentation, Angus and Maggie described the history of West Kilbride - 'the village' - from the late 18th century, through it's decline in the 1990's, then told of it's remarkable transformation, driven by local grit and determination, as Scotland's first Craft Town. They finished with WKCIL's ambitous plan to develop the Barony Centre as a dedicated Craft Exhibition and Community Activity space.

Website Link: http://www.buildingconservation.com/directory/ad470.htm

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