Appeal launched to support public toilets in Blairgowrie and Rattray

Date: Tuesday 2 April

Pictured are, from left, June Graham and Debbie Mitchell from Graham Environmental Services, Bob Swan, treasurer, BRDT, and Gwen Gray and Chloe O’Brien from Graham Environmental Services. Photograph courtesy of Clare McMicking / CraicN Communications

Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust (BRDT) has launched an appeal for support to help keep the public toilets in the east Perthshire town open in response to a call from the local community to save the facilities.

The move comes after the development trust finalised an agreement with Perth and Kinross Council to lease the Wellmeadow premises – which were due to have closed on March 31 - enabling the local community to take over the management and running of the public toilets. Perth and Kinross Council has committed to keep the toilets open until the transfer to BRDT is complete.

The facilities are going to be run by the community and BRDT is now appealing for services, financial donations and volunteers to ensure that the vital service is maintained.

The appeal has been given a significant boost by both Blairgowrie-based Castle Water and Graham Environmental Services which has pledged operational support through Graham Hygiene Services, Graham Fire Protection and Graham Pest Control.

Bob Swan is BRDT’s treasurer. He said: “We were really pleased with the response to a survey earlier this year gauging the level of support for the community to take over the public toilets in Blairgowrie and ensure they remained open.

“Nearly 200 people completed the online survey with some 99 per cent making a fantastic case for keeping the toilets open, and PKC has agreed to give BRDT a long-term lease on the building and hand over the existing facilities for us as a community to manage.

“We have been busy getting everything in order to make this happen and we now need the community to support the toilets going forward.

“We are extremely grateful to everyone who has already stepped up to help the drive to keep the public toilets in our town open.

“Thanks to Graham Environmental Services and Castle Water, who have pledged to contribute towards the ongoing running costs, we are further encouraged that we can support a community-led team to run the toilets, which is great news.

“Independent financial contributions are also coming in as word gets out that the development trust is working hard on behalf of the community to get everything in place to take on the lease and running of these very important facilities.

“We would love to hear from other local businesses who feel they can offer their support through services or sponsorship to add to the sustainability of this venture.”

Stuart Graham, managing director of Graham Fire Protection, said: “When Linda Tait got in touch from BRDT, I spoke to my fellow directors Ross Graham and Phil McKenna and the decision was made in about five seconds - of course we would love to help and support this project.

“We’re a local, family-run business, which has been established for over 30 years in Blairgowrie, so supporting and offering our services was the least we could do.”

BRDT has created a community management team to help coordinate a team of volunteers that will run the toilets on a day-to-day basis.

Bob said: “The toilets will be professionally cleaned, so we’re just looking for volunteers who could help open and close the facilities and carry out routine checks to make sure that everything is in order. The more volunteers we have, the less work there is involved for everyone!

“We want to make the most of this opportunity to protect a vital service in the town and ensure that it becomes a valuable community asset that is welcoming, safe and fit for the 21st century.

“If you feel you could contribute to that goal in any way whatsoever, whether by volunteering, providing a service, covering supplies, sponsoring the annual running costs, or making a one-off donation for building repairs or refurbishment, please just get in touch.”

BRDT will have a stall at the next farmers’ and producers’ market in the Wellmeadow on Saturday, April 27, from 9am, as part of efforts to raise awareness of the appeal.  

BRDT is a community-led organisation that works towards combining community-led action with an enterprising approach to addressing and tackling local needs and issues, creating social, economic and environmental strength in the town and holding assets on behalf of the community. It is a constituted group with community membership and is supported by a wider network of Scottish organisations.

Donations can be made online on the Discover Blairgowrie website or via bank transfer - email admin@brdt.org.uk for details. Any businesses that can donate a service or supplies should also email admin@brdt.org.uk

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