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Cash grant of £100,000 lines Caley Thistle community team up for city hub creation

Sportscotland award will help multi-use facility to be built.

Caley Thistle's community development hub will receive £100,000 from Sportscotland to transform pitches at Inverrness Royal Academy. Image: SNS Group
Caley Thistle's community development hub will receive £100,000 from Sportscotland to transform pitches at Inverrness Royal Academy. Image: SNS Group

A new football base in Inverness moved a step closer as Sportscotland granted Caley Thistle’s Community Development Hub £100,000.

The national agency for sport in Scotland has awarded the sum to ICT’s community chiefs to help realise plans to transform unused pitches next to the city’s Royal Academy.

A new full-sized pitch will be created, along with ‘pathway’ pitches, a clubhouse and a changing room and toilets.

An overall expected cost of between £1-2million had previously been reported for the entire project. However, it’s understood the figure could be near the lower end of that scale, or even less.

ICT community trust is looking to have the 10-acre site improved to get rid of drainage issues and the Championship club’s community coaches will be based in new on-site offices.

The major development will mean a home venue for the Caley Thistle women and girls’ sides and will be the ideal spot for the outreach and community football activities.

It will allow scope for increased participation from disadvantaged communities, disability sport and walking football.

The plans also include it being the new home for North Caledonian League club Inverness Athletic, who currently play at Ferry Brae in North Kessock.

Hundreds will use hub every week

Caley Thistle’s community development manager Craig Masterton said the grant is a real lift and gave an indication of the numbers who will be using the facilities when they come into being.

He said: “The project has been two years in the making up to this point and the Sportscotland award is a big step forward.

“It’s definitely a very welcome boost, but there is still a lot of work to go to get to the next stage and progress it further.

“The main part is the hub will benefit so many people and groups every week. It’s a very under-utilised area of the city.

“We’re talking about having more than 600 young people, people with disabilities, walking footballers, girls’ and women, using that area.

“It will allow us to have a home and a base to deliver all these programmes to the community.”

Cash grant is ‘first step in journey’

When asked about a timescale for a potential start of the project, Masterton added: “At the moment, it’s hard to tell, but we are positive of moving forward. This is the first step in the journey to take us where we want to be.

“Hopefully, sooner rather than later, we can offer all these things to then communities of Inverness and beyond.”

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