HoBESCo

Photo curtesy of Aberdeenshire Council.

HRH The Duchess of Rothesay was in Banchory today to officially open Banchory Sports Village.

A plaque was unveiled by the Duchess following a tour of the facility, during which she took time to meet some of the groups who are already active users.

The doors to the £8.5 million facility opened to the community in August last year and today the formal opening was marked. Gathered guests included community fundraisers, councillors, former councillors, and partners in the projects. A number of the guests were presented to the Duchess during the tour and had the opportunity to share their own experiences.

As part of the event she visited a parent and child gym class, an older people’s badminton group, a cardiac rehabilitation session and watched pool users making the most of the facilities. On arrival she was meet by a large group of cheering pupils from two of the primary schools in the area.

She was met by Provost of Aberdeenshire Cllr Bill Howatson, who said: “It was a pleasure to show her around this dynamic and popular community space, which has been many years in the planning. The Sports Village reflects our wider commitment to providing state-of-the-art sporting facilities under the umbrella of Live Life Aberdeenshire, and in partnership with the community.

“I am pleased to say that she was very complimentary of how well the facility has already integrated into the community and she was particularly happy to see services being offered which promote active older age. One of our Council Priorities is to ensure people have the chance to be active, for their mental and physical health. The range of opportunities that the Sports Village delivers and the range of groups that the team are already working with is testament to that.”

Keith Mair, chair of the Banchory Sports Village Trust said: “insert”.

CEO of North Banchory Company, David Smart, said: “Since opening, the Banchory Sports Village has become firmly embedded in the local community with a wide variety of groups using the facility.

“As a company we are extremely proud to have played a part in bringing this long-awaited project to fruition. We have spent over £1.5million in developing this project with the Council and the site, which is development land worth circa £800,000, has been leased for no charge.

“By working together we have ensured that the communities of Banchory and beyond now have a modern sporting facility to be proud of.”

Banchory Sports Village was funded by Aberdeenshire Council with support from North Banchory Company as well as the Banchory Sports Village Trust who were responsible for £700,000 of community fundraising.

Since opening in August, between 70 and 80 thousand people have been through the doors of the sporting facilities now on offer in Banchory, with around 25 active user groups.

The team at HoBESCo welcomed students from Aberdeen University to its Hill of Banchory biomass unit as part of their MSc Oil & Gas studies.

This Bancon Homes development in Banchory harnesses a 21^st century environmental solution to home heating and hot water needs. The development is part of a Biomass district heating system fuelled by locally sourced wood chips to supply each home with hot water for central heating and washing etc. The homes at Lochside of Leys have a Bronze Active Sustainability Rating as a result of the energy efficient construction, appliances, lighting and a range of other measures Bancon Homes have employed to ensure each home is warm, comfortable and is environmentally friendly.

At Hobesco, we understand that we are in the midst of unprecedented and worrying times which means many businesses and individuals are now facing a reduction in work, or in some cases, a complete loss of sales or income. We understand that our customers may be facing financial challenges which may impact on their ability to meet future payments. If you are concerned we encourage you to contact us in the first instance by emailing info@hobesco.com We will work with customers during this time, but it is essential you first apply for Government assistance where possible. Should you still have difficulty, we will assess each case on an individual basis and will consider various options. New Government measures are being announced frequently to support businesses and people with employment concerns so keep looking for assistance packages that fit your individual circumstance. The latest Government measures can be found here .