Generous Press and Journal readers are helping preserve a major piece of the north-east’s heritage by supporting a conservation group.
A total of £25,249.95 has been donated to Bon Accord Heritage’s Save Bon Accord Baths campaign through The P&J Community Fund.
The charity’s goal is to reopen the Bon Accord Baths in Aberdeen after the Art Deco indoor swimming pool fell into serious disrepair.
The money received from our fund is allowing the group to carry out essential maintenance on the path to achieving its goal.
And campaigners have hailed The Press and Journal for highlighting their crusade.
Bruce Strachan, of Bon Accord Heritage, said: “It’s been great being one of the P&J Community Fund partners this year.
“Save Bon Accord Baths has really benefited from this initiative.
“I think what the P&J has been able to do is allow us to reach us to people who maybe aren’t so active on social media, or are now just realising there is a campaign to save the baths.
“Being nominated as one of the charities has been fantastic.”
Mr Strachan added: “We have used the funding as unrestricted funds.
“A lot of our funding is usually restricted to certain parts of the project so this has allowed us to really keep up with the maintenance of the building, keeping it safe, keeping it wind-tight and water-tight, but it’s also allowed us to do other repairs to the fabric of the building and think about other ways we can use the building and get the public in more.”
Additionally, the team has used the P&J Community Fund cash to update its website and install a ramp to the front of the building with plans to expand facilities in order to host public events.
The category B-listed Art Deco baths on Justice Mill Lane is one of the few remaining swimming pools of its types in Scotland.
Bon Accord Heritage was formed in response to its closure following careful study which revealed the city’s support, need and want for the historical site to be restored.
The charity was also able to receive Aberdeen City Council’s formal approval of a motion supporting the restoration of the baths and pledging its support in accessing funding.
In 2020, Bon Accord Heritage was granted a licence to occupy the baths and start a programme of open days and events which raised awareness and allowed the public to access the historic site while the project was progressing.
The charity plans to provide a number of additional complementary services within the building, making better use of previously unutilised spaces.
In 2023, this newspaper marked its 275th year of serving communities across the north and north-east by launching the P&J Community Fund.
We revealed on Monday how our generous army of readers and local businesses helped raise more than £126,000 this year for our five charity partners – Friends of Anchor, Save Bon Accord Baths, Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA), SurfABLE Scotland and Munlochy Animal Aid.
Now the search is on for two new charity partners for the next two years.
Charities have until midnight on Monday December 16 to nominate themselves to be in with a chance of becoming The P&J Community Fund partners for the next two years
Organisations can apply online here.
Craig Walker, editor of The Press and Journal, said: “We’re looking forward to finding our new charity partners who we’ll work with over the next two years to help promote the great work they do and raise as much money as possible.
Conversation