Gold medal funding for Golspie sports project

A YEAR before the Commonwealth Games has even begun, a Sutherland community group has won a share of the gold.

The Sutherland Sports and Recreation Hub is an early beneficiary of the ‘Games Legacy’ pot, securing £90,645 towards an ambitious new community-led sports centre for Golspie.

The grant has come from a £10 million fund offered to sports organisations across Scotland to help encourage participation in sport and enable communities to build and upgrade facilities.

The bulk of the Golspie project funding had already been pledged as compensation from a windfarm developer.

The latest tranche of money will complete the funding package required to transform a council-owned eyesore – a deserted site behind Golspie Primary School – into a £220,000 sports complex.

Residents had already cleared the site which is leased from Highland Council.

The group ultimately envisages all-weather facilities for football/hockey, basketball/volleyball and a car park.

Hub chairman Michael Bonner said he was "absolutely delighted" with the latest funding.

He confirmed that the organisation had this week agreed to award the first phase construction contract to specialist firm DOE Sport with the first phase comprising a floodlit multi-purpose pitch.

Mr Bonner told the Northern Times: "It’s more than just a dream. It’s going to happen now.

"Stage two will be a building with changing room and showers," Mr Bonner explained.

"Stage three will be a community area, hopefully with a stage built into the banks because it has the makings of a fantastic amphitheatre music venue as well."

He is optimistic that construction work will begin within a few months.

It is not clear who would ultimately take over responsibility for the venue when its fully operational.

Applications for Games Legacy funding can be made up to 1ST February 2015 from the government agency sportscotland.

There are details online at www.sportscotland.org.uk/Activeplacesguidance