THE Cumnock Chronicle is giving local residents a firstlook at Ochiltree’s long-awaited community hub. The vibrant space will open to the public this month and has big plans for the area.

It comes after the community raised £1.8m to replace the previous centre that was closed to the public in 2016. Now the exciting new facility will include a café with homemade baking, a book point and outdoor space.

The space also offers two spacious meeting rooms that can be hired by the hour, a large hall that can be used as a badminton court, netball pitch or for indoor football.

The versatile space can also be turned in to a cinema or hired as a meeting or event space.

The Café supervisor, Ochiltree’s own Margaret Andrew spoke of the quality of produce sourced for Café @45.

She said: “The produce in the area is fantastic and using local produce will be at the heart of Café @45. “I am looking forward to producing home baking and hearty meals that everyone can enjoy.”

Kirsty Fowler, the hub manager, commented: “The venue is such a versatile space, it has the potential for hosting large conferences and weddings down to smaller after schools clubs or yoga classes. We hope to build the number of activities the facility offers over the coming months so that there is something for everyone within the community and the surrounding area."

The hub will officially open its doors on Ochiltree Main Street on July 22, Monday to Friday 8.30am-4pm and Saturdays 9am-2pm. To book a room or to hire the sports hall please go to www.ochiltreehub.com.

The facility which is owned and run by the local community, was made possible by the East Ayrshire Council community asset transfer programme with funding from a number of sources.