News

We have received a request for feedback on proposed changes to the Royal Mail deliveries.

If you have any feedback please send to this email address [email protected]

Hi folks

The Economy and Fair Work Committee want to know what you think about proposed Royal Mail service changes, and the impact of recent strikes. The Committee is interested in hearing from businesses and communities, particularly rural communities. We have invited Royal Mail to give evidence before the end of June. Your views will inform that session, and the questions we ask.

Key questions

1. How important is the current six-day Royal Mail service for letters to your business and/or your community?
2. Royal Mail has proposed changing the six-day service for letters to a five-day service. Delivery of letters on Saturdays would end. If this change is made, what impact would this have on your business or community?
3. Are there any businesses, individuals or groups who would be particularly affected by this change?
4. What was your experience of the service provided by the Royal Mail over the last year while the dispute with the CWU (Communication Workers Union) was ongoing?
5. If you are a business, have you stopped using Royal Mail? Do you use Royal Mail in conjunction with other services? What are your reasons?

In order to determine whether a response is worthwhile issuing, can you advise of any issues, from a business perspective and/or from a community, particularly rural aspect of Royal Mail ceasing provision of mail deliveries on a Saturday ?

Many thanks

Gordon

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 

• Scottish Government – Covid, Colds, and Flu  

• NHS Inform Covid data  
• NHS Highland local vaccination information – this includes information on the winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Flu vaccination programme which is now underway.

Funding  

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

• Hie Green Grant Fund
  Supports businesses in tourism, creative industries, food and drink processing sectors, and social enterprises reduce or green their energy usage. Next deadline 14 July 2023
• Youth Arts Open Fund
  Supports artists or organisations deliver arts activities for children and young people. Next deadline 5 June 2023.
• Rewilding Britain – Rewilding Innovation FundAims to remove barriers to rewilding projects, whether they’re at the early planning stages or want to move a project one step wilder. Next deadline 31 May 2023

Welfare, poverty reduction and resilience

• Youth Convener – Please see attached advert and contract specification for more information. This important role is responsible for representing the views of young people and understanding issues facing them. Closing date for applications is Thursday 11^th May 2023.
• New Community Council Cost of Living Hub Launched – This resource, available here, compiles a list of national resources and local organisations which can provide help and support.
• Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival – This annual event is organised in partnership with local artists and groups. The next festival will take place October 2023 and they are looking for more community groups to get involved across the Highlands. Please see the attachment for further information.
• Highland Cares Community Learning & Development – see the attached document for more information on learning opportunities for free accredited qualifications for personal and professional development.
• Water Scarcity Report 2023 – This report shows that parts of western, central, and northern Scotland have reached early warning levels for water scarcity. Businesses are advised to check SEPA’s website to be aware of the water situation for local areas and for advice and guidance.
• Cyber Byte – Attached is a message containing information about erasing information from devices before selling/recycling/giving away electronics to help prevent cyber-crimes.
• SSEN Keeping Safe – Contains advice on keeping safe when outdoors, including advice for farmers working near overhead power lines.
• 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 

• Met Office Weather Warnings – https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2022-11-04
• Met Office Weather Ready https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/weatherready 
• Scottish Flood Forecasting – Provides up to date information on when and where flooding is expected to occur over a three-day period.
• Floodline Scotland https://floodlinescotland.org.uk/ 
• Ready Scotland – preparing for emergencies https://ready.scot/

Douglas Crawford
Business Analyst

Community Support and Engagement

Highland Council

We are going to be sent reports like below on a regular basis after the CC and other CC’s in the area asked about Policing in the area. I have raised the issue of speeding again at the school as whilst waiting there, the number of vehicles ignoring the 20mph flashing sign is mind boggling. A lot are local vehicles , trades vehicles even Highland Council vehicles so I have asked that they attend with the speed gun to act as a deterrent and reminder to drivers that the signs are there for a reason and only adds a few seconds on to journey.

Dear Community Councils

Please see the attached information.  The Worrying about Money app was launched on the 8^th February 2023. The app aim is to provide financial support to people who may be struggling with money worries.

The attached document has QR codes to enable you to download the app. 

There are also app cards available to order through HIRS http://healthyhighlanders.co.uk/HPAC

Anyone can register for an account and have them delivered to their nearest NHS site.

A promotional poster which will also be available to order through HIRS(Health Improvement Resource Service) so hopefully that will help to spread the word.  Please feel free to share this amongst your networks.

Many Thanks

Lynn McNeil

Community Support Co-Ordinator

Inverness Town House

High Street

Inverness

IV1 1JJ

Good Afternoon,

I’m contacting you to let you know about the upcoming Inverness Walking and Wheeling Festival www.wawfest.com hosted by Partnerships for Wellbeing www.p4w.org.uk

Partnerships for Wellbeing are an Inverness-based charity supporting health and wellness in the Highlands through our community transport service and health walk project.  Together with more than thirty walking and cycling groups in Inverness we have joined forces to create a brand new festival that aims to encourage us all to make the most of the city’s growing network of paths and routes.

The Inverness festival of Walking and Wheeling kicks off a week of activities on Saturday 20^th May with a fun-filled drop-in event at the WASPS Creative Academy.

• Stallholders will be offering brochures, maps and fun giveaways and there will be live music and screenings of videos showing some of the amazing locations that people can explore on foot or on wheels.
• The launch event will be opened by BBC comedy star Karen Bartke (‘Officer Karen’ in TV’s Scot Squad) who has also teamed up with local broadcaster Grace Nicoll for a series of videos entitled Those Funny Women in the Woods.  In the videos both Grace and Karen go walking in Daviot Woods and try out the new Hi-Bike electric cycles on a journey from the UHI Campus to Culloden House Hotel.
• The festival is being coordinated by local charity Partnerships for Wellbeing who have been organising health walks across the Highlands since 2004.  Manager Jeff Zycinski says so many new walking and cycling groups have been created in that time and the festival offers a way for them all to work together to let everyone know what an incredible city Inverness has become for those who prefer foot and pedal power for work or leisure. Among the walking groups that have captured the imagination is the ghost walk that’s organised by the Highland Paranormal Society and the Caledonian Canal walk led by Andrew Lucas from Inverness Library.

The festival runs until 28^th May and concludes with a special event at Eden Court Theatre where Highland author S.G. Galbraith will be talking about the importance of walking and cycling in her creative process. The festival receives funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, Paths for All and Smarter Choices, Smarter Places.

More information on the website  www.wawfest.com

Social Media       (3) Festival of Walking & Wheeling | Inverness | Facebook

Festival co-ordinator Jayne Preece:  [email protected]

Why are we contacting you?  If your CC has social media or other ways or informing your local community about the Festival then please share this information as widely as you can.

We will be distributing flyers and posters over the next couple of weeks so look out for them in your area.

Kind regards

Marie

Marie Law

Partnerships for Wellbeing

07497 357198

Events Assistant – Walking & Wheeling Festival Inverness

www.wawfest.com