NEWS: Bid to stave off the end of Hillend

MARK McLAUGHLIN
Evening News (Edinburgh)
August 21, 2010, Saturday

A BID has been launched to form a community trust to save the cash-strapped Hillend ski slope.

Lothians MSP Ian McKee has written to more than 200 constituents to gather support for the idea before a meeting at the Scottish Parliament next month. It comes as campaigners have been struggling to find a solution to the centre's GBP500,000 deficit after Midlothian Council insisted it could no longer afford to run it single-handedly.

The council turned to national sporting body sportscotland to help fund the centre, which draws in snowsports enthusiasts from around the country, but it said it would only offer advice on how to operate "a more economically sustainable model".

The centre has already implemented a raft of cost-saving measures - including job cuts and price rises - but these were only projected to reduce the deficit by a third, suggesting the only option to save the centre will be external funding.

Dr McKee said: "There seems to be general support for the formation of a trust, either to support Midlothian Council or any other body that might take over the running of the centre, or even one day to run the centre directly. The next obvious step is to arrange a meeting of interested parties to share ideas and to try to plan the way forward."

Dr McKee hopes the establishment of a trust will generate enough money to clear the deficit and keep the centre open, and he is calling on anyone interested in the campaign to get in touch with his office.

He said that Edinburgh law firm, Morton Fraser WS, had offered to provide legal advice so that a trust could be established in the most efficient way.

Midlothian council leader Councillor Derek Milligan said: "Midlothian Council and sportscotland have been working to explore the options for Scotland's national ski centre and a report will be considered by the full council shortly."

Sinead Feltoe, regional director of VisitScotland, said; "Hillend Ski Centre is a great addition to the visitor experience in Edinburgh & the Lothians and we believe it's important that efforts are made to make Hillend as sustainable as possible allowing visitors here to enjoy what it has to offer for many years to come. Any positive moves to help Hillend in this way would be welcomed by us."