Funding appeal extended after target smashed

PLANS to create a “worldclass” yoga studio i n Dundee have taken a giant leap forward after a £36,000 fundraising appeal was smashed.

The co-founders of Heart Space Yoga and Bodyworks are seeking to buy their Scott Street premises from their l andlord and redevelop the former Logie Church Hall.

A crowdfunding appeal set up to raise £36,000 reached its target with more than 36 hours to spare.

Now the target has been stretched to £66,000, which will help pay for architects to draw up plans to redevelop the building.

Set up five years ago by Ian Alexander, 54, and Kilted Yoga YouTube sensation Finlay Wilson, 30, Heart Space Yoga and Bodyworks is a registered charity.

More than 1,500 people attend classes at the studio each week. The main hall of their premises already represents Scotland’s largest yoga studio but the pair want to create a mezzanine level and a retractable partition to give them a more flexible use of space.

Ian said he had been overwhelmed by the response to the appeal.

H e s a i d : “We h av e stretched the fundraiser so we can go to the next stage of developing the studio. It’s really positive.”

Finlay added: “We are absolutely delighted and overwhelmed to get all that support. It is amazing that people backed us so much.”

A statement on the fundraising page said: “If we can raise this amount we can carry out essential planning work before we start refurbishment. This will involve working with our architects on the finer details of our new studio that will require specialist exper ts and designers t o guide us through what we can build within our beautiful building to create the amazing space we have visualised.”

The extended crowdfunder can be found at c row d f u n d e r. c o . u k / future-of-heart-space.