The Beginning of Crathie Opportunity Holidays
In 1996 the new occupants of the Crathie Manse arrived (Bob and Christine Sloan) and took stock of their large Manse, garden and adjacent buildings…..in particular the old Manse Stables which were probably built 200 years ago. The Stables, although beautifully situated on the banks of the River Dee, were in very poor condition with broken doors and windows, sagging roofs and overgrown with weeds.
The property is owned by the local congregation which had no use for it and sadly it was becoming more and more derelict. During the summer of 1996 Christine became convinced that something must be done to maintain these lovely old buildings. The idea grew that some use should be made of them which would allow other people to enjoy the beauty and peace of such a unique corner of Deeside.
In 1997 these ideas began to take shape and the vision of a holiday facility that would also provide accommodation designed for disabled people was developed.
A small group was formed; Ed Bushnell, Christine Sloan, Deirdre Thain and Neil Beattie and on 29th May 1997 the Congregational Board of Crathie Church authorised the group to investigate how the property could be restored and used to benefit the wider community.
In July Maurice Jones, an Architect and also Convener of the Presbytery Property Committee, came to assess the buildings with a view to drawing up plans for developing them. He offered his services freely together with a colleague Quantity Surveyor, Ron Grieve. Without this extremely generous gesture at this stage our plans would have gone no further.
Throughout July, August and September the group met weekly as ideas for the project were coming in thick and fast, together with costings for a fairly basic renovation…….estimated at £400,000!
The first challenge was to set up a Company with Charitable status to provide a proper basis for the Business Plan and future fund-finding.
With the necessary approval from the neighbouring Estates, the local Church Officials, the Presbytery and the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland the documents needed were finalised and in February 1998 the project was registered formally as a Company and recognised by the Inland Revenue as a Scottish Charity.
Fundraising was now possible and a fully costed Business Plan which provided properly researched evidence of need was required urgently.
1998 saw the start of major fundraising efforts. To provide the evidence of need for the facility a questionnaire was sent out to around 100 different organisations which represented disabled people. The different agencies which marketed holidays for disabled people were also contacted for their views. The local Kincardine and Deeside Disability Action Forum were consulted and their own personal experiences of trying to find suitable accommodation were challenging.
Our first application to the National Lottery Charities Board was unsuccessful and the disappointment felt by us all after the work involved was an introduction to the setbacks we were to experience time and time again over the next few years. A complicated series of applications to the European Regional Development Fund also ended in disappointment the following year, as well as a failed second attempt at the Lottery!
By 1999, however, the project took a major step forward with the appointment of additional Directors to the Board and the establishment of a community based Support and Fundraising Group. Local fundraising events, donations from a number of local organisations and individuals and some success in obtaining pledges and donations from major Grantmaking Trusts were beginning to make an impact. Grampian Enterprise funded a Feasibility Study which gave independent evidence both in relation to the need for the project and also its financial viability.
In 2000 a third Lottery application was submitted and failed again! Costs were rising year by year and we were advised to reduce these to have any chance of success. During this period we were greatly encouraged by the donations and pledges from two Trusts which would go a long way to supporting the project’s future revenue costs and refurbishment. The Feasibility Study had made clear that Asset Replacement costs would not be met from the income generated from the holiday lets.
So once again, in February 2001 a huge package of documents, plans, costs and budgets was sent on its way to Edinburgh to the headquarters of the National Lottery Charities Board……now renamed the Community Fund. The application was for £137,900 which was the “shortfall” in the funding package needed. The total cost of construction and refurbishment now being £600,000.
In June 2001 we received the familiar white envelope and opened it with fear and trepidation. It was the news we had been waiting for. The award of £137,900 was offered and the news was quickly passed to all our Directors and supporters who made it an occasion to celebrate at the Inver Hotel.
In August 2001 Gordon Mitchell Contractors began work and his hardy team worked throughout the winter months to deliver us the totally reconstructed Stables and Administration Office at the rear of the Manse by the end of April 2002.
It was a huge undertaking, involving bringing in a new electricity and water supply, digging deep into the old foundations of the stables to create new foundations and flooring, removing all the old roofs and rebuilding them. Creating “new build” but “looks like old” Garden Room, Laundry and Reception area, paving the Courtyard and landscaping the surrounding area, making new roads, new fences and new riverside walkway.
The pleasure and excitement of our first guests, The Scottish Disabled Ramblers who arrived in May 2002 made it all worthwhile.
