Charity status bid for sports arena group

Campaign has set its sights on attracting large grants from sportscotland and Scottish Athletics

Angus Athletics Arena campaign is aiming to become a registered charity as it targets grant funding to achieve its £1 million dream of an outdoor track in Arbroath.

Since forming a year ago, the campaign has received almost £9,000 of donations and also has three sizeable pledges from local trusts totalling £17,000, which will be available when building work starts.

However vice-chairwoman Cherise Whamond said that the group now needs to become a charity as it sets its sights on attracting large grants from sportscotland and Scottish Athletics.

She said: “Our main aim at the moment is to obtain charitable status and we are still in the process of this.

“Once we have this we can then move on to organising gift aid and we will get the crowdfunding campaign up and running.

“When we are a charity we can move on to applying to other bodies and will also look to get sportscotland and Scottish Athletics more involved – and other large funders.”

Bringing a state-of-the-art facility to Angus is likely to cost in excess of £1m.

It would address the fact that Angus is one of only two local authorities in Scotland that does not have an allweather athletic track.

A site for the track has been identified at Arbroath High School.

The campaign continues to attract a steady stream of donations from the community.

TSB in Arbroath has selected the Angus Athletics Arena campaign as the charity it will campaign for over the next 12 months. A recent bike-a-thon featuring members of staff in the branch raised £262.

A bake sale in the Commerce Street branch is planned on Thursday and Friday and the bank has told the group that it can use the premises for raising awareness of the campaign. Anyone looking to donate baking to the sale is asked to contact angusathleticsarena@gmail.com.

The Station Bar on Keptie Street has also helped out by encouraging customers to give their loose change to the campaign, and this raised a further £250.

“Every donation is a step closer to us achieving our goal of an all-weather arena for Angus,” added Cherise.

“We have raffles, football matches and hospitality nights planned and are currently arranging other fundraisers.”

Meanwhile Paul Leonard has replaced Vicky Graham as secretary of the steering group and Karen Kelly is treasurer. Winston Webber is chairman and Cherise is vice-chairwoman and lead fundraiser.

The group will hold its annual meeting at the Saltire Leisure Centre on November 30 at 6.30pm.

Anyone who is interested in helping the campaign is welcome to come along.

Picture: Paul Reid. Angus Save the Children group held their autumn fair at the Strathmore Hall, Forfar Mart, last night. Lisa Hector and Lindsay Renucci, of Hector and Campbell Creative, show off some of the items for sale at their stall.

Angus Athletics Arena campaign vicechairwoman Cherise Whamond, left, and treasurer Karen Kelly receive a donation to the campaign from Station Bar proprietor Paul Cook.