Newmilns social enterprise snow complex opens for the first time A community-run snow sports centre has opened its doors for the first time, after raising £1 million to get the project off the ground. Ten teams of primary and secondary school children hit the slopes at Newmilns Snow and Sports Complex in Ayrshire to celebrate the first official day of activities there. The new facility boasts a 110m long slope - the longest in south west Scotland - as well as a smaller one with a conveyor belt lift for beginners and those with a disability. The complex opened in 1975 with a single slope for beginners, but plunged into financial decline. The site was taken over from the council by a social enterprise in 2003 - but it has taken ten years for them to gather enough money to open their doors to the public. It is designed for the community in the area to have access to the snow sports facilities at affordable prices. It currently costs £7 for two hours on the slopes. The project has attracted a total of £930,000 of investment from funders including Social Investment Scotland, Sports Scotland, the Scotland Rural Development Programme, East Ayrshire Council and the Robertson Trust. It is hoped the new facility will help with the economic and social challenges in the region, increase sports participation, create jobs and volunteering opportunities, train instructors and host competitions. Robert Pollock, Chairman of Newmilns Snow and Sports Complex, said: "For a long time, skiing and snowboarding have been regarded as expensive sports for those with money to spend. Our ethos is to make snow sports accessible for all, be it young people, adults, those with a disability or those who are unemployed. In the past the complex has predominantly catered for beginners with young people falling away from the sport when they got past the basics. These new facilities will enable us to create an exciting place to ski and board at the heart of the community, and to cater for all abilities. Newmilns is working with Snowsports Scotland to design programmes for school children in line with the Curriculum for Excellence. Alastair Davis, Chief Executive of Social Investment Scotland, which invested £100 000 in the project from the Social Investment Fund which it manages on behalf of the Scottish Government said: "It's a model that has huge potential to create a healthier and more equal society in Scotland and we're committed to connecting more capital with more communities across Scotland."