29/08/2024 Bat survey carried out by Starling Learning

23/08/2024 Coal Authority CON29M Coal Mining Report for community hub provided to JW Ross

19/08/2024 Coal mining risk assessment carried out by JW Ross

07/08/2024 Award of £2,000 by the Robertson Trust

05/08/2024 Trustees’ Annual Report and Annual Accounts submitted to charity regulator OSCR

25/07/2024 Reigart appointed to carry out demolition of Waterside Miners Club buildings

24/07/2024 Topography survey carried out by Pinnacle Phoenix

09/07/2024 Ecology survey of site and surrounds carried out by Cairn Ecology

09/07/2024 Replacement ‘Danger – keep out’ signs put up

03/06/2024 EDC’s Richard Todd attended a meeting to explain Local Place Plans, which will be important for the community hub as well as for the area as a whole

03/06/2024 Fundraising strategy presented to membership by fundraising lead

10/05/2024 The Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) provided £7,106 towards planning application costs

15/04/2024 Ownership of Waterside Miners Club recorded on Register of Persons holding a Controlled interest in Land (RCI) as required by law

07/04/2024 Heather Stalker and family raised £313 with a tombola at Twechar Spring Fayre, which, together with other takings at the event, meant the charity gained £343

Also: pre-planning application and application for demolition warrant submitted to EDC by CD Architects (now appointed to project-manage Waterside Community Hub project); letters of support received from Ross Greer MSP, Neil Bibby MSP and Katy Clark MSP

28/03/2024 CALA signed memo of understanding pledging £35,000 towards demolition and a further £5,000 project contribution

07/03/2024 Hub presentation attended by senior executives from EDC (Heather Holland, David Gear), who discussed support

Also: meeting took place with Hillhead Housing Association to discuss possible links; letters of support received from Paul O’Kane MSP and Stuart McDonald MP; first business plan finalised; fundraising strategy being prepared

19/02/2024, 20/02/2024 Two meetings held with stakeholders and potential hub users to discuss project and ask for support

04/02/2024 Ethan Gilmour ran Winter Warmer Half Marathon and raised £505

Also: meeting with Myrette Bracken of CISWO (Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation) took place; letter of support received from Rona Mackay MSP; GRM Graphics selected to design website and logo

30/01/2024 EDVA Volunteer Fair attended by WMCS – networking to promote Waterside Community Hub

29/01/2024 Creative Spark Theatre Arts gave presentation to members about potential hub use

26/01/2024 East Dunbartonshire Voluntary Action (EDVA) posted hub survey and recruitment advertisement on website and Facebook page

Also: a Just Giving campaign went live, eventually bringing in £1,420, hugely helped by generous £1,000 donation by local coach company LA Travel; discussions started with website and logo designer, who was given designs from two logo competitions; and the community hub project was featured in local newspapers at the end of January and beginning of February

30/11/2023 CISWO gave the go-ahead for the charity to demolish the former Waterside Miners Club and build Waterside Community Hub

18/11/2023 The charity took a stand at Kirkintilloch’s Regent Centre and handed out leaflets and recruited new members

Work started on the WMCS business plan, with the help of Arniston Consulting and funded by Business Gateway

Letters of support received from five local East Dunbartonshire councillors

Children’s Halloween event co-hosted by WMCS and Waterside Community Council  (pumpkins courtesy of Tesco and Lidl), and report of this published in the Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs Herald of 8 November – good publicity for the community hub project

27/09/2023 EDC Community Grants awarded £7,548 towards hub planning application fees

10/09/2023 A Waterside car boot sale, run by charity members, raised £800, enormously helped by a huge tombola

Also: volunteer Murray McIlroy raised £1,300 for the charity with a sponsored bungee jump; Edward Z Smith gave a history presentation to Kirkintilloch High School art students, who took part in a competition creating logos for the charity, with a winner selected at hub monthly meeting

27/08/2023 WMCS had stand at the Kirkintilloch Canal Festival to publicise the Waterside Community Hub project