Community Groups

This page will provide information about and links to other Community and Environmental groups, mainly those closest to the Black Isle, but also some further afield.

November 2020

Neighbourhood Watch  'Safer Communities' leaflet

Ferintosh Community Council has passed on information about a leaflet prepared and circulated by Neighbourhood Watch with the support of Police Scotland.  The leaflet includes advice on detecting financial scams, fire safety, dealing with emergencies and numerous other topics, all aimed at keeping you, your family and the community safe.

Read the leaflet

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September 2020

RVA becomes Community Support and Information (Ross-shire)

Ross-shire Journal  13 September 2020

RVA is making a fresh start as Community Support and Information Ross-shire (CSI Ross-shire).  Its office has also relocated to Strathpeffer Community Centre on a temporary basis pending a move to a permanent base.

Ross-Shire Voluntary Action was established in 1971 as Council of Voluntary Services, with the aim of providing support for local community organisations.  Over time it has evolved supporting organisations, and latterly diversifying into community transport and employability.

CSI (Ross-shire)

• Is no longer providing services on behalf of HTSI
• Have been anchor group distributing HIE Covid-19 emergency funds
• Provide practical assistance (prescriptions, shopping etc.) to people sheltered or isolating.

Shona Street, Chief Officer
Community Support and Information (Ross-Shire)
in temporary accommodation at Strathpeffer Community Centre 

Tel:  01349 862431      
E:    rva@rossvolact.org.uk
W:   www.rossvolact.org.uk                    being updated
       http://www.rossvolact.org.uk/team.html       is current

www.facebook.com/RossVolAct

Scottish Charity No. SC006582   Registered in Scotland No. 234092

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June 2020

HTSI Community Signposting Directory

Highland Third Sector interface have produced this comprehensive list of community groups divided into three areas - Ross and Cromarty, inverness and Inverness-shire and Badenoch and Strathspey; and alphabetical and categorised lists within each area.

View the list as a PDF file

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Lairg & District Learning Centre

Courses, events and workshops
Our main aim is to provide or assist in providing local facilities and resources designed to support lifelong learning and skills development.
We run a range of exciting and educational courses, events and workshops on a huge variety of subjects throughout Sutherland.

Business services
We provide a range of services to local businesses and charities including room hire, PC Clinics and office services.

Social enterprise
Our community woodwork and sewing groups meet regularly in the Learning Centre, to make a wide range of items for sale to the public.

https://www.lairglearningcentre.org.uk/

Schoolhouse, Lairg, IV27 4DD                01549 402050

admin@lairglearningcentre.org.uk

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Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust 

Based in Bonar Bridge, the Trust aims to ensure that long-term, sustainable benefits are achieved throughout the Kyle of Sutherland area, using funding from local wind farms.  Projects include increasing leisure and outdoor activities available to residents and visitors, supporting local businesses and industries including tourism, fishing and food production and increasing education and training opportunities.

www.kyleofsutherland.co.uk.

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Soirbheas

Soirbheas is a community development organisation for Glen Urquhart and Strathglass, receiving income from a part share in the locally-owned Corrimony wind farm to re-invest in the community through a variety of projects, in conjunction with other community groups.  One of these was a year-long 'Tattie Project' and another is a High Speed Broadband project in conjunction with Community Broadband Scotland.

http://www.soirbheas.org

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February 2021   

Logie Steading News 

The Farm & Garden Shop will be open  from Friday 12th February,
10 am - 4 pm, 7 days a week.  Fresh fish will be in by 1pm on Friday.

We are offering our order-and-collect service and will also be delivering to the Dava, Nairn, Forres triangle on a Wednesday, liaising with Wester Hardmuir as before.  Please find more details here.

A one way system and limited numbers in the shop will be operating to keep staff and customers as safe as possible.

Full details of all our events are on the Logie Steading What's On page

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February 2021

Cromarty Arts Trust

The latest and previous CAT newsletters are always available on this site at  News / Cromarty Arts Trust newsletters.

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Kirkmichael Trust

SeeTravel & Tourism / Historical  on the menu

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Environmental Groups

November 2020

Planet Sutherland newsletter and thoughts on Resilience

Planet Sutherland is not a Transition group but has an ethos, objectives and activities very similar to ours, and shares some of the difficulties we are familiar with, in operating in an even bigger and more thinly populated area than the Black Isle.

"If I'd had £1 this month for all the discussions I've had on the meaning of "Resilience".. well I'd be rich for sure...."

In the November 2020 issue of Planet Sutherland's newsletter, Anna Patfield gives some thoughtful reflections on what we mean by 'Resilience'.

www.planetsutherland.com

'Take One Step' video, and blog archive

List of Sutherland food suppliers

All Planet Sutherland's newsletters and blogs can be found at  News / Planet Sutherland newsletters and blog

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November 2019   

Recognition for the Shieling Project  Strathfarrar

The Shieling Project has been named as Environmental Social Enterprise of the Year by Social Enterprise Awards Scotland.

The Shieling Project is an off-grid learning centre based in Glen Strathfarrar, near Beauly in the Highlands of Scotland.  The project is all about outdoor living – from looking after our livestock to making real buildings, from weaving baskets to making burgers from the meat we have raised here. The tradition of the shieling where folk lived outdoors all summer herding the cattle, gives us a window onto the past, but also helps us look forward to a sustainable future.

Sheiling project website

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February 2019   

Wild Things at Findhorn

Wild things! is an award winning environmental education charity based in Findhorn, on the magnificent Moray Firth, in Scotland. We provide inspiring wilderness, nature based, and outdoor learning experiences for all ages and abilities. We have courses and activities suitable for all, regardless of learning challenges, physical difficulties, financial constraints…or even a fear of spiders!

Wild Things website

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Nairn River Enterprise and Green Hive

Check out this group with similar aims and activities to TBI's  at

Highland Biodiversity Partnership

The Highland Biodiversity Partnership comprises around 30 representatives of local groups and key organisations committed to understanding, safeguarding, restoring and celebrating biodiversity within the Highland Council area.

Its purpose is to provide guidance and support to the existing network of local biodiversity groups, and to make progress on the key strategic biodiversity issues in the Highlands.

Since the Highland Biodiversity Project was started in 2002, over £700,000 of new funding has been spent on biodiversity action and planning in Highland. Over two thirds of this money was targeted towards local biodiversity projects. Seven Local Biodiversity Action Plans have been produced, over 130 projects delivered and over 250 awareness-raising events held across the seven LBAP areas.

Highland Biodiversity Action Plan  2015 - 2020

Biodiversity Projects Directory

Highland Biodiversity Officers
Janet Bromham and Jonathan Willet  (job share)
The Highland Council, Planning & Development Service
Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX

Tel:  01463 702 274
Fax: 01463 702 298
Email:  janet.bromham@highland.gov.uk            jonathan.willet@highland.gov.uk

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Forth Environment Link

Forth Environment Link runs various projects including a food and growing project Grow Forth - "We want to see local food linked to every aspect of community life" - and the Stirling NeighbourFood online market.  There is  more about Grow Forth on our  Food & Growing / Other Growing Groups and Courses page.

Other FEL groups and projects include Forth Valley Orchards, Stirling Cycle Hub, Cycle Stirling and Forth Upcycling Network - "Working with communities to reduce waste".

http://www.forthenvironmentlink.org/

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June 2019   

Scottish Environment Link

Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment organisations, with over 35 member bodies representing a range of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society.

https://www.scotlink.org/

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Lochaber Environmental Group

LEG aims to encourage the desire to take action on the environment locally and to help local communities and people to do this. The company runs various projects throughout Lochaber - including a Food Lochaber growing group and an online food market on the Open Food Network platform.

http://lochaberenviro.org.uk/

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August 2019   

Arran Eco Savvy

Arran is an island roughly the same size as the Black Isle, and Arran Eco Savvy is an organisation with very similar aims and activities to those of TBI and other Transition groups.  Arran Eco Savvy showed interest in our Million Miles project of a few years ago, in relation to a similar 'Arran in Ten Years' sustainable transport project currently under way on the island.  This includes an 'eBike Challenge' in conjunction with Home Energy Scotland, aimed at getting employers to persuade their employees to travel by bike rather than by car, a Liftshare scheme and production of an Active Travel Map.

http://arranecosavvy.org.uk/

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