LOTTERY WIN FOR DORNOCH!

Posted on 29 January 2014

Local community organisation, Dornoch and District Community Association (DADCA) is celebrating an award from the Big Lottery to help with the building of a new Community Centre for Dornoch.

Following a DADCA bid in September, Big Lottery has just given the green light for around £50,000 of Development funding to be made available to DADCA.

This generous award will be used to pay for DADCA costs in engaging an architect-led design team to prepare detailed plans for a new Community Centre, and to secure detailed planning permission for the new building. 

Following the outcome of a Feasibility Study carried out in 2010, and of two rounds of community consultations, DADCA has been able to demonstrate strong community support for a new community building.  The intended site for the new Dornoch Community Centre is Dornoch’s Meadows Park, whose trustees have already given assurances of their support.

DADCA Chairman Jerry Bishop said, “This really is a giant leap for our plans for a new Community Centre for Dornoch.  Our current building – Dornoch Social Club – is very heavily used.  It is no longer fit for purpose, because it is very expensive to run, difficult to access, and just not big enough – we are having to turn some people away.  Dornoch is a growing community, and this new Community Centre is sorely needed.”

Highland Councillor Jim McGillivray agreed.  “DADCA has worked long and hard for this success,” he said.  The Big Lottery has very rigorous selection processes, and for DADCA to receive this award is a real feather in the community’s cap.  I hope and expect that DADCA will seek Stage 2 Big Lottery support to build the new building in due course, and this first success must give real optimism that this new Centre will come to fruition soon.”

DADCA expects to advertise shortly for suitably-experienced architect firms to carry out this work.