25 August 2011
Appointment of Campaign Board Chairman and Deputy Chairman for V&A at Dundee
Two prominent members of the Scottish business community have been appointed to lead the fundraising campaign for the V&A at Dundee project.
Alasdair Locke has been named Chairman of a newly formed Fundraising Board, while Tim Allan will take up the role of Deputy Chairman. Funding for the project is anticipated to come from the Scottish Government, other public bodies and private donations. The new Board will primarily be involved in raising money from private sources
The target is to raise around £15million towards the capital cost of creating and fitting out a landmark building on the Dundee waterfront. One of their first tasks will be to recruit other members of the new Board to help drive the fundraising campaign. They will then use their exceptional contacts within the local and national business community to raise funds.
Alasdair Locke is a former merchant banker and oil industry leader. After founding Abbot Group PLC in 1990, he succeeded in turning it into one of the world’s leading drilling companies. By the time Abbot was purchased by private equity in 2008 the company employed 8000 people in 21 countries and enjoyed an annual turnover of $1.6billion. He continues to have significant business interests in insurance, shipping and property.
Whilst working in wealth management, Tim Allan dealt with some of the UK’s most prominent entrepreneurs before founding Unicorn, a property business with a commercial and residential portfolio across the country. Unicorn’s award-winning, £75million City Quay project has helped reshape Dundee’s image and waterfront. He is also a member of the Scotland Committee of the BIG Lottery Fund, and was the Chair of Young Enterprise Scotland.
Alasdair Locke said, 'It is a huge honour to be involved in such a transformational project. I am excited about playing a part in realising a fantastic vision for Dundee, Tayside and Scotland. The V&A at Dundee will represent what is and has been best about Scotland’s innovative design culture, and its heritage.
'The V&A at Dundee is an integral part of the next stage in Dundee’s regeneration. So much work has been done over the last decade to rejuvenate the city and its image and I’m pleased to be involved in this vision going forward.
'There is no doubting that raising the private money to realise this vision is a challenge, but it is one I am happy to accept and confident of meeting. I look forward to working with the high-quality team at the V&A at Dundee and putting together a world class Fundraising Board that will lead the campaign to raise the necessary funds to turn this project into reality.'
Tim Allan also expressed his excitement at being involved in the V&A at Dundee project, saying, 'What is happening in Dundee is a virtual revolution. For the last five years I have been a private developer at the Waterfront, where the vision of Dundee City Council has led the way in changing the face of the city and creating a world-class waterfront in a unique location.
'I am delighted to be involved in the V&A at Dundee project, which will be the focal point of so much of the work to regenerate the city. It will be a world-class design centre, a credit to the city and to Scotland. The financial advantages for Dundee in bringing tourism, business and employment to the city are clear but equally important is the statement that the V&A at Dundee makes about the city.
'We are proud of our city and confident that visitors will also enjoy it and want to come back again and again.'
The V&A at Dundee will be an international centre for design housed in a world-class building at the heart of Dundee's waterfront. It will celebrate Scotland’s design heritage, showcase contemporary design talent, and encourage design innovation for the future while providing a venue for major international touring exhibitions from the V&A and other providers.
Architect Kengo Kuma’s design for the V&A at Dundee earlier this week was named by leading journal World Architecture News as the best 'Unbuilt' project in the Civic Buildings category.
The project is being delivered by Design Dundee Ltd, a ground-breaking partnership between the Victoria and Albert Museum - the world’s greatest museum of art and design - and Dundee City Council, the Universities of Dundee and Abertay Dundee, and Scottish Enterprise.
Alasdair and Tim will work closely with DDL, and with Philip Long, who took up the post of Director of the V&A at Dundee in July.
Progress continues to be made on all avenues of funding. The Scottish Government remains fully supportive of the V&A at Dundee project, and the project team continues to work closely with it. The team is active in engaging with other sources of public funding, and the Fundraising Board will complement this work.
DDL Chair Lesley Knox said, 'The appointment of Alasdair Locke and Tim Allan is another major step in the creation of the V&A at Dundee. The involvement of individuals such as Alasdair and Tim reflects the importance of the project and the contribution it will make to design in Scotland.'
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
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