Ice to be back! How we returned an ice rink to Aviemore

Aviemore Ice Rink, Funding and Community Support

In February 2021 AGCT launched the Aviemore Community Ice campaign to raise funds to purchase an ice rink and a marquee in which to house the rink.

The project benefited from funds from the following and major funders: -

• Cairngorms National Park Authority & Cairngorms Trust (Green Recovery Fund) - £25,000
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise - £25,000
• Fat Face Foundation - £10,000
• Witherby Trust - £5,000
• Highland Council - £3,000

Thanks to the support of our funders and the collective effort of our community, which included local business sponsorship and many fundraising activities such as a golf tournament, quizzes, street bingo, business sponsorship and local children resurrecting the ice bucket challenge - we did it!

In total the Aviemore Community Ice fundraising campaign raised over £200k in nine-months: -

• Grant Funding: £68,000
• Donations and Community Fundraising: £68,800
• Advertising and Sponsorship: £25,000
• Donations in-kind (site, donations in kind to support build, staff clothing, volunteer trade/labour and other donations): £40,000

AGCT are hugely grateful to the Macdonald Aviemore Resort, who from the very beginning have been supportive of the ice project and for donating the use of the site which has been integral to the success and delivery of the ice rink. 

The Rink Build

The rink was built on the back of hard work and enthusiasm of a team of over 30 community volunteers including those from the Strathdearn Moorland Group. Volunteers donated many hundreds of hours; to prepare the base, erect the marquee, install the rink and build and fit-out the reception and skate hire area – all within a 3-week period. The build team continue to support the rink with any on-going maintenance support required at rink.

The Rink

Aviemore Ice Rink opened for public skating sessions on 9th October 2021 and in our first year over 22,000 skaters have been welcomed to the rink with many fantastic reviews focused on the ice team and ice returning to the Aviemore area.

• The rink has created 8 news jobs in our community.
• The Trust appointed Amanda Clinton as Ice Rink Manager who is supported by a team of 7 ice rink assistants in a mix of full-time and part-time roles.
• The rink pay above the living wage.
• The rink provides younger team members with the opportunity to gain workplace experience and develop their employability skills.

The rink has quickly become a community hub for social skating and ice sports that is accessed by many within the Badenoch and Strathspey communities

• The rink offers community pricing for those living in PH19 to PH26
• Community programmes include Junior and Adult Learn to Skate, U18’s and Adult Beginner Ice Hockey Sessions and Adult Scrimmage Hockey Sessions. To accommodate the ever-growing number of ice hockey enthusiasts, hockey sessions run on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
• We are delighted to see ice hockey return to the local area and give a big thank you to all those who give up their time to support the return of ice hockey. We would like to give a special mention to Paul Douglas and Kevin Bremner who are at the rink week in and week out to make sure a new generation of ice hockey players, young and old can enjoy the game.
• Several free community sessions have taken place throughout this season, from come and experience ice nights for local business, groups and clubs, to school group sessions. Connecting Young Carers and Badenoch and Strathspey Visually impaired Support Group have also been welcomed to the rink to experience ice.

Future Development of Rink

We are incredibly proud of our community ice rink, all profits are reinvested into the rink and help us further our goal of returning a sport-sized iced rink within an insulated and energy-efficient building to Aviemore.  

This would allow us to further develop all ice sports and see a return of sports tournaments and events which will inspire a new generation of ice athletes and perhaps some more future local Olympians!