`The Barony St John Centre in Ardrossan is set to have a makeover after it secured a share of Scottish Government funding

The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety which is based in the building received a grant of £46,448 from the government’s Community Climate Asset Fund (CCAF).

The money wil help replace the Barony St John Centre’s ageing and cracked arched windows, to install LED lights and sensors, to repair internal floor joists, to install destratification fans and heating controls, to repair cracks, replaster and repaint the hall walls and ceiling, and to replace fallen roof tiles and repair some external stonework.

The repairs will enable the centre to reduce local carbon emissions.

The Scottish Centre for Personal Safety offers local people the chance to rehabilitate, socialise and get fit through their personal safety courses and classes.

Alan Bell, volunteer manager for the charity said this week: “We are delighted to have secured this grant as it will not only transform the appearance of our centre as a whole, and our training hall in particular, but will also enable us to save 10.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. I would encourage any group hoping to make energy saving changes to initially contact Resource Efficient Scotland for a free premises survey and then to highlight their recommendations in a funding application.

“Together, we can drastically reduce local carbon emissions.”

Work at the centre is scheduled to last until March with the centre aiming to reopen in April.