Approval has been given at the Housing and Technical Resources Committee to enable Loaves and Fishes to take over the building. The hall and library were among a number of assets that the board of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture agreed to withdraw from as part of their plans to balance their 2024-25 budget.

The facility was one of many that have been subject to an enquiry from an organisation who are interested in a Community Asset Transfer (CAT). This offers the opportunity for services to continue to be hosted, with support being provided from the Community Fightback Fund to keep facilities open while the process took place.

At this point, the application for Greenhills Hall and Library is not a formal CAT request but the charity will be granted a 100% rent-reduction for a one-year lease to allow a CAT application to be developed.

Loaves and Fishes has been working since 1992 to help with the prevention or relief of poverty by providing free food and other support for those suffering financial hardship.

The charity intends to move its base to the premises, allowing its activity to grow and to site it in the area of most need in East Kilbride, allowing easier access for the local and wider community. It will work with other community organisations and support wider community access to the building, and is already in discussion with another local charity, Waist Not Want Not, regarding a joined-up provision of services.

Waist Not Want Not has indicated it is keen to continue to offer the community access to books and confirmed it already has staff trained to deliver “Book Bug” sessions as part of the service that would be offered.

Councillor Davie McLachlan, Chair of Housing and Technical Resources at the Council, said: “This is great news for the community, keeping this valuable resource open and beneficial to all in the area, and shows the value of the processes set up to address the lack of funding for premises like these across South Lanarkshire.

“It will allow Loaves and Fishes to move their much-needed operations to where they are needed the most and will remove the costs of operating this asset from the Community Fightback Fund and make them available for other vital purposes.”

More information on Community Asset Transfers is available from the council website.