Council puts weight behind community transfer request

Orkney Islands Council will soon be handing over the reins to part of the Stromness Squash Courts to the Orkney Amateur Weight Lifting Club, in what is the first ‘Community Asset Transfer’ for the county.

Community Asset Transfer is a way for community groups to request taking over assets, through the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 (the Act), which came into effect on 23 January 2017.

Community groups applying must demonstrate increased community benefit for their proposals and a feasible business plan.

Request for asset transfers must be determined on community benefits the proposal will deliver, with the criteria set out within the Act.

A request must be agreed unless there are reasonable grounds for refusal, such as that handing over the asset would restrict the Council’s ability to carry out its function, or that the benefits of the request are judged to be less than the benefits of an alternative proposal.

The asset request agreed today at the Council’s Asset Management Sub Committee will see the Orkney Amateur Weight Lifting Club (OAWLC) granted use of part of the squash courts building, currently managed by the Council’s Sport and Leisure team, for a nominal rent of £1 per annum on an internal repair lease basis, for up to 50 years.

The area of interest requested by OAWLC includes the squash court, main entrance lobby, two showers and a toilet. The remainder of the building includes the football changing room, shower and toilet facilities and will continue to be available for existing use.

The club lodged the request in April this year against a backdrop of growing demand for and popularity of the sport in recent years in the county, and the promise shown by individual club members. Some members of OAWLC participate at national competitions and have represented, and are members of, Team Scotland and have broken numerous Scottish records, with the potential that they may be selected for inclusion in a future Commonwealth Games squad. Training opportunities have been limited due to time restrictions for use of independently owned gyms.

OAWLC consulted with the community as part of the transfer process – their proposal found wide support in the community, and over half of respondees who indicated they would support the move and would join the club were women, with positive response also from young people. The club says it can help foster a fundamental understanding of safe training techniques to aid in participation of other sports and for general health and wellbeing.

Members at today’s meeting heard part of the club’s plans include the introduction of hardship funds for vulnerable members of the community facing socio-economic difficulties, to increase access for those that are disadvantage.

Although the facility is on the mainland the Club is also planning outreach sessions and options to build links in the Isles.

Chair Leslie Manson said: “I’m delighted with the decision members have made to today which is supporting a community organisation through the renewed use of an arguably underused asset which otherwise would remain so.

“The club have shown resilience and energy to pursue this option to the end, and our officers have clearly worked hard to support them in doing this and getting this over the line.

“It’s a request which brings an exciting new pursuit to the Orkney community and which supports a growing club - I hope it’s a harbinger of other community transfers in the future and that we’ll see more such applications coming to this committee.”

Chairman and head coach at OAWLF, Matthew Byers, said: "Everyone at OAWLC is over the moon with the verdict from our CAT request.

"Whilst we still have a lot of work ahead of us we feel like we have overcome the largest hurdle so far.

"This will allow us to offer the sport to more people than we have ever been able to accommodate in the past, offer Paralympic Powerlifting to the community for the first time, as well as putting the club on a secure footing to grow and develop well into the future.

"A number of different people helped us put the request together, we would like to thank them all. We would also extend thanks to the Council, whose officers guided us through this process - we are very grateful to see OIC supporting grass-roots community organisations such as OAWLC."