Inverness Ice Centre relaunches under new management
Tuesday 23 November 2004
Ice sport fans in Inverness will be celebrating today as Inverness Ice Centre Limited officially relaunches the Inverness Ice Centre at Bught Park, to mark the purchase of the facility, securing the continuation of the centre as a hub for curling, ice skating and hockey in the Highlands.
“We are delighted to have awarded £139,000 from the Lottery funded Sports Facilities Programme towards the purchase of the Inverness Ice Centre.
Inverness Ice Centre, which boasts a five rink ice facility for curling, skating and ice hockey, changing accommodation, social area and offices, has been purchased by Inverness Ice Centre Limited, supported by an award of £139,000 from sportscotland’s Lottery funded Sports Facilities Programme, together with additional funding from Inverness City’s Common Good Fund and Highland Council’s Education Department.
The centre has proved extremely popular with the people of Inverness since it opened in 1967 and currently has a membership of over 1000. When fears were raised in 2001 that the centre might be lost to the commercial business sector, Inverness Ice Centre Limited rallied to retain it as an ice sports facility.
The centre which is used by numerous Curling Clubs, Wheelchair Athletes, Moray Firth Ice Hockey Club, Inverness Skating Club, the Moray School of Skating and the general public, hopes that the relaunch of the centre will alert more people of all ages and abilities in the area to the facilities the centre has to offer and encourage them to take part in one of the many activities.
Innes Rankin, Chairman, Inverness Ice Centre Limited said “Three years ago, I personally had grave doubts that the Ice Centre would survive when the then owners indicated that they might pull out. It therefore gives me great pleasure to thank all of those who contributed in getting us to the position we are in today. These include sportscotland’s Lottery Fund, Inverness City’s Common Good Fund, the Education Department and the users who dug deep to raise the balance of the monies required. The Board realise that there is considerable work still to be done in reaching their goal of having a facility that can be truly described as a centre of excellence for Ice Sports in the Highlands. We hope however, that today the foundations have been laid.”
Alastair Dempster, Chairman, sportscotland added: “We are delighted to have awarded £139,000 from the Lottery funded Sports Facilities Programme towards the purchase of the Inverness Ice Centre.
“This project is yet another example of sportscotland’s commitment to providing people across Scotland with quality, accessible facilities to ensure that they have the opportunity to take part in sport as part of a healthy lifestyle while helping to continue the long tradition of ice sport development in Inverness.”
- The official opening will take place on Tuesday 23 November at 11:30 at the Inverness Ice Centre, Bught Park, Inverness, IV3 5SR.
- The Centre is affiliated with the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, Scottish Ice Hockey Association and the Scottish Ice Skating Association.
- You and your representative are invited to attend.