The newly formed Cowal Kirk, has submitted plans to repurpose one of the town’s most iconic buildings into a community hub.
As of April 1, the congregations of Toward, Innellan, High Kirk, Kirn & Sandbank and St. John’s were united to form the new Cowal Kirk.
It was during this restructuring that the Presbytery of Argyll identified Dunoon High Kirk for closure.
The High Kirk is a Grade B listed building with a history dating back to the 13th century. It is situated within a conservation area of the town and has been identified as a feature of “special architectural and historical interest” by the Dunoon Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS).
The Church of Scotland is looking to the future through its “Radical Action Plan” in order to better serve its mission in the future.
This involves ensuring that going forward they offer “well-equipped spaces in the right places” and it was this initiative that inspired the congregation of The Cowal Kirk.
Having formulated an ambitious and exciting Mission Plan, the Cowal Kirk looked in more detail as to how it could be delivered throughout the community.
The Mission plan concentrates on three main areas; to connect with the youth; support the elderly and vulnerable and to put our church at the heart of the community. Thus plans were formed to transform the High Kirk into a multi-purpose facility that could meet the needs of the community and assist with the delivery of the Mission Plan.
The ambitious plan involves removing the pews and forming a large multi-purpose space in the current sanctuary, together with office space, a large kitchen, plus space for the Foodbank and other meeting rooms.
The Cowal Kirk would like to hear from the wider community about the future development of the High Kirk building. We are excited to share our plans which will be on display from Tuesday 8th June in The Wee Charity Shop, Argyll Street, with members around on Thursday 10th, Friday 11th, and Saturday 12th to provide further details and note your views.
More details on the plans in the Dunoon Observer.
