Inverness Ice Centre returns from near 'rock bottom' with major events venue ambitions

Press and Journal

2 days ago

Despite ice rinks around the country at risk of closing their doors, Inverness Ice Centre has returned from the financial brink and is back on its feet.
The centre fell into trouble in recent times after energy price hikes doubled their energy costs from £12,000 to £30,000 a month.
Now, after threats of closure and nearly reaching 'rock bottom,' Ice Centre chief executive Gordon Barron has high hopes the centre has a positive future ahead.
Mr Barron has been looking forward to being back on good terms after a successfully implemented recovery plan in May secured it's future.
This includes receiving a £150,000 loan from Social Investment Scotland.
Part of the recovery also involved negotiating a lower energy tariff with supplier npower, which comes into effect in October.
Mr Barron explained these were necessary steps, as the centre was sliding towards 'rock bottom.'
He said: 'We were in the trough in the last two years, but we are already on the upward trajectory.
'We can get back and concentrate on curling, ice skating and ice hockey and do more events in the off season.'
For several months over the summer, the ice centre loses its ice.
This is part of the centre's continued plan to diversify into an events space, which began after the Ironworks closure when energy prices were nearing their highest.
Mr Barron explained this led the Ice Centre to transform into a 'professional venue' and off-ice activity has trebled in the last three years.
It has seen a number of successful events hosted in the space, from boxing to the Inver90s music event, which brought around 1,300 people into the centre.
However, Mr Barron stresses 'we've got to strike that right balance' when it comes to events as 'our charitable purpose is about providing ice sports for the community.'
But holding events in the Ice Centre is not a new phenomenon. Back when it opened in 1968, the centre had ice for just six months of the year.
The Clash played the centre in 1982, and the annual success story of hosting Inverness' strictly dancing competition has given the centre the confidence to branch out further.
The latest Strictly Inverness event helped the centre to blast back.
Organisers say it has raised around £300,000 this year for the centre and their partners the Highland Hospice.
The latest event drew crowds of around 2,400 over four days and was 'up there with one of the best that we held' according to Wendy Morgan, who is Strictly organiser and communications manager at the Hospice.
Miss Morgan spoke of the nine-month journey to bring the Strictly event to life every year, which has now run successfully for 14 years since 2010, breaking only for Covid.
She said: 'It's so well loved. A lot of people think that everyone who does Strictly comes because they want to support the Hospice.
'But we get lots of people coming in and saying they are doing it because they've got fond memories of the ice centre.
'They maybe used to go to roller discos, or skating lessons, or their family uses the facility. It is hugely popular.'
For an event like Strictly, Miss Morgan said the ice centre is 'perfect,' and called the centre an 'amazing community resource.'
'A lot of people do say it's the best night out they have all year in Inverness,' she added.
The centre has a lot of loyal ice sport fans who keep coming back to the centre.
Teenagers participating in sports tend to 'drift off' as they get older, Mr Barron said. But many ice skaters continue with the sport at the centre past their teens, because 'they really love it.'
Several senior curlers have been Ice Centre regulars since they opened in 1968.
Mr Barron believes the Ice Centre is more than meets the eye, with the facility a 'support system' to many in Inverness and beyond.
He said: 'We have a fundraising choir for Maggie's, we've got yoga, we've got Pilates, we've got a sunroom as well.
'Quiz nights, race nights, wine and gin tasting – there's a whole range of things in here.
'We are more than an ice rink. I mean, we genuinely are a social hub.'
After a previous report on the uncertainty of the Ice Centre's future, several public bodies and groups have since been in touch to offer their assistance.
Mr Barron said this has allowed the centre to start planning a 'viable and sustainable' future to 'be here – for the long term.'
A three-phase plan (with phase one now nearly complete) hopes to achieve this.
The two future phases involve shorter and longer term proposals to make the centre more green and improve facilities for users.
These include solar panels, LED lighting, draft proofing and electricity monitoring of the ice plant.
Mr Barron estimates electricity monitoring and voltage optimisation of the plant could save 15% of the centre's energy costs alone.
While Mr Barron said 'You can't do them all at the same time,' these improvements would have the 'greatest impact' on the centre.