Application has been made to South Lanarkshire Council for a Community Asset Transfer of the TACT Hall in Blantyre over to the Thornhill and Coatshill Tenants Association.
TACT Hall is a South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) Facility which has been operated by a local management committee since 1989. At present this arrangement allows the hall committee to operate the facility, schedule activity and benefit from the income whilst SLLC cover the majority of the overheads and also provide staff.
In early 2024 due to budget cuts SLLC announced that it was their intention to withdraw from a number of facilities, TACT hall being one of them, signalling the hall being put at risk.
The existing management committee are keen to keep the centre open and continue to operate it by themselves without the assistance of SLLC. It should be noted that the centre has been closed for a number of recent years due to an issue with heating, this is currently being rectified and it is hoped that the hall will open again soon in September 2024.
The area in which the hall operates is an area surrounded by predominately social housing. It is also an area with pockets of deprivation and the hall serves an important role in allowing the community to meet and grow.
The TACT community hall is located in data zone S01012766 (Coatshill West) which is in the most deprived 26-30%, so the area is included in the most deprived 30% data zones.There is 1 data zone in the wider area (Stonefield West) that ranks in the worst 20% data zones, this is about 500m from the hall. Thornhill Avenue is just to the east of the same 20% data zone (Stonefield West), There are a further two data zones within 1km of the hall which are in the most deprived 21- 25% and 26- 30% (Wheatlands Central/ Wheatlands North).
Prior to the closure, the hall operated a diverse range of social and recreational activities in response to local demand including martial arts, youth clubs, mother and toddlers, job club, dance classes and a very successful outdoor gardening project.
All of these activities were very well attended and evidenced a demand in the area the project serves. They serve all of the community from infancy to retirement. It should also be noted that a lot of their service users, especially youth and children come from deprived and complex families and the provision of youth services greatly assists them in helping them to live in the difficult circumstances in which they find themselves.
Thought the process is still in early stages, it is hoped that the Council, like they have done with other halls, transfer the management of the hall to this local Association, so that the hall can continue to function. A much needed lifeline! Here’s hoping the Council do the right thing and support this application.
