Tarves Development Trust has been awarded the funds to buy the Tarves Community Hub incorporating the Murly Tuck cafe, by the Scottish Land Fund. This will secure the Hub in community ownership in perpetuity.
Following the closure of the former doctors’ surgery in 2015, the building was put up for sale by Haddo Medical Group. In a surprise move, it was bought by a local resident, who wanted to help the community to acquire the property and keep it economically and socially active within the centre of the village. The Tarves Development Trust (TDT) was set up to take forward the project, raising the funds to convert the building into the Community Hub.
Local couple Gill and Alfie Gray opened the Murly Tuck cafe for business in April 2017, which has been very well received with a 4.5/5 rating on TripAdvisor.
The Trust applied to the Scottish Land Fund for the cash to buy the building for the community in the summer of 2018 and heard that our application had been successful in November. For more information see the article in the P&J here.
Income generated from the Hub will be reinvested into the community to develop activities and facilities, including ones that will provide further volunteer and employment opportunities.
Local residents are encouraged to become members of the Trust to help direct our future projects – contact Fiona Smith on 01651 851832/ fiona.smith@tarves.org.uk. Membership forms are also available on the website here http://www.tarves.org.uk/tarves-development-trust/tdt-documents/ or at the Murly Tuck.