Game On! Supporting Dufftown Highland Games
Rising prices, particularly for capital projects has been a major issue for many groups in the past few years with Brexit, Ukraine and the lingering effects of Covid all having an impact.
The Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund has been able to provide additional funding to some previously awarded projects which were struggling with increased costs to enable them to keep on track and complete planned works.
One example of this was Dufftown Highland Games. The Games are held annually on last Saturday in July, and were first held in 1892. The Games have a full programme of light and heavy events, massed pipe bands, highland dancing and hill races. The event regularly attracts around 5,000 people including locals, tourists and the diaspora with around 60% attendees from overseas.
After a two year gap due to Covid, the 2022 games attracted an audience of 6,700 people. It is a very significant event in the Dufftown calendar and is an opportunity to bring people together and raise awareness of local groups and charities who also have a presence.
Dufftown Highland Games was awarded £25,350 in 2021 to fund a steel frame shed to increase storage capacity for equipment used during the annual Highland Games. Their aim was to double the amount of storage capacity that they have located on the Games field on the western edge of Dufftown. They had one storage shed, and planned to erect a second shed of a similar size alongside the original one.
This would allow them to store more equipment indoors which would make it last longer and also mean that they could purchase rather than lease more equipment like chairs and tables which would also be financially beneficial. The shed required planning permission which took longer than expected to secure.
Delays led to price increases from original quotes, particularly due to massive rises in steel prices, and in February 2022 an additional amount of £16,500 was approved for the project. Planning permission was finally granted in August 2022, by which time, a further increase in prices meant the group faced a shortfall of £12,330 to carry out the build as intended.
The Dorenell fund awarded a further £7,330 in December 2022 and the group met the balance from their own reserves. The shed was erected in spring 2023 and the group believes it will make a huge difference to their successful operation.
The fund awarded a further £9,660 to the Highland Games in the past year to purchase 200 fencing panels to provide a secure perimeter for the Dufftown Highland Games, again recognising the importance of this event to the local community.