Alness Heritage Centre future in doubt over £100k dry rot repairs bill
The future of an Easter Ross hub that’s home to an irreplaceable treasure trove reflecting the area’s proud heritage is hanging in the balance.
The discovery of dry rot has cast a shadow over the future of Alness Heritage Centre, sparking a campaign to find £100,000-plus to secure its future.
The centre, at 102 High Street, is home to an acclaimed museum, shop, meeting room and garden. It’s also a base for Alness Community Association (ACA), a group dedicated to the town’s wellbeing.
The ACA also owns the community minibus as well as publishing the Alness and District Times.
Centre custodian Mike Stainke, a former teacher named one of the area’s community champions at a recent awards ceremony, said: “The centre is facing major funding problems as dry rot has been found in the building and this, together with roofing issues, has put the continuing existence of the ACA in jeopardy.
“Estimates put the sum needed to be over £100,000 and with Third Sector funding through grant aid proving hard to acquire, the ACA is seeking support to address the structural challenges.
“The Heritage Centre is an important landmark as it houses much of the community’s history in its archives.
“The ACA hopes that through community support it can gather enough funds to tackle these repairs and secure the centre’s future, ensuring that it remains a place where local heritage is celebrated for generations to come.”
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Irreplaceable documents, fascinating exhibits and a shop space that allows local crafters space to sell goods has made it a key visitor attraction and local landmark.
Mr Stainke said: “This place is like an Aladdin’s Cave. It’s so full of archive material. It’s a legacy of the local town and the local area. It’s been about 20 years we’ve been in this particular building. There’s a lot of things go on here.”
He said of the structural issues: “We are in the process of trying to find funding to get that sorted. We don’t know how bad it is but the worst possible scenario is that the place has to close. If this building was to close we would have lost a lot of the history of our town.
“It’s a very important hub for the community and something we want to protect for future generations. It is a struggle. We are aware the situation is critical.”
The building was purchased in 2000 amidst competing interest from a national supermarket with the community getting behind the idea of preserving its heritage. Volunteers cleaned, restored and painted to create exhibition and shop space and started gathering the photographs, artefacts, documents and memories to tell the social history of Alness.
Cromarty Firth councillor Maxine Smith said: “I support the heritage centre in their search for funding as they provide a unique service for the community. It would be sad to lose this asset. I do hope there is a fund out there that will provide them with money to repair the dry rot issues.”
Councillor John Edmondson also pledged to look into possibilities for identifying funding.
Can you help? Contact Alness Heritage Centre at alness@alness.com
