Rink Campagin secures 2 million in Government funding

After fantastic support shown for our campaign, in partnership with S.I.R.A, for direct Government support for Ice Rinks, we are so pleased to say the Scottish Government have pledged 2M to support facilities hit by the pandemic. This is such welcome news, and could mean the difference between operating successfully, and being forced to close for good, for some rinks.

As the public facing side of the drive, Olympian Rhona Howie, European Gold Medal winner Bruce Mouat and World Gold medal winner Eve Muirhead all lent their voices to the cause; asking for more support and assistance from the Scottish Government.

We are very grateful for their help as Curling Greats.

Mike Ferguson speaks on behalf of SIRA, the Scottish Ice Rinks Association:

”We are delighted our joint campaign with Scottish Curling has had the desired effect with revenue supported funding announced by the Scottish Government. It really could not come at a better time for our members and I sincerely hope we can work with the authorities to help administer the quick release of funds. My thanks to those rinks who helped generate support, provide figures and backed the campaign”

Olympic Bronze medal winner Eve Muirhead says the news comes as a relief:

”Fantastic news, a wonderful outcome to the campaign. If we wanted the sport of curling to stay alive and keep growing we really needed this financial help. This will be welcomed with opened arms from rinks around Scotland. It’s been heartbreaking, and so worrying to see rinks closing, clubs folding etc during the pandemic but it feel now that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. In order to grow the sport we need ice rinks; and growing the sport is my main aim. As a full time curler, I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone who supported this campaign”

The details around the distribution of the funding are yet to be confirmed, and we will be discussing this with government as soon as possible. We will, of course, communicate this information when we have it.

Our request to Government three weeks ago had 2 strands, and we continue to lobby sportscotland for the relaxation of the ‘group activity’ definition that is preventing traditional curling with 8 people per sheet continuing.

We have been told this is being actively considered over the coming days and weeks.

The support shown for this campaign, from every corner of the Globe has been phenomenal, and we’d like to extend our thanks to the athletes, staff, venues, club curlers – everyone – who helped.