This week's updates as follows;

• Niall Culbertson has decided to move on from his role at Sleat Community Trading Ltd. We wish Niall well for the future and he will still be around for the next few weeks as he works his notice period. The Trading board will be meeting early next week to discuss how to fill the vacant role.
• A “needs” survey for our proposed community broadband project is being distributed to all the involved townships of Aird, Point of Sleat, Achnacloich, Tarskavaig, Tokavaig, Ord, Drumfearn and Heaste.
• Ivor Souter of Highland Council will visit next Tuesday to discuss our subsidised taxi service.
• Our internship vacancy, for a Graduate Enterprise Support Officer will be open for applications until the 20th May on the Talent Scotland website. Follow this link here for more information.
• The Trading company is selling its coffee machine (see above). Please spread the word and reasonable offers around the £500 are requested for this almost brand new machine.

Hi Folks,

Sorry for the lack of updates last week as I was away at an event at the Scottish Parliament……therefore a bumper list for you this week!

• A big welcome to Moira Johnson of Drumfearn who has agreed to become a director of the Trust.
• The Trust has met with Stuart MacPhee who co-ordinates Community Service orders for Lochaber and Skye. The Trust has agreed to be part of the placement process and will accept an individual for three hours of work from next week. The individual will help with duties in the main Trust office.
• Angus attended the “Future is Local” event organised by the Scottish Community Alliance at the Scottish Parliament. Highlight was being able to sit in the main chamber during the morning session of the event (see pic).
• Thanks to Crossroads Care for hiring Aite and showing what can be done with this Trading space. They have already booked for a second two day pop up shop event on May 23rd and 24th! Thanks to all that came along.
• Alain Ashford (grandson of David) has volunteered, during his holiday, to plant over 250 Willow trees around the wood fuel facility site in Tormore forest.
• Ed Pybus from the Parent Council of Bun-sgoil Shlèite and Chris have identified some cut larch log which the Trust will donate for seating for the children’s school playground.
• Chris will attend a biomass workshop run by Highland Birchwoods in Inverness next week.
• New shelving is now in place in the shop and filled with new products. More wholefoods, car related items, two stroke oil, Ecover cleaning products and tourist goods are all now on display. Shop Local!
• The Trust has met with representatives of Community Land Scotland at Sabhal Mor Ostaig to go over arrangements for their conference in June. Over 85 delegates are signed up already to attend and the event is well on track to be “sold out”. Speakers will include the First Minister Alex Salmond, Brian Wilson, Dr Alison Elliot of the Land Reform Review Group and our very own chair Jane McDermott.
• Our internship vacancy, for a Graduate Enterprise Support Officer, is now live for applications on the Talent Scotland website. Follow this link for more information here
• The Trust has written a letter in support of a funding application for a “trim trail” for the pupils at Bun-sgoil Shlèite.
• Angus has been asked to stand as a director of Community Land Scotland (CLS). He has agreed to go forward for nomination at the CLS AGM.
• Scottish Woodlands will start internal roading work in Tormore forest in a fortnight’s time. This to enable second stage harvesting to restart during the first weeks of June.
• Sharon has attended a training event in Broadford regarding Social Media run by Business Gateway.
• Wire mesh has arrived which will allow the base to be started for our wood fuel shed. Roger Winkleman is co-ordinating the shuttering work and pouring of the concrete base on behalf of the contractor James MacInnes.
• Sandra Bryne of Community Broadband Scotland will visit on Friday the 3rd May.

The Trust is recruiting a Graduate Enterprise Support Officer.

For more info and to apply click here

A job description and terms are outlined below;

 

Graduate Enterprise Support Officer

Closing Date - 20 May 2013

Location -Highlands and Islands, Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross

Salary -£16,000 per annum

 

Job summary

Sleat Community Trust based on the Isle of Skye, are recruiting for a graduate for a 12 month Enterprise Support role.  The successful graduate will work on two new enterprise projects for the Trust – Community Broadband and Forest Enterprise.

Job Description

The graduate will be required to seek funding, market the products/services, devise a billing/contract procedure, locate sites for infrastructure by working with land owners (broadband only), engage with potential customers/suppliers and develop a project maintenance strategy (broadband only).

The two enterprise projects are as follows;

Community Broadband
Sleat Community Trust is looking to deliver a fast wireless broadband solution to areas of the community which have poor current coverage and little chance of future improvement in service. A recent (Jan 2013) delivered design study has shown likely costs and schematic of a potential network. This network can cover all households in Sleat although it is likely that only those areas which have no chance of an upgrade in the foreseeable future will be included in the project (around 250 households and businesses). A funding application to Community Broadband Scotland is imminent. The graduate will be expected to work on the successful delivery of this application and/or seek other forms of capital to ensure the delivery of the project. This will require a business plan to be formulated. Once funding is in place the graduate will work with the preferred installer to complete setting up of the required network equipment. A network maintenance contract is to be tendered for along with an installation contract for individual customer broadband connection. Marketing of the service will be required as will a billing and customer contract procedure which will include comprehensive terms and conditions. A pricing strategy will need to be devised as will a customer helpline for any technical troubleshooting or replacement of faulty equipment.

Forest Enterprise
As owners of a 1000 acre community forest the Trust is keen to continue to develop sales of a variety of wood fuel products. The Trusts subsidiary, Sleat Renewables Ltd (SRL), currently supplies wood chip to the local college Sabhal Mor Ostaig and wishes to see further expansion of this and new product lines. As a result of several successful funding applications SRL is currently building a new wood fuel covered facility within the forest from which to operate the business from. The graduate will be required to seek further customers for woodchip within the area and devise a successful supply chain for manufacture and delivery of this product. Concurrently SRL wishes to enter the market for split log supply to individual householders. The successful candidate will require to formulate a strategy for making this happen by working either with existing contractors or employing staff to run the supply/delivery of the product. Marketing will be key to ensure a customer base is quickly established. Rental or co-operation with third parties in regard to equipment hire or use will also be required.

This position is part funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the European Regional Development Fund.

Skills / Experience

Essential:
•   Knowledge of Funding Processes
•   IT Skills particular broadband knowledge
•   Business Planning
•   Working with charities and community groups
•   Customer facing experience
•   Can work on own initiative
•   Hardworking
•   Work to tight deadlines
•   Good timekeeping

Desirable:
•   Forestry Enterprise skills
•   Good report writing skills
•   Experience in co-ordinating community projects
•   Experience in contract writing

Benefits

As part of this TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme, the candidate will benefit from support from a team within Highlands and Islands Enterprise and also access a five day residential course training focussed on employability and business skills.

Here you go!

• The Trust has met with Alaistar Nicolson and Sandra Byrne (ex SMO and our new development officer) of Community Broadband Scotland (CBS). A good meeting and we are firmly on the application treadmill towards funding for a wireless broadband network. This funding will only be for areas of Sleat that have no likelihood of broadband upgrade in the foreseeable future and with consistently slow connection speeds. This means the townships of Aird, Achnacloich, Tarskavaig, Tokovaig, Ord , Drumfearn and, by dint of aerial location, Heaste. The next stage is for us to canvass all households and businesses in these areas to ask if they would sign up for the new service and how much they would be willing to pay for installation/subscription.
• Great news that the Trust has now secured funding through Talent Scotland and Santander for an intern on a one year contract. One of their main duties will be to work on the above project. An advert for the position will be out soon.
• Crossroads are the first to take up the new space Aite at the Armadale Filling Station next week. Please go along and support their pop up charity shop from midday on Thursday.
• Ron has attended the Scottish Highland Renewables Conference in Inverness.
• Angus will attend the “The Future is Local” community event at the Scottish Parliament next Friday the 26th.
• Board meetings next week for Trading and Sleat Renewables.
• Angus has met with Willie Martin of Seepotential a renewables developer looking at projects on Skye.

This week’s updates as follows;

• The Trust has applied to Highlands and Islands Enterprise and to Santander for funding for a internship worker for a year to work on new income generating enterprises.
• Angus will meet with Community Broadband Scotland on Tuesday to discuss the process for applications for funding for a wireless network for Sleat villages most affected by poor broadband connections.
• The Trust has again been contacted by the Mount Blair Community Development Trust who now wish to visit in early May to discuss community forest buyouts.
• The Trading company has launched a new enterprise, Aite, which will encourage local individuals and organisations to rent the portacabin space for retail purposes.
• Chris has met with a representative of the Forestry Commission to seek approval for our Forest Plan.
• Community Land Scotland will meet with the Trust on the 23rd April to discuss arrangements for their AGM/Conference in June.
• Duncan has been liaising with reps from Trees for Life. A meeting will be arranged to see if any joint project work is possible within Tormore forest.

Another sparkling sunny week on the Isle of Skye and your updates to compliment this glorious weather….

• An article regarding the Trust and Sabhal Mor Ostaig has featured in Harper MacLeod LLP’s North Newsletter.
• Ron Johnstone will be attending, on behalf of Sleat Renewables,  the Scottish Highland Renewable Energy Conference on 18th April at the Drumossie Hotel in Inverness.
• All work on our Trading extension has finally been completed. The Tourist Information Centre has been installed at the end of the new space and a computer with internet access along with a printer is also now in place. Finally a tea/coffee facility is also now available.
• Following on from the above, the remaining space will be made available to local businesses/individuals to rent by the day, week or month for any one of a number of retail or art uses. Promotional material with rates will be out shortly.
• The Trust has made a formal application to Community Broadband Scotland for funding for a wireless network for areas which will not be able to access faster broadband in the foreseeable future.
•  Val Hodgkinson of Applecross Community Company (ACC) visited this week to learn about our Clean Sleat project (as a similar project is being launched in Applecross). The Trust was happy also to lend on a trial basis its Infra-Red Camera to ACC to help with home energy surveys.

Your weekly updates a day early as most of the staff are taking Good Friday off.

• Summer opening hours at the Sleat Petrol Station, Shop and Post Office will commence this Monday 1st of April. They are; Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 6pm (closed for lunch between 1pm and 2pm). On a Wednesday the Post Office element of the shop will continue to be closed from lunch time onward.
• To celebrate our summer opening hours we have a new wholefoods section in our shop. Come in and see all our new items and tell us if you would like to see any others added!
• A community group from Ross of Mull & Iona will be visiting the Trust in May to find out more about our forest purchase and post Tormore buy out projects.
• Ground works for the wood fuel shed have now been completed. Next stage is preparation and pouring of a concrete base for the shed frame.
• The office will be closed on Good Friday (29th March).
• The Trust has been contacted by the Mount Blair Community Development Trust for information on forest buyouts.
• Angus attended his first SLCVO meeting as a director on Monday.

Happy Easter
 

This week's updates;

• Due to ill health one of the directors of the Trust has had to step down from the board. This means we have a need for a new director. If you wish to join the board then get in touch at office@sleat.org.uk or on 01471 844773. The role of a director is to attend one meeting a month and give input to a small amount of emails and/or policy discussions.
• A recent photograph on the Visit Sleat Facebook page, of muirburn fires on the hills above Loch Eishort, attracted over 42,000 views and calls from the national press to use the picture. Great publicity for Visit Sleat and well done Rob Ware!
• Sharon will be attending a HISEZ networking lunch titled “Heritage and Social Enterprise: Sustainable past, present and future” next Tuesday the 26th March at Lochcarron.
• Angus and Jane attended the Social Enterprise Exchange event at the SECC in Glasgow on Thursday. It was good to meet several funding partners, putting faces to names, and networking with several support organisations/likeminded community groups. Promotional materials for Visit Sleat were freely distributed to anyone daring to come near our stand!
• Finishing touches are being put to the portacabin at the Filling station. A new project will be launched shortly which will allow the space to me hired on a daily/weekly/monthly basis for any enterprise use. So if you want to sell your wares or exhibit your art or host a pop up charity shop or anyone of a thousand other potential uses then get in touch using the details above.
• Valerie Hodgkinson, the new Development Officer (Energy Efficiency) for the Applecross Community Company will visit the Trust during w/c 1st of April.
• Mark attended the Kyle Rhea Tidal Array presentation in Broadford last week.
• Board meeting on Monday next week for the Trust.
 

This week’s bumper crop of updates;

• The Community Land Scotland Annual Conference on the 7-8 June at Sabhal Mor Ostaig has announced that the key note speaker will be the First Minister Alex Salmond. The Trust is working with CLS to organise workshops and event management.
• The last in the series of the environment groups winter talks is this Wed March 20th at Ardvasar Hall at 7.30pm when Roger Cottis will give a presentation titled "Mammals of Skye".
• Chris will be attending a meeting on Raasay with the local community group on Wednesday to give advice on forestry buy outs and community forest planning.
• The SCT Environment Group is having a Tormore Forest 'Spring Clean' this Saturday, 16th March 2pm-4pm. It is an opportunity to assist in the management of our community forest by pulling up unwanted conifer seedlings along the access track. Families welcome. Meet at the forest track entrance. Wear: outdoor clothes, stout shoes or boots Bring: strong gardening gloves if you have them (some can be provided), secateurs or loppers, waterproofs. Note: only a moderate level of fitness is needed although this activity may not be suitable for those with bad backs!
• Sharon will be attending a petrol station seminar in Helmsdale next Tuesday the 19th March.
• Several weeks ago the board of the Trading company was approached by a local community member regarding the possibility of leasing the Armadale Filling Station. After several weeks of negotiations the potential lessee has withdrawn his interest. We wish him well in his future endeavours. The Trading company will now look at ways for the retail facility to move forward.
• The Trust has been invited to the “The Future is Local”, Communities Day at Scottish Parliament on Fri 26 April. Debates, presentations and workshops on a variety of hot community topics, some of which will be held in the main debating chamber.
• Angus and Jane will be attending the World's Largest Social Enterprise event at the SECC in Glasgow on Thursday. The Trust will be promoting the work of our community group and promoting the area as a tourist destination by giving out hundreds of Visit Sleat tourism leaflets. We are located at stand 30.
• Board meetings next week for Renewables and Trading.
• Good meeting last week with the Forestry Commission which outlined possible partnership working at the Kinloch plantations. We still await the district valuation figures for the forest areas of interest.

Your updates for this week....

• Thanks to all that attended and displayed at our Zero Waste Scotland sponsored Food and Drink evening on Tuesday. A fabulous night which promoted the best of local produce including langoustines, venison and homemade chutney’s.
• Last Saturday’s tree planting day was well supported with over 1000 saplings planted by community members. Thanks to all that turned out on the day. This brings to an end the first phase of replanting of the harvested area of the forest.
• There will be a meeting on Monday with Forestry Commission Scotland to discuss a potential National Forest Land Scheme application for plantations at Kinloch or the possibility of partnership working.
• Angus presented an overview of the Trust’s work at a very well attended community meeting in Strontian last weekend.
• A tidy up of the external area around the filling station has begun with a full van load of debris deposited in the Portree dump.
• New supplies of Clan Donald venison products are now available in the Trading Shop.
• The Tormore Community Fund has agreed to award £489 to the Sleat Community Nursing Fund to buy a mattress elevator which would enable a patient to have an adjustable backrest and knee lift facility.
 

This week’s updates as follows;

• The community tree planting day is now on this Saturday (2nd). Please turn up from 10am onwards at the entrance to Tormore forest. Your chance to say you helped plant the new community forest!
• A third Sleat community event, within a week, is planned for this coming Tuesday (5th) at Ardvasar Hall from 7pm. The Trust in conjunction with Zero Waste Scotland are hosting a food and drink evening to show off the best of local produce and products. A FREE event with many tasty nibbles and a wee dram to sample.
• Tree planters have completed the contract to plant 52,000 new saplings in the harvested area of Tormore Forest.
• Angus will be presenting at a community event in Strontian this coming Saturday (2nd) evening. The event is being hosted by the Sunart Community Company.
• The Trust has been informed by the South Skye Community Moorings Association that Fearann Eilean Iarmain have withdrawn their offer to sell the old Armadale pier to them.
• Chris will be presenting at a Woodland Croft themed seminar in Strathcarron on Tuesday (5th). The event is being hosted by Kirkton Woodland and Heritage Group.
• The Tormore Community Fund awards committee will meet this Tuesday to discuss an application from the Sleat Community Nursing Fund.
• Angus has been asked to present at a Community Land Scotland meeting next Friday 8th. The theme of the meeting is the benefits of community land ownership.
• The Trust board has declined an offer to be involved in the project management of the Camuscross  and Duisdale Initiatives hydro energy development. However, the directors are willing for the staff of the Trust to offer any advice that it can to aid with the development if continued by CDI.

Updates for this week as follows;

• It was with sadness that the board and staff of the Trust learned of Rhoda MacGillivray’s passing. Rhoda was a former director of the Trust and sat on the board in the early years of the organisation. The funeral service will be tomorrow, Saturday 23rd February, at midday at Kilmore Church.
• The community tree planting day which was due to go ahead this Saturday has been cancelled as a mark of respect to the MacGillivray family. A new date for the event will be announced in the coming days.
• It is the Trust’s 100th board meeting this Monday and there will be a cake to celebrate! Stephen McKeown from Clan Donald Land Trust will be attending the meeting. Stephen will be updating the board on activities at the Clan and how both organisations can work closer together.
• Chris will be attending a path construction training day in Battleby, Perthshire next Wednesday.
• The Trust along with the Sleat area will feature in Harper MacLeod’s North newsletter.  An article detailing the work of the Trust and its subsidiaries has been supplied.
• The environment groups second winter talk titled “Butterflies and moths of Skye” is this Wednesday 27th at 7.30pm at Ardvasar Hall. The talk will be led by Brian Neath, county moth recorder and butterfly conservationist.
• The new Visit Sleat leaflet is now available for uplift at the Trust Offices for members of the organisation.