Rotary Club of Thurso
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ROTARY CLUB OF THURSO – ENVIRONMENT AWARD ACHIEVEMENT Thurso Rotary Club has picked up a UK-wide award to recognise its leading role in major improvements carried out to a popular leisure haunt in the town. The club has overseen a programme of work to regenerate the riverside area and open it up for the first time to wheelchair-users. Costing £190,000, the project took in both banks of the river from the main road bridge to the weir at the salmon pool. The scheme at the Mall has won the club this year’s environment award handed out by Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland. The achievement was marked at an almost regular club meeting which was attended by representatives of the Highland Council and others involved in the initiative. Senior club vice-president Ian Thomson said the Mall project has been an outstanding success. “It’s a magnificent achievement and a culmination of three years of hard work.” he said. “It’s a magnificent example of what can be done.” Iain had travelled to pick up the trophy at a RIBI conference in Bournemouth. The driving force behind the scheme was architect James Campbell, who worked on the plans along with Past President Dave Warren. a civil engineer. James said the organization has a history of carrying out environmental improvements. This has included the building of a plinth on the cliff-top Victoria Walk, the refurbishment of the town centre Meadow Well and regular beach-cleans. It first got involved in the Mall 10 years ago when it carried out some tree-planting and then three years ago when it helped repair paths. James said it then became evident that this work was only scratching the surface of what was a major task. He set about preparing a blueprint, taking in the length of the Mall including the woodlands and the mill lade. This was out of a recognition that the area was a major asset which was in danger of losing its appeal because of decades of neglect. Some sections of the path were so poor that they were no-go areas after spells of heavy rain. James said: “Not many towns in the Highlands can boast a walk like the Mall and we were determined to retain it to ensure future generations can enjoy it.” Included in the work was refurbishment to the paths on both sides of the river and the provision of ramps for wheelchair access to the bridges near the boating pond and below the cemetery. Contractor John Gunn installed drains and theme lighting, while trees were felled and replanted and thousands of bulbs and roses planted. Thurso Rotary Club’s contribution was the estimated £15,000 in professional fees which Messrs Campbell and Warren would have incurred had they charged. The bulk of the funding came from the Highland Council with Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise also contributing. James said that the club intends playing an ongoing role in future improvements to the area. A further eight years of renewing the woodlands is planned at an estimated cost of £24,000. The club also wants to work with Thurso Town Improvements Association to kick-start plans to revamp the children’s play area at Millbank. In addition, James is keen to turn his attention to the Victoria Walk which is in need of improvements to combat the effects of coastal erosion. He said major works are required to restore the path network. “I’d be surprised if you got any change out of £150,000 over the next ten years,’ he said. Among the guests at the dinner in the Pentland Hotel last week was Orcadian George Berstan, the RIBI’s North of Scotland assistant governor. He said the prestigious award and the £200 cheque is well deserved. “Earlier on, I walked down the Mall and I'm impressesd by what Thurso has done. Congratulations on a job well done.”
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Last updated:Friday August 18, 2006 |