On 19 October 1923 the workers in the collieries in the Bothkennar area held a meeting in the playground of the school there, at which the workings of the Miners’ Welfare Scheme were explained to them. It was pointed out that their share of the Fund would be around £600 and so a committee was formed to push a local scheme forward. It was also agreed at the meeting that each miner would contribute 3d a week for the first year to take effect when the claim under the scheme was granted. In October 1924 £800 was allocated towards the building of a hall in Skinflats. A hogmanay concert was held in Bothkennar School to supplement the funds.
The Bothkennar Miners’ Institute was formally opened on 19 February1926 by William Riddell, coalmaster. Henry Wilson of Wilson & Wilson architects presented him with a silver key.
The hall was located a little way down Newton Road away from the main road. It consisted of a hall capable of accommodating about 250 people. There were two side rooms, one to be used as a reading-room, the other as a kitchenette. A system of central heating was installed and the lighting was by means of oil lamps – there being no electricity in the village.
Fundraising for an extension took place throughout 1930 with cake and candy sales, jumble sales, concerts and the like. Construction work began late that summer. The local committee was quite active and the hall was busy. Early in 1938 it was one of the first in the area to introduce a new fad in games to attract the younger generation – badminton. As it was at the centre of community activities, the Bothkennar Miners’ Welfare Society did reasonably well financially during the Second World War.
Towards the end of 1954 the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation decided to break its relationship with the local society due to the lack of miners in the area, and to divest itself of the hall. Negotiations began to see if the District Council would be willing to take over the building and to examine the reaction of the Bothkennar Miners’ Welfare Society. At first these trustees were reluctant to co-operate, but when it was realised that the alternative might be the sale of the property on the open market they supported the approach to the Eastern No. 1 District Council. It was essential that some permanent body like the District Council be responsible for the property. The committee at the time was doing a good job, but committees could and did change. It became known as the Bothkennar Community Hall.
When Falkirk District Council was formed in 1975 the hall was transferred to its property holdings and continued to be run by it and its immediate successor until 2016 when it was put up for sale for use as a community asset. At the start of 2020 it was re-launched as Bothkennar Activity Centre and had a grand opening event to allow guests to try their hand at everything from sumo wrestling to animal-handling. A year later the name was changed to the Spectrum Venue, to be used for sports and fitness classes, slimming groups, arts and crafts, parties and various other events.
Falkirk Local History Society 