PLANS FOR MORAY’S SPORT CENTRE could receive a massive financial boost after it was accepted to compete for up to £25,000 from the Aviva Community Fund.
However the funding will depend on votes from the general public – with the Moray project facing stiff competition from other charities throughout the country.
Moray Sports Centre CEO, Kathryn Evans, explained: “Moray is perceived locally as poorly served in terms of sports facilities – Scotland’s average has a multi-sports centre for every 33,000 people, while Moray’s population of 95,500 has no facilities of the calibre that the new centre will provide.
“In 2014 a survey was completed by Moray Council and Sport Scotland highlighting that there was a distinct lack of adequate sporting facilities in Moray, especially synthetic pitches that allow all year round activities.
“This has inspired us to address this issue at a time when obesity holds a high focus in Moray as it does in many parts of Scotland. We are looking to use sport as a catalyst for people to live more of an active lifestyle.”
The process of creating a central sports centre in Moray was begun by local businessman Sandy Adam, who has donated initial funding to the charity. However, funds need to be sourced from others if the project is ever to reach the state-of-the-art facilities required to service the entire region.
Individuals and groups throughout the region have been holding fundraising events, but Kathryn says in these particularly challenging times much needs to be done to achieve the charity’s ambitions.
She said: “We are exploring every possible fundraising route and to that end the Aviva decision to include the Moray Sports Centre is very, very important. We are over the first hurdle, being selected for inclusion – but now it is down to the public in Moray and those throughout the country with an interest in Moray to get behind this bid.”
Voting opens on Friday, October 21 on the Aviva Community Fund website https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/.
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