A CEREMONIAL turf will be cut today to mark the start of a new era for a Glasgow community.

Work on the construction of a £2.1million Townhead Village Hall, on land next to Taylor Place, is due to begin in just under three weeks.

Community members have been campaigning since 2004 to create the facility, which will take up 806 square metres.

It will have a large activities hall, a learning space with computers, a nursery, two meeting rooms, a kitchen, an open plan cafe with seating area, changing rooms and space for two offices.

Glasgow Life is also redeveloping the football pitch next to St Mungo's Primary and people can book these during out of school hours through the village hall.

Evening Times' Community Champion Betty Dougan, who is chairwoman of the Townhead Village Hall campaign group, is due to cut the first turf with Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson.

Mrs Dougan, who has lived in Townhead all her life and in her current home for 43 years, said: "We have been fighting for almost 10 years to get the community hall because we have nothing in Townhead.

"It is going to be valuable to so many people.

"Elderly people can use it to socialise and get a coffee, there will be a creche for the children and people with learning disabilities will also be able to use it."

The great-grandmother added: "I look forward to being able to walk into our new building."

The hall, which is being funded by various organisations, including the Big Lottery Fund and Glasgow City Council, will be managed and used by the community.

It is scheduled to be open by next January.

Mr Matheson, who is the councillor for Anderston And City, which includes Townhead, said the hall would "make a big difference to the lives of the local people".

Alastair Wylie, chief executive of CCG Scotland, the main contractor behind the project, is also due to help cut the turf at the site, which has been derelict since the 1960s.

Workmen will clear the area over the next few weeks and erect site cabins before full construction begins.

They will be on site for about nine months.

Glasgow MSP Sandra White said the plans showed what communities could achieve when they worked together.

She added: " This is fantastic news for the people of Townhead who have worked so hard to see their dream of a community hall in Townhead become a reality .

"Credit must be given to the many people who have given their time and made great efforts to achieve this and I look forward to joining in the many activities the hall will offer."

rachel.loxton@ heraldandtimes.co.uk