Hi everyone.

The GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-bracknell-ice-rink?utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet page has been updated and the target reduced. The details have been rewritten and we have posted those below:

Please note that all donations will be refunded if we do not reach our target. If we cannot properly apply the funds raised to saving the complex, all donations will be refunded. We will review fundraising progress after 30 days and let everyone know next steps.

Please take time to read below to understand what the community might be about to achieve.

We have heard the sad news that the Ice Rink and Ski Slope complex in Bracknell has been permanently closed by the current owners. This is a vital community facility and we are looking to raise funds to purchase (or part purchase) the facility, update it and get it back open for the tens of thousands of local users.

We are fully understanding that it would take £5m to £8m to buy the complex and land and then to refurbish the existing rink and slope as well as all the facilities. We do not believe that that level of fundraising is an achievable target at this time.

However, we need to raise funds as soon as we can to ensure that we can approach the owners and / or potential buyers and show that the community is serious about reopening this facility. We have set the initial goal at £100,000. If we reach this goal, we will extend the target. We believe that £100,000 is a level of fundraising that will at least allow the community to have a say in what happens next. The larger the figure, the more ‘power to our elbow’.

The funds raised (if we meet our goal) will be used to partner either with the current owners or potential buyer for a percentage stake in the land and complex for the community. Again, the larger the stake, the more influence the community will have over the ongoing ‘future’ of the complex.

Recognising that the community would be unlikely to raise enough money to take full ownership is important, but if we all believe that this complex is critical to the Community and we want to have a voice in its future then the community needs to raise enough significant funds to be taken seriously.

This is not an outcry for the closing of a publicly funded facility, this is the closure for a privately owned complex for business reasons and as such there is ‘no one’ to petition and ‘no one’ to complain to. Therefore, we have to make those that either currently own the facility or are a potential buyer of the facility that the community wants and needs it open and the only way to do that is to raise enough money to have a voice and to be taken seriously.

Everyone in this team would love to raise £8m and more…. but simply put, that is not realistic…. however we ask that you all contribute whatever you can, however small to help us and the community at large try and get this complex open again. It is a zero risk donation as we will refund all donations if it cannot be proven that spending the money will open the rink and slope once again.

This is the only Olympic sized rink for miles, and whilst there are other smaller rinks available with 40 minutes plus travel, we know that those rinks do not have enough ice time to accommodate the large number of clubs and training sessions required by all of the users of the Bracknell rink.

We have been asked many questions about many things and there follows a short FAQ:

1) Is lottery or Sport England funding available ? Yes, but not to a private business…. if the complex were in trust or publicly / community owned then grant funding could be possible

2) Could the community lease the complex from John Nike Leisure ? In theory yes…. however JNL would need to want to lease the complex and so far all responses we have had are that they would not want to do a long term lease. Unfortunately, to get maximum grant funding (which is required for this complex) we would need a minimum of a 15 year lease. Furthermore, we do not believe that spending the community money on a facility on a 2 or 3 year lease is a good use of people’s donations

3) Could we not build a new or temporary rink ? Absolutely yes …. this takes a lot of money of course, especially if land has to be purchased. The local councils do not have land that they can gift. However, a real possibility would to be to open a temporary rink inside a sizeable warehouse (if one can be found, we have not found one yet having checked those available on the Western and Southern industrial estates). To build a temporary rink with around 900 seats (would last 10 years at least) inside a warehouse is going to be in the region of £1m to buy (or it could be leased), and the rent of a suitable warehouse space is going to be in the region of £40,000 per month. Once the rink was running, of course we have business plans that show it would generate enough money for the rent and ongoing costs. However, it is far easier to raise money in advance and pay lump sums and reduce the running costs.

Whichever way you look at it, the community needs to show willing and raise a significant sum of money so please please please help as little or as much as you can.

The Bracknell community is significantly less without this facility and we hope we can help get it back open for business again.