Funding crisis “biggest ever threat” to Aberdeen rink’s future

The operators of the north east of Scotland’s only dedicated curling rink say the site is facing its biggest ever threat to its future due to rising costs.

Curl Aberdeen said it needed to raise £160,000 from its members to cover increasing cooling and heating costs, as well as replacing its ageing ice plant.

The not-for-profit organisation is not allowed to borrow against the value of the building due to a security held on the site by its previous owner, Aberdeen City Council.

The rink’s bosses said this limited fundraising opportunities. They hope to generate support from their members.

The rink, which opened in 2005, has hosted major tournaments including the European Championships and the World Mixed Curling Championships.

It has lost about a third of its 600 members since the Covid pandemic.

The operators said the subsequent rise in the cost of living, particularly for energy costs, had also hit it hard and it was currently running at a deficit.

Curl Aberdeen chairman Graham Russell told BBC Scotland News: “The city of Aberdeen quite correctly put a security on the site to ensure that we couldn’t sell it for any other use than an amateur sports club.

“Because of that we can’t borrow against it.

“There has never been a greater threat in 20 years of Curl Aberdeen.

“We’re really at a crossroads because of the restrictions on borrowing.”

The situation follows similar crises at other rinks across Scotland.

Earlier this month, Inverness Ice Centre said its energy bill had increased from £12,000 to £30,000 a month.

In 2023, a leading industry figure said many of Scotland’s ice rinks faced closure due to “crippling” energy bills.

Scottish Ice Rink Association president Mike Ferguson at the time that said several Scottish ice rinks were now at “the critical stage”.