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Fears that hire charges at the new KA Campus in Arran High School would be a lot higher than in Lamlash Community Centre were dispelled this week.
John MacMillan, senior development officer for North Ayrshire Leisure is responsible for running the community facilities. He has been coming to Arran for 13 years running football coaching sessions for youngsters and played professional football for Motherwell, St Mirren and Stranraer before joining North Ayrshire. On Tuesday he took the Banner on a guided tour of the community wing to see those facilities at first hand.
He was quick to dispel fears that the hire charges in this superb new building would be a lot higher than in Lamlash Community Centre. He said: ‘Charges will be much less than at other NAC facilities. We’ll take a massive loss in Arran. It is much better to have it used than overpriced.’
The two most striking amenities are the theatre and the sports hall.
The theatre doubles as a school assembly hall and the seats are stacked flat against the back wall. Within four minutes they can be hydraulically extended to fill three quarters of the room. John MacMillan said: ‘There is fixed seating for 268 and room for about another 70 loose seats at the front. I take on board adverse comments about the sound and lights control room. Perhaps we can get a sliding window fitted.’
The sports hall is huge. There are four badminton courts and facilities for basketball, volleyball, five-a-side football, and hockey. The walls and floor are painted a delicate shade of pale blue. ‘It was carefully chosen,’ said John. ‘The colour is calming and you can easily see a ball or shuttlecock against it.’
The gymnasium and dance studio has mirrored walls and a wall bar for ballet. It will be used for martial arts, dance groups and aerobics classes. ‘But no ball games with those mirrors,’ laughed John.
The fitness suite is equipped with the very best exercise machines. ‘It’s the best out of all the new schools by a mile,’ he said.
The all-weather sports pitch costs just £16 an hour to hire. ‘Our mainland schools charge an extra £8 for floodlights but we have waived that charge for Arran,’ said John. ‘I want to reassure residents that all old community centre bookings will get priority. And I’m sure that once folk get used to the new school they will forget their gripes.’
