Community Gateway
Area Information: North Uist and Benbecula
Community Co-ordinator
| Name: | Alison Cropper |
|---|---|
| Address: | Claddach Kirkibost Centre Isle of North Uist HS6 5EP |
| Phone: | 01876 580735 |
| Fax: | 01876 580390 |
| Email: | a.cropper@cne-siar.gov.uk |
| Name: | Marie Campbell |
|---|---|
| Address: | Monday, Thursday and Friday (Correspondence Addr.) : Gleus House, Daliburgh, South Uist HS8 5SS Tel / Fax: 01878 700505 Tuesday and Wednesday: Liniclate Education Centre, Liniclate, Benbecula |
| Phone: | 01870 603653 |
| Email: | marie.campbell@cne-siar.gov.uk |
Examples of on-going work:
St Kilda View Point
The St Kilda View Point, initiated by the North Uist Partnership in recent years was completed and officially opened in August 2009. The View Point was featured on the BBC’s Monty Halls Great Hebridean Escape and offers spectacular views to the off-shore islands including the Monachs and St Kilda, and provides information on the location and names of places of interest.
St Kilda (Hirta & Boreray) in the distance
Officially opened by Cllr Archie Campbell and Cllr Uisdean Robertson on 29/08/09
Urras nan Craobh Uibhist a Tuath
Langass Woodland Project
The new pathways constructed through the woodland
Phase 1 of the project has been completed and local school children are getting involved in the development of interpretation within the woodland.
Taigh Chearsabhagh Trust was successful in obtaining funding to enable a project involving S2 pupils from Sgoil Lionacleit to create a letterbox guide for Langass which will be integrated into an electronic handset guide. This is just one of a number of opportunities local school children are gaining from the Langass Development.
Access Archaeology
Scolpaig Tower
Scolpaig Tower with Hirta in the far distance.
Access Archaeology successfully applied to Archaeology Scotland's Adopt a Monument Scheme for support in halting the decay of a 19th century folly. Situated on a small islet within Loch Scolpaig in NW North Uist, Scolpaig Tower is a stone octagonal structure, is a Scheduled Monument and a category B listed building. Work continues to secure funding to conserve the monument and interpret the tower, increasing awareness of the unique landscape which presents a heritage tourism potential for the economy.
Baile Sear Excavation
Archaeologists at the Baile Sear site.
Over the past few years, the Access Archaeology group have had the opportunity to be active in helping excavate the wheelhouses on the Baile Sear shore, which are slowly being lost to the sea.
The SCAPE Trust’s Shorewatch project has sourced funding for the work which is proving to be an important source of information for archaeologists. 2010 is likely to be the last time an excavation will take place.
East Camp Trust
East Camp Community Enterprise Park
East Camp Trust is a consortium of 3 community organisations that have turned a disused RAF base into a social enterprise development park.
The groups are:
- Uist Community Riding School providing a wide range of equestrian activities to locals and visitors and training and qualifications in horse management.
Tagsa Uibhist
- Tagsa Uibhist is a non-profit organisation which provides support for carers, people with dementia and vulnerable people throughout the Uists. It offers home support, organises over 60s clubs, runs a fleet of community buses and has a handyperson service. The Tagsa building also houses Caraidean Uibhist Befriending service, Volunteer Centre, Complementing our Health and the Advocacy project.
Uist Community Riding School
- Caladh Trust is a faith- based group working with family in stressful situations and in poverty and people with addiction problems. They have an income generating training room and café and run a furniture project
East Camp Trust also has surplus buildings and land which the Trust are
developing to generate income and create employment opportunities. This includes running a successful horticultural project and renting space to private businesses
Community Co-ordinator is involved in supporting the Trust and its individual members to sustain and develop their enterprises as part of the wider regeneration of Balivanich
Balivanich Community Centre - The New Gym and Balivanich Leisure Park
Balivanich Community Leisure Area Group opened this community owned and managed playpark and leisure area in 2006 which is a popular attraction for local people and beyond.
Balivanich Leisure Park and Community Centre
Benbecula Community Association (BCA) built a new Community Centre in Balivanich which opened in 2008 following 10 years of fundraising.
BCA is a Community Company Limited by Guarantee set up over 50 years ago to improve facilities and amenities in the Benbecula area.
The Centre has been very successful in attracting a wide cross section of the community from across the Uists and has a planned programme of events, activities and services to ensure its viability and sustainability over the longer term. The Centre now plays a central role in the wider regeneration of the area.
In order to comply with the terms of the planning permission, access and parking including provision for disabled parking and related hard landscaping still require to be completed. In addition external lighting and a modest scheme of soft landscaping would significantly enhance the safety and environment around the parking areas and building. These works were not included within the original funding package for the Community Centre as it was envisaged that costs could be shared with a new school project which was, at that time, scheduled for construction on adjacent land. The school project has since relocated, leaving no provision to cover the cost of these external works. The Centre is also planning to erect a turbine outside the Centre to cut energy bills and carbon emissions.
Current Community Co-ordinator role is to identify funding for environmental works around the Centre and for the turbine, and to look at how to set up a partnership to maintain and enhance the open spaces around the whole of Balivanich.
These community developments arose from the original Task Force set up when MOD significantly reduced its presence on the island.
They now form part of the Hebrides Range Task Force Diversification Plans to retain people on the island and attract more people to settle.
