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Supporting young people
The Ledge
A Force for Good
The Ledge is a registered Scottish charity dedicated to changing lives through climbing. They help the local community in terms of both physical and mental health. The facility in Inverness offers indoor climbing, bouldering (climbing without ropes), and an adventure centre. There's also a replica of the Paris 2024 Olympic Competition wall, a café, high-performance gym, fitness studios, and a retail outlet.
In 2015 Sport Scotland approved Mountaineering Scotland’s National Facilities Plan. This identified the need for a major indoor climbing facility in the North of Scotland. The Ledge set up as a charity in June 2017 to build and operate The Ledge Climbing Gym. After many years of fundraising and a couple of false starts, the team found a building for the project in late 2021. The project has been supported by funding from Sport Scotland, Highland Council and other key funders. Our funding supported the fit-out of the climbing walls.
The Ledge aims to support young people at risk and other vulnerable groups in the community. It provides the necessary tools to expand their horizons, reach higher ground, help others, and achieve more than they might have thought possible.
We are not trying to make lots of new climbers, but instead, create a therapeutic learning environment by developing and running a series of classes, courses, and long-term mentored projects, guiding people towards more positive outcomes.Duncan McCallum, Founding and Development Director, The Ledge Climbing Gym and Charity
Climbing Towards Net Zero
Previously, the facility had no functioning low energy heating but The Ledge was keen to find a way to reduce costs and move closer to adopting a low carbon solution. In 2023, through our Green Grant Fund, we supported them to install heat pumps. This has reduced their dependency on gas heating and direct electric water heating, and allowed them to replace old retail systems which were unable to cope with increased footfall.
“We were keen to reduce our reliance on gas and direct electric heating. With help from HIE and Business Energy Scotland, it was clear that an air source heat pump system would cut our energy usage, lower costs and ultimately reduce our carbon emissions by around 60%. We funded the project through our own, HIE’s and a number of charitable trusts’ investments.”
Marc Peart, CEO, The Ledge
We’ve seen in the first year what being part of this community is all about. We’ve made a long-term commitment to provide opportunities for young people across the Highlands and access to an amazing facility for everyone.Marc Peart, CEO, The Ledge
Fair work first
The Ledge is committed to the principles of fair work. Fair work aims to balance the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers and generates mutual benefits for individuals, organisations and society, such as increased participation in work; improved productivity in the workplace, and wider distribution of wealth within local communities.
The Ledge plans to continue to develop best practice and they are delivering on a Fair Work First action and implementation plan - this identifies work that they are currently doing and where they will continue to review and develop actions.
How we can help with fair work
Photo: The Ledge's Alasdair Lawton (left) and Marc Peart (right) with our James Turner of the strengthening communities team.
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