Council life - Warts and All

01 November 2011

A unique ‘warts and all’ account of the life of an environmentalist within local government will be revealed at a talk in Tore on Monday. (7 November)

Highland Council’s sustainable development officer Ailsa Villegas will share the insider’s perspective during the event at Glachbeg Croft on Monday 7 November at 7:30pm.

‘Greening in Government - A Virtuous or Vicious Cycle’ will give Ailsa’s personal steer on her work and how the Highland Council is supporting communities throughout the Highlands.

“I’ll be exploring how community groups can maximise the support they receive from the Council and its many partners, and how groups in turn can help advise the Council on the work they deliver,” Ailsa said.

“I’ll outline the work ongoing in Highland Council to address peak oil and resource depletion and the results that are being achieved from that.

“I’ll be giving a personal steer on some of the barriers and opportunities as I see them, drawing on my own experiences of how to manage expectations and achieve the best results in a large organisation with competing priorities, limited staff and dwindling financial resources.

“I consider myself an environmentalist,” Ailsa added. “While I am proud of what we have achieved at Highland Council to date I’ll be honest about our short comings and realistic about where the opportunities may be for future improvement.”

The talk has been organised by Transition Black Isle, a grassroots group working to create stronger, more resilient communities and vigorous local economies.

Ailsa’s talk will be followed by an open questions and answers session and refreshments.

Glachbeg Croft is on the minor road (the old Ferry road) running between the Munlochy junction on the A9 and Tore Roundabout. Click here for a map.