Community group to make offer for Whalsay kirk

THE COMMUNITY group exploring the potential purchase of Whalsay’s Brough Kirk says it will accept an offer of a grant to buy the building.

The Scottish Land Fund has offered around £80,000 for the project.

The Whalsay Kirk Development Company (WKDC) said following another public meeting it has now decided to accept the offer.

It will now move into ‘phase two’ of the project, which will entail the group making an offer to the Church of Scotland for the B-listed building, which dates back to the 1700s and is surrounded by a graveyard.

This phase also includes installing water and waste facilities to the site, and the creation of a-part time job for a development worker to assist in the ongoing planning and administration of the project.

The group’s chairperson Thelma Stearn said the team now has enough people offering help in director roles and also through skills and time for the project to proceed.

“We are delighted as this project will be a positive addition to our community in so many ways,” she said on behalf of the group.

“We are so grateful to everybody who have supported us this far.

“We must however mention especially community development worker Roselyn Fraser who has provided an outstanding professional service to us as a group.”

A feasibility study on turning the building into a mixed-use community space was previously carried out.

Earlier this year Shetland News visited the kirk – read the report here.