A campaign to raise funds for a threatened community centre has almost reached its half-way goal, just weeks after appealing for help.
Bennachie Leisure Centre, in Insch, needs to find £20,000 by the end of September or it will be forced to close its doors.
But thanks to “fantastic” support from local residents, and various fundraising events, just over £8,000 has been raised so far and board members are feeling “cautiously optimistic”.
The board made an urgent call for assistance to help clear the debt they inherited when they took charge in April this year.
The charity-run centre – which has suffered a dwindling membership recently – has £20,000 worth of debt, which is due to be paid in September.
Last night, board member Callum Scott said the support they had received so far was “incredibly generous” and thanked everyone who had offered to help out either with practical or financial help.
The board held a public meeting this week in the leisure centre and welcomed more than 100 people to the event.
Mr Scott said: “It was great to see so many people there. And we were able to give some good positive news about the latest fundraising. We raised a further £4,800 over the weekend – making our total £8,200.
“I’m feeling cautiously optimistic that we can reach our target, but I don’t want to be complacent.”
Adding that the campaign was “all or nothing” he also made assurances that the board did not want to “end up in this situation again”.
“We are a small rural community that cannot afford to lose a facility like this,”
Mr Scott said the centre costs about £150,000 a year to run but without clearing its debts, the newly-elected board cannot apply for grant funding to pull it out of the financial black hole.
More fundraising events are being held before the deadline, this weekend they are holding a ceilidh and will be hosting a ‘Spin-a-thon’ on September 16.
To donate to the campaign’s crowdfunder visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/keep-blc-open