Inverness Ice Centre (IIC) is launching a major crowd funding campaign to secure the long term future of the venue.
With countless ice rinks and swimming pools either having closed or under threat across Scotland due to rising energy costs and the long term effects of Covid closures, IIC is taking steps to secure its long-term future by launching the £250,000 crowdfunder.
Set in a prime location close to the banks of the River Ness and in the heart of Inverness’s many sporting facilities, the centre provides facilities for enjoying ice sport all year round including a five rink ice arena for curling, ice hockey and ice skating.
Established in 1968, IIC is a charity owned and run by its members which has served as a hub for ice sports in the Highlands for nearly 60 years. The centre has nurtured world champions and Olympic gold medal-winning winter sports athletes.
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Beyond its use for ice skating, ice hockey and amateur and elite-level curling - including wheelchair curling - the centre plays host to the popular Strictly Inverness fundraiser for Highland Hospice as well as providing a space for local martial arts, yoga, boxing, baby - and community - groups, including the popular Maggie’s Inverness cancer support centre choir.
To ensure a bright future for the IIC, the committee and board of directors has developed a two-phase improvement plan. Phase one will seek to raise £250,000 from members, occasional users, local businesses and the general public to introduce essential energy-saving measures to reduce energy consumption, bring down running costs and make the building more environmentally friendly. Priority upgrades include installing insulation, draught proofing, and energy-efficient LED lighting.
Longer term, a second phase of fundraising will target a further £150,000 to enhance the overall visitor experience. Planned works include additional insulation and internal remodelling, such as relocating the garage space to expand and improve changing facilities to create a more welcoming environment for users and a more efficient working space for staff, while also contributing to long-term operational savings.
Speaking on the eve of launching the campaign, IIC chairman, Michael Green, said: “Like ice centres and swimming pools across Scotland, IIC was placed under incredible strain by Covid and huge spikes in energy costs. And, although recent efforts, such as securing a loan and implementing a cost-reduction plan, have brought some temporary financial stability, the crowd funding campaign will be absolutely critical to ensuring the long term operation and development of the centre.
“We are asking both regular centre users and members - as well as occasional or past users and members if the wider local and winter sports communities - to give a little towards our target to secure our future. The closure of the centre would be a huge blow to Inverness and the wider Highlands - not to mention a death knell for a long and proud elite winter sports legacy in the Highlands. On a health and wellbeing front, the closure of the ice centre would result in the loss of an important community space to those who rely on it to combat isolation and boost wellbeing - as well as the loss of a key social support centre, hosting inclusive wellness and social events.
“The centre also supports 40 jobs and through events and groups is a major contributor to the local economy.”
The IIC boasts a proud sporting legacy. A vital hub for curling, skating and ice hockey clubs since the late 1960s, the centre has nurtured countless world class athletes - such as three-time world champion curler, Ewan Macdonald - and gold medallist Olympians as well as synchro skating National champions.
IIC said the loss of the centre, which hosts internationally-renowned curling events - would be a "hammer blow" for winter sports in the area and to aspiring young skaters, ice hockey players and curlers.
As part of IIC’s fundraising campaign the centre is offering regular uses the chance to play their part by taking advantage of one-off long term membership offers. Ten-year memberships are being offered at £5,000 with 3-year memberships costing £1,500.
A group of ice centre users also recently raised £5,600 money to contribute to the crowd funder by tackling the 3 Peaks Challenge. The group scaled the three highest mountains in the UK - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike (England) and Snowdon (Wales) - in just 24 hours.
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