spòrsnis update

The largest and probably the most complex building project ever undertaken in north Lewis is progressing well with the new community facility at Lionel now two-thirds of the way to completion. Work on the internal walls of the £1.9M centre adjacent to Sgoil Liònail is almost complete. New boilers are being installed along with a sophisticated energy management system to link in the innovative renewables which are expected to account for 80% of the power requirements. A system to monitor closely the contribution from renewables is also being considered.

At the regular committee meeting on Monday, Chairman Calum Macleod, gave an update on the funding requirements to equip and fit out the facility. An estimated £85,000 will be needed and the committee is engaged in a number of fundraising events and applications to funding bodies. One of the items agreed was a regular competition in fios which appears for the first time in this issue.

The fine detail of some of the equipment and the internal finishes is now being considered. The installation of a climbing wall in a corner of the main hall was agreed subject to funding and suitability of the hall.
A number of external works require to be undertaken including: upgrade of the access from the main road to the school with the provision of a footpath; provision of water storage tanks to increase the water pressure, as the present system is not adequate, and the re-instatement of one of the two all-weather courts adjacent to the school, one of which was damaged and the other on which part of the new facility is built.

A representative of one of the private trusts which has already supported the project visited the site last week. Christine Scullion of the Robertson Trust was given a guided tour of the facility by Norman Thomson and was reported to be ‘very impressed’ with the development, and particularly delighted with the close proximity to the school. Norman also took Mrs Scullion to see the GAIN playpark with which she was equally impressed. The Robertson Trust was established by the Miss Robertson Sisters in May 1961. Miss Elspeth, Miss Agnes and Miss Ethel Robertson inherited, from their father William, a controlling interest in Robertson & Baxter and Clyde Bonding Company now known as The Edrington Group.