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Hillhouse paves the way for a more accessible Kippen Village Hall

Generous business steps in with generous practical support for the community

Kippen Village Hall is celebrating another major milestone in its refurbishment – and this time it is literally paving the way for better access.

Family-owned Hillhouse Group has stepped in to provide its skills and services free of charge to improve the area immediately outside the Hall.

The company laid new asphalt to create two disabled parking spaces close to the Hall entrance and repositioned a new bus stop as well as providing a secure ‘hole’ for erecting the playgroup Christmas tree when the time comes.

For people with mobility difficulties, the improvements will make a significant difference, providing easier and safer access to one of Kippen’s most important community facilities.

The work is being provided as a Gift in Kind, representing a substantial contribution to the Hall’s major refurbishment project.

Frances Carlaw, Chair of Kippen Village Hall’s volunteer committee, said:

“We are absolutely thrilled that Hillhouse has offered to carry out this work. It is a wonderful finishing touch to our major refurbishment appeal and will make an enormous difference to people who find access difficult.

“We were first introduced to Hillhouse by our friends at Stirling Council, and we are delighted that this initial connection has resulted in such a generous offer of practical help.

“Our Hall is used by people of all ages and abilities, and we want everyone to feel that it is a place they can access safely and comfortably. This work will help us achieve exactly that.

“We are hugely grateful to Hillhouse Group for its generosity and to everyone who has helped make this possible.”

Kippen Village Hall would like to thank Hillhouse Group for its exceptional generosity and Stirling Council for helping to bring the two organisations together.

A business with community at its heart

Hillhouse Group is a family-owned business with three generations of roots in Ayrshire. It has a long history of supporting communities through charitable work and fundraising.

As the company has expanded beyond Ayrshire, it has developed strong links with communities in Glasgow and Fife and has launched similar charitable initiatives in these areas.

Since 2014, Hillhouse has donated more than £1.25 million to community causes.

The finishing touch

The improvements come as Kippen Village Hall completes the finishing touches to an ambitious £Quarter-of-a-million refurbishment programme designed to secure the future of the much-loved community building.

The new parking spaces and improved pavement will mean that visitors can benefit from better access before they even reach the Hall door.

For the volunteer committee, it is a fitting conclusion to a major community effort involving fundraising, refurbishment and support from organisations and businesses working together to improve the Hall for future generations.