THE FRIENDS of Kinneil – the group set up to promote and support
Kinneil Estate in Bo’ness – is bidding to become a registered charity.
The news was revealed at the organisation’s first AGM last week.
Members agreed to a simple change to the not-for-profit group’s
constitution, which should pave the way for regulators to make it a
fully-fledged charity.
Outgoing Friends chairman Adrian Mahoney said: “The new status should
allow the group to tap into extra funds to support the work of The
Friends of Kinneil.”
Mr Mahoney told members and invited guests he was stepping down from
the chairman’s role after being elected to Falkirk Council on May 3.
“I’m really proud of what The Friends of Kinneil have achieved,” he
said. “We helped more than 1000 visit and appreciate Kinneil House
over the last year – helping Historic Scotland stage extra open days
and providing volunteers to recount the building’s rich history.
“We also significantly raised the profile of the House, its Museum and
the surrounding Estate, through promotional work and the production of
things like postcards and notelets.”
After the AGM in Bo’ness Library, the management committee of the
group elected local businesswoman Lynn Munro as the new chair of The
Friends of Kinneil.
She said: “Our volunteers have worked incredibly hard to promote a
positive image of the estate and its history. Kinneil is a fantastic
place and we want more people to know about it.
“During the first year, we survived completely on members’
subscriptions, donations and fundraising initiatives. If we become a
charity, we should be able to access additional funding – and
hopefully increase the impact of what we can do.”
Anyone interested in joining the Friends can email:
info@kinneil.org.uk for more details.
Kinneil 