Information Bulletin
21 April 2005
New Shetland Halls Association to be Formed
Shetland Halls have decided to form a Shetland Halls Association. The AGM is set for Tuesday 24th May at 7pm at the Voe Hall. To date, two meetings in March and April have taken place to discuss whether an association would be of benefit to halls. The attendance of 27 and then 29 hall representatives (out of a possible 52 halls) at these meetings illustrated the commitment Shetland halls have for this idea.
The concept of a Shetland Halls Association was considered at the “Hall-i-Day Conference” in October last year and halls felt the time was now right to progress the idea.
Concerns of halls include the pressures of increasing demands on voluntary committees to attend training and deal with other legislative and bureaucratic issues. It was recognised that the formation of a Halls Association could provide them with a stronger voice for lobbying on issues that affect them all.
The preliminary meetings have given opportunities for halls to formulate their ideas on what the key issues are; how a Halls Association can benefit them and, with halls spread throughout Shetland, how members will communicate and be kept informed.
SIC Community Development has always provided a local point of contact for halls. It has been suggested that it would be useful if other agencies could channel their business with halls through these local contacts. This would help ensure a more co-ordinated approach. One hall representative said ‘that would be really helpful as we are getting stuff from all over the place at the moment and it can be very confusing.”
Councillor Florence Grains stated that, “Halls play an integral role in community life and must continue to be supported effectively. We welcome the formation of a Halls Association and look forward to working in partnership with them.”
For further information contact: Maureen Stewart, SIC Community Development, tel: 01806 522417
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