A Perthshire community group is heading to London to pitch its regeneration plans to a group of ”heritage dragons”.
Just like the entrepreneurs on television’s Dragons’ Den, members of The Ericht Trust will be given an opportunity to convince a panel that they are worthy of backing.
The Blairgowrie and Rattray community development organisation is looking to rejuvenate Blairgowrie’s B-Listed former Hill Primary School and will join local groups from across the UK on Wednesday in their quest for assistance.
The groups will be outlining their proposals for heritage-led regeneration projects, as they compete to secure over 400 hours of free professional advice that could help drive their project to fruition.
The Ericht Trust plans to regenerate the building into a self-sustaining community asset that would include a working print museum, a multi-functional hall, a small cinema, a climbing wall and conference/training rooms. The trust faces challenges relating to funding, ownership and ensuring it has the right skills to complete the project.
The ”dragons” who will evaluate their plans are Clive Dutton, the executive director for regeneration at Newham Council, responsible for delivering the London 2012 Olympic legacy in the borough, leading architect and Bristol mayoral candidate George Ferguson and Ian Marcus, managing director of leading private investment firm Evans Property Group and chairman of The Prince’s Regeneration Trust.
They will be joined on the day by a panel of leading experts from a variety of professional backgrounds – including finance, legal, architecture, community engagement and funding – who will provide The Ericht Trust with expert knowledge on creating a sustainable business model and guidance on how to secure private investment for the project.
The one-day event will conclude with The Ericht Trust and the other competing projects pitching their proposals to the ”dragons” and receiving a grilling in front of an audience.
”We are delighted to be taking part in the Heritage Dragons event,” a spokesperson for the trust said.
”At The Ericht Trust, we passionately believe in our plans to revive Hill Primary School and return this iconic site to the thriving community asset it once was.
”Our aim is to support enterprise, education and employment and put the heart back into the town by filling existing gaps in the cultural and social facilities.
”By attending Heritage Dragons we hope to tap in to the resources and advice we need to help move our project forward.”
Heritage Dragons has been organised by the Heritage Investment Working Group (HIWG), a cross-sector collaboration of leading heritage regeneration agencies and national organisations representing commercial and social enterprise.
Ian Lush, chairman of the HIWG, said: ”Britain has a wonderful legacy of historic spaces and places but thousands sit redundant and in a state of decay. The Heritage Investment Working Group’s agenda is simple: investing in the rescue and reuse of these historic buildings makes sense.”
Hill Primary School in Blairgowrie was built in 1878 and is owned by Perth and Kinross Council.