The meeting room will be a multi-functional space able to accommodate a maximum of around 8-10 people.
It will be fitted with Audio/Visual equipment and networking capabilities allowing for displays/presentations, Zoom/MS Teams type conference calls in a private space.
It is envisaged that this space would NOT be suitable for larger meetings such as AGM’s/Board Meetings/Public Meetings.
Other facilities in the area such as the village halls would be better suited to larger types of meetings.
However there are a number of smaller meetings that the Village Halls are not really suitable for which this space can cater for.
The Meeting room has access both from the Community Office side as well as directly from the Café/Bar/Restaurant, but can be secured from both areas as required to give users privacy.
A simple booking system will be implemented for pre-bookings otherwise the room can be used as and when required.
If not required for meetings the room can remain open to the Café/Bar/Restaurant side and can provide an area where for example films/Kids TV can be shown while allowing parents to enjoy the Cafe/Bar/Restaurant area.
The types of users of the Meeting Room space could include:
- Meetings for local businesses to meet suppliers/contractors.
Certain businesses such as Agriculture/Forestry/Construction/Hydro often struggle as they do not always have a suitable facility on site to host meetings with suppliers/reps coming into the area. It can also be harder to organise meetings due to the perceived travel required to access some of the more remote parts of Rannoch, offering a neutral and accessible meeting point.
- Local Community groups.
Groups such as RCT often need to hold smaller planning meetings or impromptu sessions where booking something like the village hall would be impractical and would often require some form of planning/pre-set up, where as the meeting room could be used at very short notice.
- A central meeting point for groups before or after planned activities.
Groups such as “Rannoch Paths Group” or “Rannoch in Bloom” often carry out volunteer tasks around the village. A simple briefing session needs to be carried out before each task. Rather than meet outside at a designated area they could use the meeting room and also benefit from teas/coffees/cakes etc to make the tasks/groups more appealing to a wider audience. Having such groups meet in a centralised location also makes them more visible to the wider community.
- Groups such as the “Thursday Club”
Made up mostly from the elderly members of the community, they currently meet in the village hall. Their meetings often consist of watching a film/documentary with the provision of a light lunch. Due to the small size of the group the meeting room may provide a warmer more intimate environment compared to that of the much larger village hall depending on the activity planned for that week.
- Mother & Toddler Group
The Mother & Toddler group could also take advantage of the meeting room, providing a regular and permanent meeting place for young mothers in the village to get together and have a coffee/chat. Use of the Audio/Visual equipment, access to the outside terrace in good weather and availability of refreshments could all add to the services provided.
- P&K community services, Ranger Service, Councillors, MSP’s/MP’s, Police Scotland
These groups have all highlighted the benefits of having somewhere private to conduct meetings or drop in sessions to enhance community engagement and provide updated information on local activities/proposals.
- Local Services/Businesses
A number of locals offer services such as massage & remedial therapy treatments. These often require individuals to travel to clients houses or vice versa. Instead they could book the meeting room for private use for a few hours or a set period each week and allow clients to book appointments reducing their travel time, increase efficiency and also develop a better client base/profile.
- Local School
The meeting room and its audio/visual/internet facilities would also be available for use by Kinloch Rannoch Primary School. The additional space could be utilised for a specific project or simply to provide an alternative learning environment.
