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‘We’re blown away!’: Inverness’s Clay Studio team overjoyed at response to urgent Highland cash plea - but more still needed





The Clay Studio at 33 Grant Street in Inverness. Picture: James Mackenzie.
The Clay Studio at 33 Grant Street in Inverness. Picture: James Mackenzie.

The overjoyed team at the Clay Studio have been “absolutely. proper, blown away” by the phenomenal response to an urgent funding crisis appeal.

The studio took to socials this week to warn that it needed a minimum £3000 cash injection to ensure the vital community hub in Merkinch doesn’t close its doors.

The facility runs a host of local activities, including a youth club, after-school programme, summer clubs, programmes for those with additional support needs, a community garden and also serves as the youth hub for Youth Highland in Inverness.

Its financial shortfall is the result of a breakdown of the studio’s vital kiln, which will take £1000 to repair, as well as another £2000 which is needed to cover other running costs.

It warned that without the funding it would face the “real risk” of having to close its doors by the end of June.

But the GoFundMe it set up to raise the vital cash looks set to have thrown them a vital lifeline, after the community rallied round and cash flooded in rapidly.

At 9.30am on Sunday the GoFundMe page was just £150 shy of its original target, having raised £2850 with more still coming in.

And the response has been so impressive that the team has extended its target in the hope of increasing its chances for “longer term stability”.

Posting an update on Saturday afternoon confirming hopes of going beyond the initial £3000, Clay Studio’s Pete Davidson said: “As you'd say in Inverness, we are, like, absolutely, proper, blown away by your support. In just 24 hours, you have helped us raise a phenomenal £2375 of our minimum £3000 goal to keep The Clay Studio alive in Merkinch!

“The gratitude felt by our team, our community, and every single young person and adult who comes through our doors is hard to put into words.

“THANK YOU to every single donor, sharer, commenter, and cheerleader so far. You’re making real hope possible. There's been a few leaky eyes in the last 24 hours, and this is giving us a fighting chance!”

“If you’ve already donated or shared—thank you, thank you, thank you. If you can help us keep up the momentum, please share the link again, spread the word, and let’s show what community can do when it comes together.

“But the story doesn’t end at £3000. GoFundMe has the option of enabling the campaign to run beyond £3000 if we make it to that amount, and that’s the bare minimum needed just to survive the next couple of months.

“We’ve chosen to keep the campaign open because every pound above that gives us a real shot at longer-term stability — allowing us to focus on building a sustainable future, protecting jobs, and continuing to serve the community.

“Your donations are helping us not only keep the doors open, but also giving us crucial evidence to show funders, the local authority, and other key stakeholders just how much the community values and needs Clay Studio. This is real proof that what we do matters.

“There's a lot of work to be done in and for our community and we want to ensure we're here to continue to be able to do so.

“We are deeply humbled, grateful, and filled with hope. From everyone at The Clay Studio, and everyone who relies on us—thank you for standing with us. Let’s keep going.”

To donate to the appeal visit www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-clay-studio-an-urgent-call-for-support.

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