Help Save Craigrothie Village Hall (save energy)

Trying to make our hall greener and brighter.
We need to take action to address climate change and make our hall energy efficient, ready for future generations. Climate change and energy efficiency go hand in hand for the hall. Improving insulation will help stop the heating go straight out the walls, in turn it will decrease our electricity usage. In turn this will allow us to add solar and battery storage will allowto be less reliant on the grid and be there for the community during power outages

What we are doing

Craigrothie and Chance Inn are two small communities in rural Fife and our village hall is the only community facility in the surrounding area.  The current building was erected in the mid 1970s  and is now needing a revamp to bring it into the 21st century and make it sustainable for future generations. The hall is run by volunteers on behalf of the villagers, our ages range from mid 30s through to our 70s.  

The running costs have risen dramatically in the last 5 years and there are no further cuts we can make. Our electricity bills are exorbitant, we do not have access to mains gas so are feeling the (lack of) heat.  When your visitors are sitting with their coats on and it is warmer outside you know you have a problem.  The committee reviewed the options which included closing the hall or aiming to sort out the basics and a little bit more depending on funding. We chose to aim for the latter and have consulted with the community.  We have made it through feasibility studies, planning and building warrants with the help of grants and reserves.

Initially we need to re - roof, insulate ceilings and walls, resolve cellar dampness and improve heat retention.  We have had some offers of grants towards this and also towards  energy savings measures.

If we can raise £22,000 we can:

• Insulate the walls. We have a grant offer in place but need to match fund
• Remove and replace the asbestos ceilings
• Look to repair the flooring in the main hall
• Install Air Source Heat Pump (Air to Air), We are applying for funding but need to contribute 25% of the costs.

If we  raise £30,000 we can 

• Rewire the building
• Install solar PV and battery storage to save energy costs and reduce carbon emissions. We have a grant application in progress but need to match fund.

Our hall is vital for folk of all ages, it keeps us connected and protected, it welcomes visitors from all walks of life.

In summary

Trying to make our hall greener and brighter.
We need to take action to address climate change and make our hall energy efficient, ready for future generations. Climate change and energy efficiency go hand in hand for the hall. Improving insulation will help stop the heating go straight out the walls, in turn it will decrease our electricity usage. In turn this will allow us to add solar and battery storage will allowto be less reliant on the grid and be there for the community during power outages