Members of the community in Maryhill say they were “surprised” to learn last week that the Church of Scotland was selling Gairbraid Church and Halls.
Following this, a public meeting was held at Maryhill Burgh Halls to see if there would be support for the Trust to raise funds to buy the Maryhill Road building and keep it in community use.
Lynne Christie Deutsch, CEO of Maryhill Burgh Hall Trust, explained that the charity is now calling on the Church of Scotland to give them time to try and do just that.
She said: “We hear all the time about services closing down or relocating out of the area due to lack of space.
“This is the chance for a new creative and artistic hub for the area – connecting people from across the community, celebrating our culture and creativity and showing the world that Maryhill is wonderful.
“With public transport fares continuing to rise, travelling into the city for arts, youth, or community programmes is simply too expensive for many residents, making locally accessible spaces even more essential.
’’The community’s ask is simple: pause the sale to allow proper consultation, planning, and fundraising, giving local people a chance to shape a sustainable, community-led future for the church building.”
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Local residents and community organisations say they were further “shocked” to find that a closing date had been set for January 29.
The public meeting on Monday is said to have highlighted “strong community interest” in raising the funds needed to buy the property, which is currently closed due to “health and safety concerns”.
Fears were also raised over claims that no public consultation had taken place with the local community prior to the sale being announced.
However, the Church of Scotland states that its intention to dispose of Gairbraid Church and Halls was included in a mission plan sent to councillors at Glasgow City Council in 2022, with a meeting later held to discuss this.
Wilma Mather said: “The main thing is, it’s another building that’s leaving the community. There are so many buildings that have disappeared from community-use in Summerston and Maryhill, and this is another one.
“The other concern is that the community weren’t notified in enough time to do anything about it, which is a big issue.
“It’s a bit late in the day, but we will try our very hardest to get the funds as a community group to make this a vibrant community space.
“At the meeting, there were so many ideas of what the building could be used for from early morning to late at night.”
Robert Alston added: “I would like to see the building reopened and used for the community. I was absolutely shocked [to hear of the sale] because it happened so quickly.
“All we’re asking for is a bit more time so we can galvanise support and see what we can do to get money together to help.”
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In its listing, the Church of Scotland stated that it will not bind itself to the highest bid, and offers will be considered by one or more of the Church Committees.
Speaking to our reporter, local councillor Abdul Bostani said he believes the community had not been given “sufficient notice” to respond to the sale.
Cllr Bostani commented: “The local community here already faces a real shortage of accessible venues, so the decision by the Church of Scotland to close and sell Gairbraid Church is deeply concerning.
“It is particularly troubling that the sale has been advertised for only three weeks, which does not give the community sufficient notice or a fair opportunity to respond.
“There should have been proper consultation with the local community, and the community itself should have been given first preference to explore options for its future.
“I urge the Church of Scotland not to rush this process, to give it time, and to allow the community a genuine and meaningful opportunity to shape the future of Gairbraid Church.”
A spokesperson for the Church of Scotland said: “The Church is radically reforming in order to properly respond to 21st century mission needs, and part of this work is to ensure we have well-equipped spaces in the right places.
“Gairbraid Church in Glasgow was closed as a place of worship due to health and safety concerns before a final decision was taken in 2024 to dispose of the sanctuary and halls as part of the Presbytery of Glasgow’s Mission Plan.
“It was well known locally that these buildings would be put up for sale, and it was hoped that the long lead-in time to the marketing stage would give interested parties a chance to come up with a plan to buy them.
“Indeed, the intention to dispose of Garbraid Church was contained in a version of the Mission Plan that was sent to Glasgow city councillors in 2022 for information, and a meeting to discuss the plan was later held.
“The General Trustees, the Church’s property holding arm, expect to see a property such as this marketed openly, and it would not be possible to pause the process at this stage.
“We understand and recognise the emotional attachment people have to buildings, and if a representative of a community group would like to make an offer, the General Trustees would be very happy to consider it.”
