Ramsey commissioners seek organisation to run Courthouse

Commissioners in Ramsey have begun a search for an organisation to run the historic Ramsey Courthouse.

The building had been run since June last year by not-for-profit charity, The Heart of Ramsey (THOR), under an exclusivity agreement, however the group has now informed the local authority it wants to relinquish that agreement.

The agreement had been to allow trustees of THOR to engage with the community and seek funding for proposed changes to the venue.

However, Chair of Ramsey Town Commissioners, Andy Cowie, says: "The THOR team produced an ambitious design and had some considerable success in developing the plans and receiving consent. 

"It is a great disappointment that the team have not been able to secure all the funding they anticipated to progress their plans, although, in the current climate it is less surprising.

"The Courthouse remains a great setting for community events and is available to organisations and individuals to use - we look forward to working with new partners with enthusiastic and ambitious plans for the facility."

In the interim, the courthouse will be run by the commissioner's team which will be looking at ways to improve the benefits to the community the building can have.

Regular local events and exhibitions are still taking place there, including the weekly Isle of Man Farmers Market.

Meanwhile, the commissioners are now inviting expressions of interest from any qualified groups to take over the running of the venue - where to submit them and details about the courthouse can be found at www.ramsey.gov.im.