A north-east bowling club unveiled its new clubhouse last night after a protracted fundraising campaign.
The West End Bowling Club in Fraserburgh’s Union Grove won backing for a £70,000 project to replace its old base back in 2011.
But after hitting a hurdle in gathering enough cash to bring the scheme to fruition, members had to plead with the local authority for an extension on its planning permission in 2014.
And yesterday, surrounded by eager bowlers keen to try out the club’s facilities, the completed project was revealed to the public for the first time.
Monica Lindsay, the club’s treasurer, said: “We got there at 10.30am yesterday morning and were still serving teas at 3pm – it was a very successful opening.
“There was still some money to raise a year ago, but we managed to secure it through fundraising ourselves to get here today.
“In the future, we want to use the clubhouse more over the winter for social events and bring in new members.”
The club had been about £20,000 short of realising their target just two years ago.
At the time, club secretary Robert Lindsay revealed members had managed to pool together £56,000 of their own cash.
The club had started fundraising for a replacement club house after their old base – which was built in 1925 at a cost of £1,450 – began to fall into disrepair.
Mr Lindsay added: “We have been trying for the last eight years to get it done, but new regulations come in every other week that bump up the price.”
Aberdeenshire Council currently cares for the green and surrounds of the club house.
The building itself is the only financial footprint of the club.