A SNOWSPORT facility in Aberdeenshire has been spared from shutting down due to a successful crowdfunded effort and additional support.
The Lecht had issued a warning in April, stating that the absence of natural snow had marked a “dire season” threatening its viability.
It said it did not want “to be forced to shut down the centre” and required assistance from the community to stay operational.
On Monday, however, the facility has now announced that it has secured sufficient funds to keep its doors open. The announcement stated:
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“A heartfelt thank you to our amazing community for coming together with support, kind messages, and donations during our funding appeal,” it said.
“Your community spirit shines through the snow. We are delighted to say that with the high community spirit and support shown, additional funding has now been achieved and therefore the funding appeal is therefore closed.”
Last month donations passed £27,000 towards the £35,000 target.
This year’s Scottish winter sports season ended on a low note, as the head of Ski Scotland warned that fixing the UK’s highest railway, which carries skiers and snowboarders up Cairngorm, has turned into a fiscal “black hole” that might damage the country’s other winter sports destinations.
The Cairngorm funicular was shut down due to safety concerns and only came back to life after a nearly five-year hiatus in January of last year. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the funicular’s owner, had planned for it to be operational again by the end of September. However, now there’s no set date for the attraction’s return after facing recent issues.
Andy Meldrum, the head of Ski Scotland, believes that looking back, the millions spent could have been allocated more wisely, and worries that these setbacks might undermine the broader industry’s efforts to seek financial support.
Snowsports centres are critical to Scotland’s rural economy, worth an estimated £30 million and providing over 600 jobs in some of the most remote areas.
It is estimated that for every £1 spent on the Scottish slopes, a further £4 is spent in the surrounding areas.
The current situation contrasts with 2010, when Cairn Gorm mountain remained open until June for the first time with hundreds of skiers taking to the snow.
