Over £1.6m of external funding and 34 full time equivalent jobs were generated in the Western Isles during 2004 through the partner organisations and action teams contributing to the Community Wellbeing Forum, a multi-agency group which is part of the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership.

The bulk of the funding and jobs directly relate to health improvement projects. The Forum has no direct funding but plays a key role in developing a strategy for health improvement and prioritising health improvement activity.

Chairman of the Community Planning Partnership, Cllr. Alex MacDonald, said: “The success of the Community Wellbeing Forum in generating local employment clearly demonstrates the advantages of agencies working together to benefit local communities. The generation of local jobs is obviously a success story but there has also been real action to develop Health Improvement for people throughout the Western Isles as a direct result of the work of the Forum".

Western Isles projects which have benefited include Fas Fallain, Domestic Abuse Forum, Free Fruit in Schools, Health Promotion Support for Youth Cafes, Men’s Health Project, Choose Life, Cearns Community Development Project and the Cearns Horticultural Project. One of the partners, Voluntary Action Lewis, was also successful in securing £30k from Comic Relief for a mentoring project for young people with alcohol problems.

The Community Wellbeing Forum is made up of representatives from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, NHS Western Isles, the Voluntary sector, UHI, WIE, Northern Constabulary, Highlands and Islands Fire Brigade and the Procurator Fiscal service.

Meanwhile, a Community Plan to improve life for people in the Western Isles has been developed by the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership.

The three main themes of the bi-lingual Community Plan are Social, Economic and Environment. 5 Forums made up of representatives from different agencies work on these themes. The Forums are Community Wellbeing, Lifelong and Community Learning, Local Economic, Gaelic Language and Culture and Sustainability and Environment.

Mr. Alex MacDonald, Chair of the Partnership, said: “The launch of this plan provides a base for agencies and organisations in the Western Isles to improve and streamline services for our communities. We face many challenges in the Islands but by working together we can make real differences in people’s lives and improve the quality of life for people of all ages”.

Copies of the Outer Hebrides Community Plan are available from Lachlan Macpherson 01851 709433.

Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Tel: 01851 709389 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk