Fios report

Sporsnis Reaches the Finishing Line

With work having recommenced on the Sporsnis project it seems completion is not too far away. At a committee meeting last Monday night it was agreed to hold a public meeting to raise awareness in the community again, now that things are reaching a climax.














It is nearly 12 years since the first public meeting about the proposed Sport’s Centre took place, and now the £2M building should be finished by May, according to Gordon Anderson, Project Manager, who attended the meeting and gave a progress report to those present.

The building features a range of facilities including a cavernous sports hall which could also be used for a variety of functions such as conferences and social events. There is a large sauna, shower, toilet and changing area, which no doubt will prove popular, particularly in the winter months! The state of the art fitness suite will accommodate all ages and will be equipped with cycling machines, treadmills, multigym and a concept rower.

In this day and age, when the watchwords seem to be ‘global warming’, this impressive building boasts £200,000 worth of renewables in the shape of two wind turbines on Lionel machair behind the school and a ground source heat exchanger. With these in place it is hoped that the building’s heating system will be totally self sufficient.

Speaking to Fios, Chairman Calum Iain Macleod said: ‘Work is progressing well at the Sporsnis centre with completion expected in May and the centre opening shortly afterwards. It is a really exciting time and it is hard to believe that, after 12 years of hard work by both the Sporsnis committee and the community that the finishing line is now in sight. The sporsnis committee still has a great deal of work to do prior to the opening of the centre and we hope people turn out on Friday to show their support and also that we get some new blood on to the organising committee. It is acknowledged that different skills will be required in running the centre to the skills required in getting the building completed and I sincerely hope that people with the necessary skills are happy to volunteer their time. We have been delighted with the support we have had from the community over the years and trust that this support continues. Then committee are extremely grateful too for the many monetary donations that have been made.

This is the last push to get the building open and we would stress that funds are still required and more fundraising events will be organised to raise the money to buy the finishing touches such as chairs tables and crockery. We are also extremely thankful to all our funders for their support and their patience, in particular, Members and officers of both Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and HIE Innse Gall.’

This has probably been the biggest and most complex capital project to come to Ness, and the dedication and determination of the committee, and the commitment of the community to achieving this is to be applauded. No long hike over the Barvas Moor now, and no excuse either not to get fit!

To facilitate more fundraising the website www.sporsnis.co.uk has been redesigned by Helen Alexander to allow donations to be made online.