A COMMUNITY-LED organisation has restored one of Scotland’s most historic bandstands with the help of a £107,897 grant.
Friends of Stonehouse Park (FOSP) was awarded the money from the Renewable Energy Fund (REF) – provided by South Lanarkshire Council and Banks Renewables’s wind farm developments.
The funding has allowed FOSP to bring the Alexander Hamilton Memorial Park bandstand back to its former glory.
Built for the 1911 Scottish National Exhibition in Kelvingrove Park, the bandstand was bought by the Fourth District Council and moved to Stonehouse Park in 1925, where it struck a chord with its flood of visitors and became a popular tourist attraction.
FOSP member John Young said: “To now be in the process of restoring the original bandstand is a massive milestone for Stonehouse.
“We are incredibly grateful to South Lanarkshire Council, Banks Renewables and all of the other funders involved for providing us with the financial support to be able to restore such a historical asset.
“We’re hoping it sends a strong message to our surrounding communities to show what is possible when people come together. The bandstand itself will provide endless benefits to local people and we’re really happy to be extending its legacy.”
The funding allowed the group to undertake extensive restoration works on the bandstand, including reconstructing the brick-base walls, removing rot-affected softwood and replacing the roof.
The grants support communities within 10 kilometres of participating windfarms and, through collaborating with South Lanarkshire Council, Banks Renewables aims to boost the economic and social benefits of generating wind power in South Lanarkshire with local residents.
The community group worked closely with South Lanarkshire Council’s funding team to develop a complete plan to deliver the £215,793 restoration project.
Local councillor Robert Brown said: “This wonderful bandstand has been a fixture not only in the park but also in the hearts of the people of Stonehouse for almost 100 years, so restoring it to its full glory will be a landmark for the community.”
