Last year the Council allocated £20,000 for the maintenance of halls and £1,500 to run
the BKV competition. The Best Kept Village competition is organised by a sub-committee with
its own secretary. The Federation usually receive about 20 entries for the competition which is judged in
August in three categories: large villages, small villages and scattered communities.
There is also a junior section which is well supported. It is considered to be a very good
incentive to keep villages tidy and attractive and has gained Moray a reputation of having a
floral trail to rival the whisky trail.
Since the Federation has now been in existence over 30 years, there have been many changes in
the needs and aspirations of the users of halls, but the Federation likes to think that it can respond to
new requirements and adapt with the developing society.
The availability of outside funding, especially from the National Lottery Charities Board,
has made a big difference in the way people see the running of their halls and there have
been some very exciting developments. In Moray there are three brand new halls - Duffus, Inchberry
and Dyke - and many halls have benefited from improvements to their facilities, both inside
and out.
The Moray Federation has good relations with The Moray Council. There is a dedicated contact
who is one of the advisers to the Federation and the local authority recognise the important part played by
village halls in today's rural life and the part that the Federation plays in supporting
them.
