Growth For Good: Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust

I am delighted, in this week’s contribution, to bring you news from a #GrowthForGood company whose story, for any community, is inspiring. There are many parts to them and their work, but I will just highlight three main ventures that, I believe captures the essence of their ambition, vision, and determination.

Most would have thought, with some justification, that over twenty years after the closure and demolition of the last one. it was a fanciful venture for a community company to seek to open a brand-new Ice Rink. It would be reasonable to assume that only the deep pockets of a large company or a Government Institution’s capital plan could deliver such an endeavour. Yet, the Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust (AGCT) had a clear objective, an inspirational vision, and an impressive ability to garner support from locals, business, politicians, and agencies.

"We have to convince many agencies that it is a good idea (to transfer assets) and that has probably been the crux of the task" Michael Deerman, Treasurer

They started fundraising in 2021 and almost miraculously, just seven months later opened a new community-owned ice rink, covered with a marquee. A delighted local community came out in numbers to for the official opening and I will long remember the wide grins on the faces of, not just the children, but also of the adults who were there. Several folk, with long local roots, told stories of the sporting heritage of local ice sports and brought faded family pictures and memorabilia to underline a sense of connection and history that they felt had been somehow restored.

It might have been easy, after such a triumph, for them to rest on their laurels but that success simply spurred them on to look to do even more for the community. They decided to set their sights on gaining the long-term lease, from Government agency, Forestry and Land Scotland, for the Glenmore Campsite. I saw their plan and considered it to be a strong one, but the judging panel deemed that there was not enough commercial experience in the bid, and it was rejected. After so much hard work and energy had been spent to prepare this bid, the blow might have been the end of AGCT’s ambitions, but it only spurred ACGT on.

"We expressed interest in the Visitor centre, which, at that point, hadn't been made available" Duncan Swarbrick, Director

Having been enlisted to help myself, I saw how, instead of harbouring resentment they used their resolve to dig deeper, to find out how to work with the grain of the agencies, to gain even wider support and so they set their sights on innovative and exciting plans for the, closed, Glenmore Visitor Centre. The lease for the centre hadn't yet been made available for tender through Forest and Land Scotland, but the trust thought that it would be on the horizon.

This time, there was a greater depth of understanding of the acumen of the Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust leadership and of the sense and validity of their plan.

"It was just an immense feeling once we realised that, actually, we were going to be taken seriously. The energy just changed instantly" Kirsty Bruce, Development Manager

This project wasn’t without its own hurdles, of which there were many, too detailed to go into here but I’m delighted to say that I witnessed, at first hand, how they worked the levers of possibility until, at the start of November, they were handed the keys by Forestry and Land Scotland.

You will see, from the accompanying video, how work has already started to transform the Visitor Centre into an asset for local people. The knowledge and experience of the trust are, themselves, valuable assets and they are keen to share with those who could benefit from them – and yet they are still keen to learn of other successes to help maintain their momentum of delivering for their communities.

You can find out more and contact AGCT at Home - Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust

If you know of any businesses that should be spotlighted by #GrowthforGood then please let me know.

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