‘Crowds will flock to new Doonies’

A HUGE marketing plan is set to begin as campaigners aim to prove they can run Doonies Farm.

Control of the well-loved Doonies Farm site has now been handed over to the Friends of Doonies, who aim to turn one of the city’s hidden gems into a moneyspinner.

As reported in later edition’s of yesterday’s Evening Express, Aberdeen City Council’s urgent business committee has given the group a temporary licence of six months to run Doonies Farm.

The group has to pay the £11,000 monthly running costs, and show it can take Doonies Farm on in the longer term.

The group wants to set up a 30-year lease on the Doonies Farm site.

But they already have big plans to bring in the crowds all year round – instead of just in the summertime.

A revamped website is on its way and the group today said it planned to run a big marketing campaign to get people in through the gates.

Tomorrow at the farm will see a display of traditional spinning from 12.30pm until the farm’s close – and more events are planned to attract families.

Chairman John Sleigh, left, said: “The council spent £610 in the last year on marketing of Doonies. We will be spending three times that a month.

“We will have an aggressive marketing campaign.”

Friends of Doonies director Jeanette Grant said: “We can’t start building, but all the planning can start and we’ll be ready to go as soon as we reach April 1 next year. This is what we had always wanted them to do.

“It is August now and we have not got long left for the summer holidays so we need to do as much as we can to bring people in over that period.

“Up until now, we haven’t been able to raise money properly from people.

“We didn’t know if we’d be allowed to take it on and didn’t want to take money under false pretences and have to hand it back.

“But now we have been given the licence to take it on.

“Nobody has run the farm as a business before, we have got some good business minds behind this plan.

“There are sponsors now who will be willing to come out of the woodwork.”

The group will now also be able to apply for grants to help running costs.

There are still issues which need to be ironed out with the council.

The farm sits on 213 acres, although the council wants to keep some of the land as it is so valuable.

The total market value of the land is an estimated £6 million. Some of it is already earmarked for housing or employment land.

There were concerns from council officers over whether the group had the finances to take on the farm.

But councillors yesterday voted unanimously to hand the farm over – for six months.

Labour councillor Yvonne Allan said: “I am really very impressed with the work that has already been done.”

To contact the group e-mail: frox@hotmail.co.uk or savedoonies@google.mail. com

nevans@ajl.co.uk