BERNERA

Community Centre

The newly extended and refurbished Bernera and Tir Mor Community Centre was officially opened on Friday 25th May. A great number of locals and others turned up for the ceremony, Calum Murdo Maclean, 16 Kirkibost acted as M.C for the evening, which began with a prayer by Rev. Donald Campbell, Free Church Manse.
Among the guests on stage for the occasion were Sandy Matheson, chairman of the Western Isles Health Board, Brian Murray, fire master, Norman Macdonald, local councillor, and Dan Maclennan of Lewis Builders, who carried out the building work on the hall.
All the guests spoke of their pleasure in being involved in the project, and of the excellent Community spirit which exists in the Bernera area.
After the speeches Catriona Maclennan of Kirkibost, Bernera's most senior citizen performed the opening ceremony, by cutting a ribbon. Catriona then said a few words, wishing the community all the best for the future with the new improved Community Centre.
The two youngest pupils in Bernera School, Gordon Maclennan and Ella Macaulay, then presented Catriona with a bouquet of flowers. The assembled crowd were then kept entertained by members of the local Highland dancing school, and a very fine buffet was served in the new cafe.
The evening was rounded off by a dance, with music provided by the West Side Ceilidh Band.
The new facilities consist of a new surgery, a new fire station, a new enlarged museum, an IT office with Internet access, a new cafe and restaurant, a new Croileagan room, and an enlarged games room for the youth club.
In addition to all those excellent new indoor facilities, there is an outdoor play area and a new extended car park.
Considerable praise is due to all those who played centre stage roles in seeing this ambitious project through to its happy conclusion, especially David Macleod, chairman of the Bernera Community Association whose efforts on behalf of he community over the last few years have proved to be invaluable in so many ways, and also Calum Murdo Maclean, who was responsible for the design of the project.
Now that the new facilities are up and running Bernera has a Community Centre they can feel justifiably proud of. and now it is time for each and everyone in the community to make full use of whichever of the new amenities holds a particular interest to them.
(Stornoway Gazette ? Thursday, June 1, 2001)

2000/2001 Unit upgraded to BA Status.

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