An Aberdeen charity is receiving support from a Scottish commercial property firm to find new city centre premises.

Glencraft, the Aberdeen bed making factory which employs blind and disabled workers, has teamed up with FG Burnett to seek new property to re-home its factory and bed showroom.

Currently based on the city’s Wellington Road, Glencraft is Aberdeen’s longest running charity. In 2010, with support from energy services company Wood Group PSN, a £500,000 fundraising campaign was launched to ‘Help Find Glencraft a New Home’.

With more than half of the total funds raised to date, FG Burnett has offered its expertise to begin the search for available premises.

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Angus MacCuish, managing director at FG Burnett said: “We are delighted to be working with Glencraft and to play a small part in helping this charity continue its excellent work in Aberdeen. We are looking for premises large enough to accommodate a workshop and retail showroom, ideally about 25,000 square feet of space in the city centre, and on a long term lease commitment.

“A site close to public transport links and with main road frontage would be favourable but we are open to any suggestions or recommendations for sizeable city centre sites and hope the business community will play is part by identifying suitable locations.”

Glencraft was granted a rent free 12 month lease on its current premises from Aberdeen City Council in April 2010. The charity is now paying commercial rates for the property which is unsuitable for the long term.

Lisa Duncan, general manager at Glencraft, explained: “We are working hard to ensure Glencraft can remain a long-term, sustainable and self sufficient business. The overheads associated with maintaining the size and type of property we currently occupy are high. We need to find more suitable premises and are grateful to FG Burnett for their support in the search.”

(GK/KMcA)