Thanks to a grant from the council-administered Renewable Energy Fund (REF), Friends of Stonehouse Park (FOSP) will receive almost £200,000.

The grant of £199,500 will be funded from Bank End Rig which contributed to the REF.

Friends Of Stonehouse Park Secretary Karen Kelly said: “We are delighted to be a recipient of REF funding.

“Our group has been operating in Stonehouse for the last 10 years, creating free to attend events for our community.

“The pavilion project first came to our minds around six years ago, when we hoped to utilise the onsite space for storage of our event equipment, however due to equipment within the building this was not a straightforward take over.

“Our committee has grown and expanded our events throughout the years while managing the Bandstand refurbishment, the planned restoration of the paths and fountain and pushing for the Pavilion project, has been a hard slog. 

“We are delighted that we can now action our plans and create a warm, inviting space for all our events; it will streamline all our processes of getting onsite on event days and free up volunteer time to plan and deliver more events.  We are honestly delighted with this award and so grateful to our supporters both within the community and the council itself.” 

Chair of the council’s Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, Councillor Robert Brown, said: “I am sure the new hub will enhance the visitor experience for everyone visiting Stonehouse Park.

“FOSP have done a tremendous amount of work over the years to make Stonehouse Park a much-valued visitor attraction for locals and people across South Lanarkshire, and I am sure this venture will build on their record of success.”