Dores and Essich Community

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Highland Senior Citizens Network Newsletter

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Dear HSCN Members and Supporters, 

Here is your first news-sheet of 2023, bringing with it our best wishes for the New Year. Along with the good wishes, there is information about activities and new service developments, opportunities to be sociable and learn new skills, requests for your views, and recommendations from other members.  Hopefully, it will set you off into the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, with a spring in your step. 

In Chinese astrology, the Rabbit, or specifically the Water Rabbit, is a sign of longevity, peace and prosperity, meaning 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope. I came across these recommendations for the year ahead which seemed good advice and very much in line with HSCN plans for the year.  The Rabbit is associated with: 

  • It’s ability to create and maintain harmonious relationships.  In 2023 let’s focus on building strong connections with loved ones, colleagues, and anyone else in our lives. As ever, HSCN is all about making connections, and we are really looking forward to doing even more of this during 2023. 
  • Trustfulness and an easy-going attitude, but it’s essential to be vigilant regarding potential scams or frauds. Trust, but verify, fits very well with our focus on scams and fraud. Come to a Tea-break and learn more. 
  • Creativity and artistic talents, so let’s tap into our inner artists and explore our creative side, which you could do at the UHI / Inverness Open arts open mornings in February. 
  • Taking care of oneself, so let’s prioritise self-care and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Be inspired by Head Gardener Uisdean and start making plans for the year ahead! 

Hopefully by following these tips we can take advantage of the positive energy and opportunities that 2023, The Year of the Rabbit, brings. 

As ever, we look forward to hearing from anyone who wants to share information or their experiences with us.  

The Highland Senior Citizens Network Team 

Our Co-ordinators Contact Details: 

Jo Cowan                                     Anne McDonald  

Co-ordinator                                   Co-ordinator  

Highland Senior Citizens Network                  Highland Senior Citizens Network  

Mobile Number: 07933 653585                   Mobile Number: 07933 653313  

E-mail: jo-hscn@outlook.com                     E-mail:anne-hscn@outlook.com  

Our Co-ordinators work part time, 21 hours a week, so may not be able to check and reply to emails every day 

HSCN-News-sheet-Jan-2023-emailDownload

Community Resilience Briefing 27-01-23

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Community Resilience Briefing – 27 January 2023

Dear Community Resilience Group/Community Council/Colleagues,

Welcome to The Highland Council’s fortnightly briefing for groups with an interest in local community resilience. 

Covid, Colds, and Flu related information 

Funding  

SCVO  is a key source of funding information for the third sector. Funds that may be of interest include:

  • The Robertson Trust – Large GrantsFocuses on work addressing the impacts of poverty/trauma on financial wellbeing, emotional wellbeing/relationships, or educational and work pathways. Apply anytime, decisions can take up to three months.
  • Foyle Foundation – Schools Library ProgrammeAccepts applications from state funded schools, giving priority to primary schools and focusing on funding library/reading books. Apply anytime, decisions can take up to four months.
  • Home Heating Support FundProvides financial relief to energy consumers experiencing financial hardships regardless of the fuel or payment method used. Applications open until 31 March or until funds are exhausted.

The Household Hardship Fund
Provides small grants to groups who can pass the funding on directly to low-income individuals and families. Grants are only available to groups who did not receive funds from the previous round (Nov/Dec 2022) and once applications worth over the total amount available have been received no new applications will be accepted.

Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships Local Improvement Fund Small Grants 
The Local Improvement Fund allows HTSI to offer grants of up to £5,000 for agencies and community groups in the third sector, to support delivery of the Highland Alcohol & Drugs Partnership Strategy in 2023. The purpose of the funding is to enable activities and services to develop in ways that prevent and reduce alcohol and drug related harm.

Grants will be awarded using a style of participatory budgeting at six local events across the Highlands from 6 – 24 March 2023.

How to apply

Applicants will be asked to submit a brief online form, providing details of what you intend to do. This may be running a pilot project, scoping out existing provision or alternative ways to research solutions for your community. 

Application form HERE

Application deadline is Wednesday, February 15, 12:00pm

If you’re invited to pitch, you will have three minutes to describe your proposal, along with a few minutes to answer questions. You may not use power point, but props/costumes are encouraged (not provided). 

You may invite as many people to the event as you like, but only five of your guests will be allocated a vote. Other attendees will vote for their favourite bid and those with the highest percentage of votes at each event will be awarded the grants, subject to the amount available at each event.

If you have any questions please contact:

Marion MacNeil m:07826821545 email: funding@highlandtsi.org.uk

Welfare, poverty reduction and resilience

  • Money Counts Courses 2023 – Attached is information on courses aimed to build the confidence of staff working with people who could benefit from income maximisation help and what support services are available. The courses are delivered online across a variety of dates.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

  • NHS Highland Mental Wellbeing – a collection of resources and signposts to help people of all ages to look after their own mental wellbeing.
  • Cost of living crisis and your mental health
    Many people are feeling the strain as the cost of living continues to increase.  This resource provides information on how you can maintain your mental wellbeing at this time, alongside information on how to manage your money as bills rise.

Emergency Planning 

Other

Cairngorms National Park Authority Elections – Nomination forms are now available for anybody wishing to stand as a candidate in the Cairngorms National Park Authority board election. Candidates must be over 21 years of age, but do not need to be a resident in the park area. Five board members are directly elected for a period of four years, and the deadline for nominations is 4pm Wednesday 15 February.

Douglas Crawford
Business Analyst

Community Support and Engagement

Highland Council

Annual Litter Pick

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ANNUAL SOUTH LOCH NESS LITTER PICK

Would any of our community members be interested in organising the Dores end of the south Loch Ness litter pick this year? 

I’ve organised it for the past 6 years, but I’ve just not got the capacity this year. It involves liaising with the Foyers end to agree a date, confirming a Council roadside collection along the route on the Monday, collecting litter pickers and encouraging locals to take part. We cover the roadside from Makar to beyond Balachladaich, the village and the beach. There are a good number of regular volunteers along the route, and Aldourie Estate and MOWI fish farm help too, but it would be great to get more people involved. Please email me at cairns.fiona@yahoo.co.uk if you’d be willing to take this on – it makes a real difference if everyone does a little each year so it would be really unfortunate if the litter pick didn’t happen this year.


Fiona Cairns

Balachladaich Bed & Breakfast

Loch Ness, Dores, IV2 6XP

www.lochnessbedbreakfast.co.uk

For more information about the south Loch Ness area, please visit www.visitsouthlochness.com

Community Resilience Briefing 13-01-23

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Dear Community Resilience Group/Community Council/Colleagues,

Welcome to The Highland Council’s fortnightly briefing for groups with an interest in local community resilience. 

Covid, Colds, and Flu related information 

Funding  

SCVO  is a key source of funding information for the third sector. Funds that may be of interest include:

  • The Albert Hunt TrustSupports organisations providing hospice care, homeless support, promoting health and wellbeing. Areas of support have included physical and learning disabilities, physical and mental health, social challenged, and deprivation. Applications are reviewed on a rolling monthly basis.
  • Schroder Charity TrustSupports a broad range of charitable causes under categories such as arts, culture, education, training, environment, and health and wellbeing. Applications are reviewed twice a year.
  • The Wiseman Family Charitable Trust 
    Supports all manner of charitable activities. applications can be made at any time by writing to the Trust.  

Circular Communities Scotland – Pockets and Prospects 2023
Applicants can apply for up to £1,000 for projects supporting people and communities in areas of socio-economic disadvantage.

Scotmid Community Orchard FundScotmid are seeking a group near each of its stores to plant five or more fruit trees or bushes within a community space. They will award up to £200 to each successful applicant to fund the purchase of plants. Deadline for applications 20th January 2023.

Welfare, poverty reduction and resilience

  • NHS Highland Health Improvement Training– Attached is information about a wide range of courses for partners to attend free of charge. Most courses are short and available over Teams. Topics include – Mental Health and Wellbeing, Health inequalities and Poverty, and Alcohol Intervention.
  • Food Activity Map – The Highland Good Food Partnership, in conjunction with HTSI, have developed and launched a map of Highland community food growing projects.  This map helps build a picture of all the fantastic community food growing projects which are developing across the region and enables improved links and support between groups. 

To ensure that this map is up-to-date and that it includes all growing projects that are established or in development/planning across Highland, please check if your community enterprise is on the map.  If it isn’t, please complete the survey to ensure we know about the great work happening within your community. 

Projects of all sizes can be included; from those growing in raised beds for a social activity, groups providing community food larder/fridge projects up to large-scale gardens trying to improve community resilience and reduce food miles. 

  • CyberScotland – Included in the January 2023 bulletin:
    • New funded cyber essentials Programme for micro or small charities handling personal data. 
    • The latest threat report, scam warnings, and data breaches
  • Cost of living support – Highland Council webpages on support and information to help with the cost of living.
  • Help during the cost of living crisis – Scottish Government advice and information.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

  • NHS Highland Mental Wellbeing – a collection of resources and signposts to help people of all ages to look after their own mental wellbeing.
  • Cost of living crisis and your mental health
    Many people are feeling the strain as the cost of living continues to increase.  This resource provides information on how you can maintain your mental wellbeing at this time, alongside information on how to manage your money as bills rise.

Emergency Planning 

 Community Council Election

Below are the eight community councils requiring interim elections and the number of vacancies to be filled.

  • Conon Bridge Community Council (6)
  • Cradlehall and Westhill Community Council (7)
  • Creich Community Council (5)
  • Glencoe and Glen Etive Community Council (5)
  • Kinlochleven Community Council (5)
  • Minginish Community Council (8)
  • Strathdearn Community Council (6)
  • Tarbat Community Council (4)

A Nomination Form can be obtained via:

Completed nomination forms must be submitted to the appropriate Ward Manager and must be received not later than 12noon on Tuesday 31 January 2023. Copies of the form may also be received electronically as long as they have been completed correctly and contains both the signature of   the candidate and witness.

If any of the 8 Community Councils receive valid nominations by the deadline that exceeds its membership number, an election will take place on Thursday 2 March 2023 via postal ballot.

More information can be found from the press release or our website.  

Douglas Crawford
Business Analyst

Community Support and Engagement

Highland Council

News From Aldourie Primary School

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Many thanks to the community for joining us before Christmas for our Christmas performance ‘Fireside Nativity’. Without you and all our parents the children would not have had such a positive experience of performing. You were an enthusiastic and supportive audience. 

We are hoping to run a beetle drive sometime this term and will let you know of the date once decided. 

It is also time for enrolling 4-year-olds for school! Please follow the link below to the Highland Council website. If you are unsure or have any concerns do speak to your ELC provider or you can phone/message me, Louise Robertson at Aldourie PS on 01473 751272 so we can discuss. 

Enrol your child for school | Enrol your child for school | The Highland Council

Enrol your child for school – The Highland CouncilPrimary 1. If your child will be five years of age on or before 29 February 2024, they are eligible to enrol for Primary 1. If you wish to enrol your child for Primary 1, please do so during enrolment week.. Enrolment week for Primary 1 pupils will take place from Monday 30 January to Friday 3 February 2023.www.highland.gov.uk

Kind regards

Louise

Mrs Louise Robertson

Cluster Headteacher Aldourie and Foyers PS.

Aldourie PS                                               Foyers PS                                          

Aldourie                                                    Foyers 

IV2 6DP                                                      IV2 6XU 

Tel: 01463 751272                                    Tel: 01456 486612 

Mob: 07734469367                                  Mob: 07734469367