Auchenblae & District Community Association (ADCA) has received a request from the Parks Committee requesting that we consider an emergency application to the windfarm fund. A vital piece of equipment requires substantial repairs, without it the Golf Course cannot be maintained to an acceptable standard and without the income from the golf course, the Parks Committee will be forced to cease operations. Our community faces losing community amenities including our golf course, den, playgrounds, bowling green, tennis courts, pavilion, exercise equipment, football pitch and pump track.
ADCA still have a number of tasks to complete before we can re-open the normal Auchenblae Community Fund process to applications. We are making good progress with our review and with community support over the next few months, we intend to announce the re-opening the fund at the Auchenblae Gala 2023. We do not yet have a panel in place so cannot open the normal fund process quickly enough to help the Parks Committee now. Indeed, Auchenblae Community Fund Panel could not meet to consider one application without being grossly unfair to other eligible groups.
The panel was only set up to create arms-length decision making from ADCA so that ADCA could apply to the fund as well. The Mid Hill contract requires ADCA to consider all proposals submitted and to present all proposals to MHWL/Fred Olsen, specifying those we recommend for approval.
Please remember that the purpose of the fund is to benefit the residents of the area of Auchenblae – the best way to ensure that the benefit reaches our community as widely as possible is by supporting all our volunteer-led community groups, whilst respecting their autonomy and accepting that they know best what their group needs. The point is to say yes to as many projects as possible.
In the short time remaining until the fund re-opens, our committee has agreed to consider emergency applications from eligible groups who face closure in the short term (risking subsequent loss of community amenities). Please contact ADCA if your group wants to consider submitting an emergency application.
We have contacted MHWL/Fred Olsen to discuss our fund review progress and our interim plan and they are happy for us to proceed on this basis. We will directly contact known eligible groups to notify them of the situation.
In a process to be considered entirely separate from ‘Auchenblae Community Fund’, ADCA proposes to submit the Parks Committee emergency application to MHWL/Fred Olsen for approval. If you wish to comment or provide feedback on our proposal, please do so by 16/2/2023 via letter or email to auchenblaecommunityassociation@gmail.com
Yours Sincerely,
ADCA Committee