Dores and Essich Community

News

Tiachi Class at Hall

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 There is a new Tiachi class starting on Monday 11th September in Dores Hall with John Grocott.

7pm until 8pm..£7 ..if popular will be on Monday evenings

Health Walks

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Hi,

I am getting in touch as you might be interested in hearing about our health walk project.

We currently run 13 health walks throughout the Inner Moray Firth which are led by teams of trained volunteers.

We recruit, train & support volunteers in their role; our walks are designed to be inclusive (some volunteers have completed the additional ‘All Ability Walk Leader training and Dementia Friendly Training). We also work in partnership with other organisations to set up and deliver a health walk.

Walkers can choose to join the walk themselves – there’s no specific referral process, though some do join after being advised to get more exercise by a health professional.

We are always looking for new volunteers, group members, and organisations/individuals interested in starting a health walk in their area.

I hope you find the information helpful and if there are people you could share this information with please do!.

Please let me know if you would prefer not to receive further information from us.

Kind regards,

Jayne

Jayne Preece   (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (am)

07824689235;

Partnerships for Wellbeing

Health Walks & Events Manager

Walking & Wheeling Festival Inverness

www.wawfest.com

Community Resilience Briefing 28-07-23

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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.

Funding  

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

  • Aviva – Community Fund
    Supports projects focused on climate change and financial wellbeing. Applications open all year with quarterly funding rounds.
  • The Rayne Foundation
    Offers grants to organisations tacking young people’s mental health, arts as a tool for social change, quality of life improvements for carers and older people, and better opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers. Apply at any time, with decisions taking up to 6 months.
  • FareShare
    They distribute food destined for waste to charities and community groups who transform it into meals for vulnerable people. Anyone can sign up that will use the food to make a difference in their community.

Welfare, poverty reduction and resilience

  • Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board Member Recruitment – the SFRS is seeking new board members, find attached a document with full details. Application deadline is 21 August 2023.
  • Avian Flu Advice and Reporting – Members of the public should avoid touching sick or dead wild birds and visitors to coastal areas are advised to keep their dogs on a lead to avoid them picking up dead birds.

If you find a single dead bird of prey, swan, goose, duck or gull or five or more dead wild birds of any other species at the same time, you should report them on gov.uk‘s ‘Report dead wild birds‘ page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-dead-wild-birds alternatively, you can phone the GB phone helpline: 03459 33 55 77.

  • 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.
  • Energy Advice – Inverness Badenoch and Strathspey Citizens Advice Bureau offer free, impartial energy advice to householders. We provide advice to help reduce household energy use, save money, and understand energy bills and support householders to manage energy debt. This can be done in person, over the phone or by video call. We can be contacted on 01463 219742 or email [email protected]

Community Engagement

Scrutiny of the Visitor Levy Bill – A new bill has been proposed by the Scottish Government that would allow local authorities to introduce an additional charge when someone pays for overnight accommodation. Visitor Levy Bill

MSPs on the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee are looking at the details of the proposals, and want to know what people think about them. Knowing your views will help them think about ways that could improve the proposed law, and whether the draft Bill should be passed into law by the whole Parliament.

There are a number of ways that you can get involved. For example over summer the Participation and Communities Team are offering extra support for communities, groups and individuals who want to get involved. This could be a facilitated workshop in your area or online. 

How to Get involved

Call for Views – Share your views with the committee

Online conversation – Please submit your views using the digital consultation tool

People are invited to add their ideas and issues to the platform and also rate and comment on other ideas. This will give the committee an indication of the issues relating to the proposed Bill and whether people are in favour or not.


Community Engagement – The Participation and Communities Team are offering extra support for communities, groups and individuals who want to get involved. This could be a facilitated workshop in your area or online. Please get in touch if you are interested. There is also a conversation guide which you can download to use with your groups.

We have produced a Conversation Guide you can use to host a conversation in your own community and send the views back to us.

The call for views closes on 1 September 2023.

If you would like support using the online platform or would like to support a group discussion in your community, please email our Participation and Communities Team at [email protected]

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. Register for the event by following the link.
  • 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 

Douglas Crawford
Business Analyst

Community Support and Engagement

Highland Council

Community Resilience Briefing 14-7-23

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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.

Funding  

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

  • British Ecological Society – Outreach GrantsGrants are available to projects promoting and engaging with the science of ecology. Next Deadline 13 September 2023
  • Mushroom TrustMain focus is on protecting and enhancing green spaces, including horticultural and aesthetic enhancement. Next deadline: 31 March 2024.
  • Localgiving – Magic Little Grants 
    Supports projects involved in mental health, physical activity, reducing poverty, and more. Next deadline 31 October 2023.

Local Improvement Fund

The Highland Alcohol & Drugs Partnership are offering six grants of up to £50,000 to third sector organisations between 2023-2025. The focus is on projects which aim to reduce people developing problematic substance use and offering support for prevention, early intervention, and treatment of alcohol and drug related harm. Expressions of Interest must be submitted by Monday 24 July.

Community Ownership Fund

The Community Ownership Fund is a £150 million fund over 4 years to support community groups across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets which are at risk of being lost to the community.

Closing date: 4 rounds per year until 2025

Welfare, poverty reduction and resilience

  • Suicide Prevention Scotland – As part of the strategy for reducing suicide deaths in Scotland, Suicide Prevention Scotland will be developing partnerships and working at national and local levels. Follow the link to see their year 1 priorities, action plan, and other information.
  • Highland Alcohol & Drugs Partnership Bulletin 76 – This issue has information on training and links to other useful information.
  • Climate Change Event (Invergordon 26 July 12:30-3:30 & Wick 27 July 10:30-130 ) – The Scottish Government is holding a number of events to shape upcoming climate change policy. The links provide full details, but the events are open to anyone local to the area who wants to share their views on challenges and opportunities for a transition to net zero.
  • NHS Lochaber Redesign – Attached is a letter and Q and A from NHS Highland about the Lochaber Hospital Redesign.
  • Independent Chair Required for Highland Alcohol and Drugs Partnership – attached is the job advert to appoint a Chair for the HADP. Closing date is 24 July 2023 (midday)
  • Cycling World Championship – Please see the attached document regarding the up-to-date information regarding the potential road disruption associated with the various events across the country. Significant additional traffic is expected on the A82, especially on 5th August.
  • SSEN community Benefit Fund – SSEN has recently set out plans to work with communities to channel funds into vital local projects across the north of Scotland. They have set up a consultation feedback form to engage with all stakeholders with an interest in the community benefit fund. 
  • CyberScotland Bulletin July 2023 – Topics include a new partnership funding initiative, speech on AI and security, and a cyber essentials survey.
  • 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.
  • Energy Advice – Inverness Badenoch and Strathspey Citizens Advice Bureau offer free, impartial energy advice to householders. We provide advice to help reduce household energy use, save money, and understand energy bills and support householders to manage energy debt. This can be done in person, over the phone or by video call. We can be contacted on 01463 219742 or email [email protected]

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. Register for the event by following the link.
  • 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 

Douglas Crawford
Business Analyst

Community Support and Engagement

Highland Council

Community Resilience Briefing 30-06-23

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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.

Funding  

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

  • The Truemark TrustMakes grants to charitable bodies dealing with all kinds of disadvantage, with preferences to neighbourhood-based community projects. Apply at any time, Trustees meet every three months.
  • The Tabhair Charitable Trust 
    Supports small to medium sized charities focusing on improving social wellbeing and employment opportunities.
  • Misses Barrie Charitable TrustThis trust gives to a wide range of charitable causes, recent examples include young people, music, and physical health. Apply at any time, trustees meet three times a year.

Social Innovation Challenge 
Funds and supports innovators to kick-start solutions that tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time. The programme will award up to £50,000 in granting funding to support the development of new social enterprise solutions.

The theme this year is focused on issues connected with the rising cost of living. They will be looking to support new social enterprise ideas for removing the deep-rooted obstacles that prevent individuals and communities form living fulfilling and dignified lives.

CyberScotland Partnership Funding
Organisations are invited to submit proposals for grant-funded activity which delivers progress on specific aims and outcomes of The Strategic Framework for a Cyber Resilient Scotland and receive funding ranging from £5,000 to £50,000. 

With a focus on enhancing cyber resilience in specific target groups, applicants are encouraged to address the outlined areas of priority. Collaborative proposals are also welcomed, fostering the spirit of cooperation and knowledge sharing within the cyber security community.

Welfare, poverty reduction and resilience

  • SEPA Water Scarcity Report – The latest report shows that Nairn and the Black Isle join Loch Maree as being areas with significant water scarcity, while Nairn is now classified as having moderate water scarcity. See the report for full details and guidance.
  • Community Learning Exchange – Supports community groups by encouraging collaboration and partnerships through the sharing of resources and peer learning. Provides the opportunity for communities who are planning new projects or initiatives to learn from the experiences of others.
  • Resilience Learning Hub – Ready Scotland are providing learning resources to help individuals, community groups, and voluntary sector organisations to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a range of emergencies. They offer learning modules, and a further list of free learning on topics offered by trusted partners. 
  • Be Safe Be Sound Campaign – Counter Terrorism Policing is collaborating with the UK’s music industry to deliver safety advice to the public. Campaign materials are available, at no cost, for organisations, venues, and festivals to use on any appropriate communication platform. Materials include videos, posters, banners, and guidelines.
  • Community Council Election Timetable 2023 – Elections for community councils will be held soon. The notice of Election and further guidance will be published 4 September 2023 and the deadline for submitting nomination papers will be 3 October 2023. For the full timetable and further guidance see the elections webpage.
  • Lockbit Ransomware – Lockbit Ransomware has been the most prolific form of malware since January 2022 and represents the highest ransomware threat to UK organisations. Attached is a guidance document highlighting the threat of malware along with mitigations to help prevent falling victim to ransomware.
  • 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.
  • Energy Advice – Inverness Badenoch and Strathspey Citizens Advice Bureau offer free, impartial energy advice to householders. We provide advice to help reduce household energy use, save money, and understand energy bills and support householders to manage energy debt. This can be done in person, over the phone or by video call. We can be contacted on 01463 219742 or email [email protected]

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. Register for the event by following the link.
  • 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 

Douglas Crawford
Business Analyst

Community Support and Engagement

Highland Council

Invitation to the Opening of Aldourie Castle

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We would like to extend an invite to the local community council and associated residents of Dores to join us at Aldourie Castle next Thursday 6th July , anytime between 3-6pm for a reopening explore of the Castle, steadings and gardens to enjoy our completed works.

Please share and hope we can welcome and thank our local community that have put up with all our works over the last few years.

Kind Regards

Lavinia


LAVINIA TURNER

WILDLAND / HOSPITALITY MANAGER