J.K. Rowling donates to local town hall renovations

J.K. Rowling has made a generous donation to the reconstruction of the Aberfeldy town hall, located near Edinburgh, as confirmed by one of her spokespeople. According to the Courier, the building is planned to be renovated into a 182-seat venue for music and drama.

A local thrift shop has recently raised £1,300 (about $2,115) for the cause, and many other groups from the community are also working to raise funds.

After a five-year campaign to buy the building, deemed “surplus to requirements,” it was finally handed over to residents of the Aberfeldy community. Ian Menzies, of community organization Locus Breadalbane, said,

It’s going to be a wonderful resource for the community — it’s what we’ve been working toward over the last few years after buying it from the council. We are now bringing it into the 21st century and are fundraising for that.

The refurbishment of the B-listed building will cost £1.5 million (about $2.4 million), but we had a generous donation from JK Rowling.

Plans for the building include removal of two flats currently in the space and housing a lesser hall, a kitchen, a green room, and toilet facilities. Renovations also include improved heating, insulation, lighting, and sound.

The next fundraising event will be a silent auction at the town hall on September 20.