History
Moray Federation of Community Halls & Associations
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 48 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.
We work closely with SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations)
and with MVSO (Moray Voluntary Service Organisation - our local
CVS) who give us great support for office services and information.
They help with funding applications and have FunderFinder, a
computer-based system for accessing grants.
The Federation receives no other funding than the membership fees, which just about cover the administration costs.
The 2 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. We usually receive about 20 entries for the competition which is judged in August in 3 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 we like to think that we 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 we have 3 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. We have a dedicated contact who is one of our advisers 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.