Huntly's Bikery: Charity reveals timeline for purchase and upgrade of old J&I Smith bakery after £50,000 boost
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A CHARITY bike shop in Huntly has shared its plans to buy and upgrade the building it is based in, after receiving a £50,000 grant.
The Bikery, on Gordon Street, has revealed its next steps after receiving the cash from the UK Government's Community Ownership Fund.
Spearheaded by charity Gordon Rural Action (GRA), the social enterprise aims to get affordable bikes into the community while reducing the amount going to landfill.
Since opening in March, what used to be the base of Huntly family bakery J&I Smith has been transformed into a kitted out shopfront and workshop.
GRA chief officer Emma Selway-Grant said the charity hopes to buy the building in the early part of 2024.
Also a priority is getting the building to a high standard, so it can keep being an asset to Huntly, she added.
Among the improvements planned are upgrades to boost energy efficiency, as well as revamping the heating, plumbing and electrical systems – along with a purpose-built training area for budding bike mechanics.
Ms Selway-Grant said: "Gordon Rural Action are delighted to have been successful in our application to the Community Ownership fund, funded by UK Government.
"This funding will allow us to purchase the building housing the Bikery and the Food Pod helping to secure their future for the community of Huntly and the surrounding area.
"We are very exciting to be able to move into the next stages with the Bikery project and plan further upgrades to the building in the future to improve energy efficiency including upgrades to the heating, plumbing and electrics ensuring the building can remain in use for our community for many years to come.
"We hope to have the purchase finalised in the first quarter of 2024."
UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord said: "It's great news that a further 17 Scottish projects are sharing £8 million from the UK Government Community Ownership Fund.
"Through the fund we are now supporting 43 community groups across Scotland to the tune of £13.6 million to breathe new life into the places where they live, work and play.
“In total we are directly investing more than £2.7 billion in hundreds of projects across Scotland as we help grow our economy and level up the country."
Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove said: “Investing in communities improves lives – whether that’s rebuilding a community centre, rescuing historic pubs and theatres or upgrading sports facilities used by families every day.
“These are unique and cherished places, valued by local people of all ages, and we know how much they mean to communities. The Community Ownership Fund is about restoring pride in the places people call home and I’m delighted to be funding these projects.”
