Charity gym has £25k grant refused
AN EX-FIREMAN who founded the city’s first depression-busting gym is "gutted" after a funding application for around £25,000 was turned down by Highland Council.
Councillors holding the Inverness common good fund’s purse strings said personal trainer Malcolm MacSween failed to demonstrate that his Canal Road-based charity called ActivNess, which offers one-to-one fitness sessions for people with low esteem caused by mental health problems, would "benefit social provision in the city".
Inverness and Nairn MP Drew Hendry, who attended the gym’s official opening last week, said it was a "disappointing" decision, and described ActivNess as "the kind of innovative project we all need to be supporting".
Mr MacSween (44), who wanted the funds to cover overheads, coaching trials and volunteer expenses, said he was "pretty sure" he would reapply.
He said local organisations "are definitely wanting to do partnership-working, and members of the community are coming in and offering their services".
He added: "I’m gutted but I think now there has been some interest in ActivNess we will see how it goes over the next few weeks. We’ll keep trying."
Other Inverness common good fund grant applications were approved by the city committee last week.
Successful applicants were the Mikeysline charity (£25,000) towards its drop-in centre, the council’s leisure division High Life Highland (£15,500) towards a dinosaur exhibition and the Camanachd Association (£5250) for a shinty/hurling international and shinty project.
The other application, £50,000 for The Ledge adventure sports centre planned for the marina, was questioned by Conservative group leader Andrew Jarvie who wondered if it would be subsidising a "commercial venture". City manager David Haas said it was not because of the "company structure".
Progress was welcomed on the Town House restorations and potential October start date of the final phase.
The Victorian Market entrance upgrade designs and works costing £200,000 of common good money were "noted".
