Hastings Old Ice Rink

[Chillic82]

Hey everyone. Does anyone know or has anyone ever heard any financial amounts for the cost of getting the old Hastings Ice Rink back into commission?

There's a small group of us interested in getting it back up and running, one of us is an ice hockey player looking to start a team here but no facilities.

We have an idea to start up a co-operative movement to raise funds to buy it and renovate it but have no idea how many hundreds of thousands if not millions it would cost.

We have 135,000 in Hastings and Bexhill according to census records. If 50% of the town (67,500) put in GBP20 each to buy a share we could raise over GBP1.3m to buy it and take control of it. Everyone gets one share, elect a board, write a constitution that stops anyone taking majority ownership and ensure its made available for the community. Ice hockey teams, including a youth team to give young kids something else to try playing. Open to the public as a rink. Maybe use it for Curling?

Its a no goer until I find out how much would be needed. I know it's in a sorry state and needs a lot of money spent on it. But with Sport England grants and Lottery grants also included it could well be achieved. I've run other projects, nothing quite as big as this, but I've never lost yet.

Anyone got any ideas or know who I'd need to speak to?

[Geoff]

The attached report might be usefull to you. Although it was back in December 2011 it does detail the state of the place and shows the council were considering letting it out. GBP18,000 p/a was the suggested rent but lots of work needed to make the place serviceable again.

[Attachment: white_rock_baths_report_2011.pdf (3.27Mb)]