COMMUNITY ownership of the Moray Institute, in Kelty, came that bit closer when a steering group was set up at Wednesday’s public meeting in the village.

Public interest in preserving the Moray as a community facility has been high since the idea was first mooted in the late spring.

When the new Kelty Community Centre opens next year a number of organisations currently based at the Moray will move to the £7m facility but local councillor Alex Campbell feels there is a real need for the Moray Institute to be kept.

He said that there were many community groups in Kelty who could make their home at the Moray and there were examples of such facilities being community owned and running successfully in other parts of Scotland.

Councillor Campbell called Wednesday’s public meeting and was delighted at the turn out and commitment shown.

And now members of the Community Trust steering group are set to travel to Tewchar, in East Dunbartonshire, to visit a similar facility and meet with the people who are running it.

Said Councillor Campbell , “Wednesday’s meeting was very encouraging with ten people coming forward to form the steering group.

“The evening threw up a number of fantastic ideas of what could be organised in the Moray after the new community centre has opened.

“These included a cinema club and using the space that the Institute has for businesses uses also and everyone is looking forward to going to Twechar, on Saturday 12th September, to see how the community there has taken a similar facility under its wing.” And Mr Campbell says that he hopes that more people will come forward and contribute their ideas of what can be developed in the Moray Institute.

“The more members of the public involved the better for we want to see the Moray Institute part of Kelty life for a long time to come,” he added.