Coalburn Miners' gets a makeover

Founded in 1925, Coalburn Miners’ Welfare Charitable Society, which runs the town’s social club, has been playing an important role in providing resources to the local community for more than 90 years.

The £65,000 grant was awarded from the Renewable Energy Fund (REF) administered by South Lanarkshire Council which receives money from wind farms including the nearby Banks Renewables wind farm at Kype Muir. It has enabled the group to transform the social club – renovating its upstairs and downstairs halls, two toilets, games room and lounge.

The REF grant contributed part of the £131,000 received by Coalburn Miners’ Welfare from a variety of other funders.

The social club is extremely well used, with around 200 members and contains the only function suite and public bar in the town. All the profits made through the social club are fed back to the charitable society to enable it to continue to serve the surrounding community.

Councillor George Greenshields, project manager, said: “The social club was in need of a serious upgrade so we were over the moon to have received such a vital source of funding.

“As a result, we’ve now been able to improve the building massively so we can continue to make so many events and activities accessible to all.

“The building really has become essential to the local community. The social club is a valuable space where plenty of good memories have been made.”

With many of the town’s population being members of the charitable society, the club holds everything from weddings and parties to yoga and IT classes.

George added: “Because the club is extremely well used and versatile, we needed to get it done up so we can continue to provide a good quality space.”

Robin Winstanley, sustainability and external affairs manager at Banks Renewables, said: “To be able to contribute to this renovation was a real pleasure. It’s brilliant to see the impact a wind farm can have on the wider community.”