Member Article

Ice rink entrepreneur eyes Durham opportunity that could bring jobs and investment

An events entrepreneur is hoping to use his 25 years of ice rink experience to launch a multi-purpose ice rink venue in Durham, and is now looking for investors in the project.

Sunderland-based Stephen Chisholm is an expert in ice rinks, having provided outdoor and indoor facilities for the Olympics and at Canary Wharf.

The self-employed events man has now spotted a gap in the market and says Durham is in need of a proper rink since the closure of the Bishop’s Mill building in 1996, former home to The Wasps ice hockey team.

Stephen is looking for £3-£5 million investment to create a multi-purpose events venue with two Olympic size ice ‘pads,’ and seating for around 6,000.

He said: “People have trying to get a new rink up and running since the closure. Now I feel the time is right to really run with this idea.

“A multi-purpose venue would be spot on for the city of Durham - it could be used for numerous events, not just ice skating.

“There’s a couple of sites in Durham that I’ve got my sights on, and I know they’re available. There’s a multitude of different ways we can go about it, and now I’m looking for people who might be interested in backing the venture.”

Stephen’s background in the chemicals industry led him to become ice manager at Newcastle Arena before he broke away to form his own events outfit that provides ice rinks and stages for concerts.

Trading as S.G.C events from his home in Sunderland, Stephen brings in contractors to work on projects around the country.

He added: “At the moment, Durham has got its colleges and hotels that provide events space, but not on the scale required for the city. This could really bolster Durham’s offering.”

Stephen explains that if the rink where established he wants to develop a training facility within it, to help train UK ice rink workers to professional standards dictated by governing bodies.

Stephen added: “I’ve got over 25 years experience in doing ice rinks and I’ve come across a lot of cowboys in the industry. I’d want to establish a school of excellence to get ice rink workers trained up before they go off to projects around the UK.”

Those interested in discussing Stephen’s idea should contact him on steve.gc@hotmail.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .