A £1 million contract has been signed to convert the former Leverburgh school building into a community hub.
Lewis Builders won the tender to under the year-
Once complete, Leverhulme Community Hub (LCH) will consist of a café, launderette, charity shop, gym, historical society, along with offices for let and a community space for hire.
The signing of the contract is a momentous occasion for the hub board of directors who worked tirelessly over the past six years to reach this stage.
Community protests saved the building from demolition. It was later bought in 2020 with help from the Scottish Land Fund.
Originally built as a recreation hall for Lord Leverhulme’s workers, the building is an iconic feature in the village, steeped in history. The building was adapted as a school in the 1930s and is the place where many a South Harris boy and girl received their education. In fact, eight out of the board’s nine directors went to school there.
Dan MacLennan of Lewis Builders said they are “delighted” to be awarded the contract. The firm looks forward to working with the Leverhulme Community Hub to “provide some well-
Angus MacLeod, chair of LCH said: “Reaching this milestone has been no mean feat, especially with the challenges the current financial and economic climate have thrown at us.
“The scale of works had to be cut back on several occasions due to rising costs. There have been many late nights, long meetings and at times, we wondered if this was possible.
“That said, we are delighted to now be in a position where we have a contractor – experienced in such projects – in place, alongside a great design team. It has been over 20 years since the last substantial injection of public money into our area and since then we seem to have somewhat fallen off the map.
“What we hope for the future, is that the establishment of Leverhulme Community Hub will not only be successful as a project but will in fact be the catalyst for the much-
“It’s time to put Leverburgh back on the map, and we feel privileged to be a part of that vision.”
Services at the premises will be disrupted when renovation works start on Monday. The launderette will close while the works are ongoing. The charity shop is relocating next door to the village hall – opening date and duration to be determined.
Builders ready to start on £1 million community hub renovation project
10 February 2022
Contract signing with Angus MacLeod, of Leverhulme Community Hub and Emily Young from Lewis Builders