August 26, 2015
Harbour at the heart
Next month Scotland’s emerging market in community shares will welcome a new entrant – the coastal village of Port Patrick. At the heart of the village lies a small harbour and as far as the community is concerned, this is their number one asset – except that they can’t do anything to improve it. The harbour is currently owned by a Jersey based investment company but the community are in no doubt it would be better served under their ownership.
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Community Shares Scotland and the Portpatrick Harbour team have been in close collaboration in recent months to develop a Community Share offer to secure the regeneration of the harbour whilst keeping it at the heart of the community.
The Portpatrick Harbour Community Benefit Society committee will be reaching out to locals and interested parties this week to get behind the offer, by registering their interest and pledging to become investors – ahead of the Community Share offer launch. The target for investment is £75,000 for monies needed to make the harbour project possible and with a full head of steam, the first Community Share offer is due to be launched later this summer.
The exciting and ambitious community ownership plan to regenerate Portpatrick Harbour has been given a boost this week as the Lifeboat Week gets under way.
Working closely with the Community Shares Scotland team, Calum Currie, chair of the new Community Benefit Society, said:
“We are reaching a real landmark stage and the excitement is really building locally. We have worked hard to explore different ways of approaching the community harbour project and it will mean a lot to gain recognition as the first Scottish Community Benefit Society with charitable status seeking to raise a Community Share offer. The main aim of the project is to secure the integrity and appearance of the historic harbour of Portpatrick for the benefit of the community and all who love and visit it.”