There is a growing sense of excitement at the Lanner & District Silver Band as its new headquarters starts to take shape.

Old site

The new building will occupy the site of the band’s former Nissan hut bandroom, which for many years had been rented out to a local scout troop, and the project which began in 2010 is starting to finally bear fruit.

Purpose built

Band Chairman, Lee Rouse told 4BR: "For many years we had talked about how nice it would be to have our own purpose built facility. Although the base we had served us well with our flourishing Brass Academy and the main band going from strength to strength, the time was right to turn the talking into action!"

He added: "I knew that raising the money wasn’t going to be easy, but before making any applications, we put considerable effort in engaging with the community and researching how successful grant applications were formulated."

Now the ground works have been completed as has most of the timber frame and the roof is about to be added so by Christmas. Just two years on from conception the building will soon be watertightLanner & District

Funds

Lee revealed that a couple band members attended a training session run by a Local Voluntary Action Group and before long they had secured a grant of £200,000 from SITA Cornwall Trust.

Together with the proceeds of the sale of their bandroom work started on the new build within a week of learning that the money was all in place.

Now the ground works have been completed as has most of the timber frame and the roof is about to be added so by Christmas. Just two years on from conception the building will soon be watertight.

Surveyor

The construction has been project managed by the band’s principal cornet, Richard Rowe, a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, and the band are expecting to move in to the new Headquarters in June with a very big party being planned.