Grantown Grammar Community Sports Complex
Work began this week on providing a £2.4 million Community Sports Complex at Grantown Grammar School.
Local Highland Councillor Basil Dunlop was joined by retired solicitor, Gordon McCulloch, former provost and town clerk of the town, to cut the first turfs of the project, which will feature a 4-badminton court sports hall, a new gym and field sports changing rooms, fitness suite and dance studio. In addition to this a reception area will link all facilities including access to the swimming pool.
Both Councillor Dunlop and Mr McCulloch are former Chairpersons of the original Steering Group which started the community project in 1988. This became the Strathspey Leisure and Recreational Trust which, led by Mr McCulloch, progressed the project and raised substantial local funding. In 2002 changes in national funding criteria required The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service to sponsor the project. Project Management will be undertaken by the ‘in house’ Property and Architectural Service (PAS).
The design by architect, Nick Taylor, PAS, includes a strong element of sustainable design, which has high insulation, natural ventilation, the use of technologies such as ground source heat pumps and timber cladding.
Funding for the project has been received from the Big Lottery Fund £931,122, sportscotland £300,000 and Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise £120,000 and the Strathspey Leisure and Recreation Trust have contributed £100,000 which has been raised through many years hard work fund-raising in the local community. The Highland Council met the balance of £950,000.
There has also been consultation with Grantown Grammar School and the Grantown Golf Club and their input, along with that of the Strathspey Leisure Recreational Trust, has been a significant factor in attracting the external funding without which it would not have been possible to develop this project.
The facility will be operated by the Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service under a formal School/Community Management agreement.
The contract has been awarded to Les Taylor Contracts and the facility should be open by October, next year.
Councillor, Basil Dunlop said: “"I am delighted that we have finally reached this important day - it has been a long haul. This will be a major asset to the area, a superb indoor sport and leisure centre which will be a much appreciated and well-used community facility. I would like to thank the funding bodies, Highland Council staff, my fellow Trustees and the Grantown community for all their support and hard work in achieving this."
Grantown Grammar School Rector Malcolm MacLennan said: “Schools and Community in the Grantown-on-Spey area have always been extremely sport-conscious. The Sports Hall will be a tremendous asset and it will enable people of all ages to access a much greater range of healthy activities – this will benefit us all.”
David Campbell, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Board Member, said: "This new sports facility at Grantown Grammar School is fantastic news not only for young people in Grantown but also the wider community. The Big Lottery Fund wants to open new opportunities for people to take part in sport and outdoor activity in fun and innovative ways. That's why we need more facilities like this in Scotland where people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, are encouraged to take part in healthy activities."
Julia Bracewell OBE, Chair of sportscotland, said: "sportscotland is delighted to be supporting the creation of the new sports complex at Grantown Grammar School, which will see both the school and local community benefit from a major new sports facility. This project is another example of sportscotland's commitment to providing communities across Scotland with quality, accessible facilities, to ensure that more people have the opportunity to be more active, more often."
Ian Findlay, Chairman of Strathspey Leisure Recreational Trust, said: “Members of the Trust are delighted that after many years the dream of a modern leisure complex has now come true. This is a much needed facility for the Strathspey area that we are sure will be well used. There have been many difficulties over the years but these have been overcome and we would like to pay particular thanks to the local community who had given unstinting support to the many fund-raising events that the Trust have organised.”
Stuart Black, chief executive of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise said: "We are very pleased to be able to assist with this ambitious and exciting project. The new sports complex will provide much needed indoor facilities for a wide range of activities that can be used all year round, which will be a great asset for Grantown Grammar and the wider community.”