UKC

Apologies if I've missed this being posted already, but Ice Factor Kinlochleven is shut for the foreseeable future due to a dispute over rent payment:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64938684

Is this really a surprise? They had a dispute due to not paying their staff a while ago and have been reported as not paying their rent for several months? 

It's a shame and hopefully whoever takes over is able to make it work from a business sense and still provide a useful resource to the community.

Wow that's such a shame, specially as the ice wall in Keswick has been closed for some time now too. I guess the running costs must be huge for what is still quite a niche sport

nothing to do with running costs. They haven't been paying rent for months, taking cash instead and treated staff appallingly. Not to mention doing the same at the Snow Factor site in Glasgow they ran. Over 70 employment tribunal claims have been lodged against them. These people should never be allowed to run a business again

Would be good if someone took this up and ran an article getting the truth out

Individuals starts climbing wall with massive help for locals and the community trust. Company does well and plays well with community. Company expands. Company sees some financial issues and brings in 'advice' from dubious consultants. Company becomes companies in a shell game trying to play spin the plates with HMRC (cue various legal cases). Individuals become disillusioned with business and think they deserve more reward. Individuals and company play more spinny plates shite with shell companies, intercompany 'charges', management 'fees'. Business receives no investment and in the process pisses off staff, customers and locals who try to help. Business screws over everybody and finally just takes the cash on the door and runs in the middle of the night, escaping to 'sunnier climes'. 

Kinlochleven community lose out and community tries to find a way to kick start things again...

This is all just guess work obviously...  

Spot on as far as anyone can tell given the hall of mirrors with plates spinning!

Escaping to the yacht which allegedly is in Greece 

With cops and baliffs turning up at properties  formerly owned by them looking for them...

Aside from the loss of a brilliant facility it's also a huge loss for Kinlochleven as a whole which in my view benefitted significantly from things like the Ice Factor and the Brewery. 

I hope it can reopen in some form of community buyout/crowdfunded way, and a bad case of piles to anyone involved in asset stripping it.

Jamie has responded to the KCT post about I've factor on the ice factor facebook page

sad state of affairs when somebody feels the need to respond on social media to 'set the record straight' and then when comments don't go his way he removes the facility to comment, blocks people  and then removes the actual  the comments. Truth hurts for Jamie Smith. 

Do not believe a word this man says or posts unless it is this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism