Halls in south Aberdeenshire are getting together this Valentine's weekend to celebrate the launch of a 'Love Your Hall' toolkit that will provide support to hall committees.

The events will take place from 11.00am on Saturday, February 14 in Laurencekirk and Sunday, February 15 in Tarland.

Hall committees will explore funding opportunities, touring theatre events and sustainable heating and also mark the launch of a halls toolkit that was built by Marr Area Partnership.

The Love Your Hall initiative is a joint project between Aberdeenshire Council, Marr Area Partnership and K&D Voice and will support the transformation of village halls across south Aberdeenshire.

Provost Bill Howatson, who will open the first event, said: "With major developments planned for Aberdeenshire in future, the provision of community facilities is ever more important - especially in rural areas.

"Village halls are hugely important as a community focus, and they deserve imaginative and innovative support. Aberdeenshire Council has an important role to play in unlocking that support."

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There are over 107 community halls in south Aberdeenshire and estimated to be over 3,000 in Scotland.

A Scottish Government study into rural facilities was carried out in December and found that two thirds of Scotland's village halls need attending to and many committees struggle to attract volunteers.

Over Valentine's weekend hall committees will hear from a number of experts from funding to arts organisations that will help them renovate, run and expand the range of activities halls can offer.

£30m of funding has been allocated to support village halls through the SRDP and Barbara will explain how to apply for the fund as well as opportunities the fund opens up to hall representatives.

Sustainability is a major issue for many buildings not just halls and Aberdeenshire Council’s renewable energy development co-ordinator Eric Wells will provide an insight into the sustainable community halls initiative that halls can use for improvements.

Councillor Richard Stroud, chairman of Aberdeenshire Council's Education Learning and Leisure Committee said: "We already provide support to many halls and will continue to work closely with them.

"The Love Your Hall initiative is an example of this and makes sure that committees receive information from administering events to renovation and funding so that the whole community can benefit."

Those interested in attending a Love Your Hall event should contact Lindsay Lumsden on 013393 885705 or by email at [email protected].

(GK/JM)