A HEAVY footfall of over 200 locals walked through the doors of the former Peebles Ex-Servicemen’s Club last week, bringing the iconic clubrooms back to life as a Community Hub for the town.

It was the end of an era when back in August last year, the almost century old Ex-Serviceman’s Club closed its doors due to heavy debts.

Peebles Pipe Band were forced out of their home after a mission to rescue the club failed, and committee members faced the harsh reality that they could not dig their way out of financial mess, brought on by a combination of dropping numbers and a hike in costs and tax bills.

But all was not lost, after Peebles Community Trust stepped in and reached an agreement with the club’s administrators, to take on the running of the School Brae building until its purchase later this year.

Members of Peebles Pipe Band marched back to the place they call ‘home’, and the local Men’s Shed, who has been desperately searching for a premises for over a year, finally found one at the new Community Hub.

On Saturday, the clubrooms were bustling once more, as local organisations came to view the facilities, and saw 80 people sign up to become members of the Community Trust, taking their membership to more than 800.

The open day also attracted support for another rescue mission in the town, with 100 people signing the petition for the community buy-out of March Street Mills.

Peebles Community Trust chairman Lawrie Hayworth said: “We see ourselves as an enabling body, an umbrella organisation that aims to help local groups to achieve their aims by providing facilities and services.

“We were pleased to see so many people on Saturday, many of whom took the opportunity not only to put forward ideas for the use of this community space, but also to show their support for our efforts to secure a Community Right to Buy of the former March Street Mill site.”

The Trust needs to demonstrate the support of ten per cent of the electorate in its ambitious plan for a community buy-out of the former mill site, which is subject to a government appeal by owners Moorbrook Textiles, who want to develop it for housing.

But if Peebles Community Trust succeeds in its quests and gather the support needed, it will be given the right to purchase the site with the aid of Scottish government funds.