History

The Moray Federation of Community Halls and Associations was formed on 22nd September 1974 by the amalgamation of 2 neighbouring federations, Banffshire and Moray and Nairn. The Moray and Nairn Federation had existed for about 7 years, with mixed fortunes.
The area covered took in all halls in the new Moray District, quite an extensive area, taking in a huge slice of the Moray Firth coastal area, from Findhorn to Cullen, and stretching to Tomintoul in the south. There are now 49 halls who are members of the Federation.
Each hall pays £15 a year membership fee to share the services of the office bearers and to benefit from the interaction among the halls at regular meetings. There are 4 meetings a year, in February, May, September and the AGM in November and these are held in different halls each time. Speakers are invited from time to time to cover a topic that is relevant to hall management.
The Federation works closely with SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) and with VAM (Voluntary Action Moray), (formerly MVSO Moray Voluntary Service Organisation) - the local CVS, who give great support for office services and information. They help with funding applications and are a great resource for locating grant availability.
The Federation receives no other funding than the membership fees, which just about cover the administration costs. The two main projects each year for the Federation are the distribution of the maintenance grant provided by The Moray Council, dating back to 1978, and the Best Kept Village in Moray Competition started in 1982.

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.

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