Category: Press & Publicity

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Climate Challenge Fund Energy Efficiency Environment Glendaruel Greener ColGlen Ideas News Opportunities Press & Publicity Renewables Resilience Warmer Colglen

ColGlen is going Greener!

The Development Trust is delighted to announce that it has been successful in its application to the Climate Challenge Fund for the “Greener ColGlen” project. The project which is worth £172,357, will run from October 2013 until the end of March 2015, employ a project officer and an administrator, and follows on from the trust’s highly successful ‘Warmer ColGlen’ project which has just finished.

Project Description

“What will our Community look like in 2050?”  This is a considered first step on the journey by Colintraive and Glendaruel Community towards greater resilience in the face of extreme weather events, climate change and the increasing centralisation of goods and services.

FOOD

This project aims to establish a food growing group within the Community, to include all growers, past, present and future.  2 polytunnels in central points of the two villages will provide focus for activity – growing food, sharing tools, plants and tips and engaging socially.  Participants will be able to take advantage of the extended season, trial and research different varieties, and learn how to make the most of local conditions to improve the range of fresh fruit and veg available.  A website and blog, food waste workshops and a harvest festival event to celebrate the first growing season will be held.

COMPOSTING

Composting facilities will be adjacent to the polytunnels and will demonstrate good practise with garden waste, which is not uplifted by the Local Authority.  Re-usable bags will be supplied to households to fill and leave out for volunteers to collect when passing to drop off at either site.  A composting and food waste event and chipper training will give growers and volunteers the opportunity to learn new skills and a Community wood-chipper will render garden waste that would otherwise have been burnt, fly-tipped or rotted, into compost for the growers.

WOODFUEL

Stronafian Community Forest will provide a sustainable source of woodfuel for the Community in 2 or 3 years time. Meanwhile, as Rhododendron Ponticum has been identified as a particular threat locally, harvesting mature plants will help to interrupt the spread for one season, and also provide burning wood, kindling and charcoal, amongst other benefits.  Currently 4 out of 10 households, from a snapshot, ‘import’ woodfuel from other areas and this initial local supply will help to increase choice and localise buying habits. Private and Community spaces will receive a free initial service of cutting back mature specimens. Community members will be trained in techniques to continue the eradication work.

ENERGY

So far in the UK only 306 households have proceeded with a Green Deal Plan. New support for 5% of householders providing local Green Deal Assessments will improve uptake of the funding available locally.   Availability and cost of assessments – due to the remote geography – and understanding of the various schemes are barriers to uptake. Local knowledge is key to identifying eligible properties, and the Assessor will compile a portfolio of dwellings to attract funding with support from Home Energy Scotland to link up with local contractors, minimising travel. Heat mapping will also help to identify where a ‘mini warm zone’ can be created for a cluster of local buildings.  This will build on the raised awareness and engagement achieved by the Warmer ColGlen Project.

A full-time Project Development Officer will oversee the project, coordinate the Community, volunteers  and contractors to install the infrastructure and deliver the other outcomes, also providing or organising the Green Deal Assessments, and a part-time Project Admin and Communications Officer will provide support with payroll, purchasing, marketing and communications.

LEGACY

The polytunnels and composting will be valuable community facilities. The Growing Group will continue to take forward the improved health and social benefits and on going carbon savings by growing more food.  They will have the capacity to expand not just in numbers, but also to other possible sites within the Community that have been offered, for example to set up a Community orchard.  Other projects would include expansion into the Community Forest – allotment, croft or farm – and other types of food production – meat, seafood and bee-keeping – can all be explored.

Gardeners will be able to continue contributing their garden waste to the compost project and also benefit from the produced soil improver.  The skills and training will enable the volunteers to continue the operation of the site.

By beginning a project of eradication of ponticum in the local area, and raising awareness of uses for the wood and eradication methods, the Community will have the skills and capacity to continue the work, also benefitting from increased supply / demand of local woodfuel until timber begins to be made available from the Community Forest.  This will ensure continued carbon savings, opportunities for local employment for the trained people, and increased biodiversity in the cleared sites.  This activity is also in line with the aims of the Development Trust and will be a core activity in the Community Forest Management Plan.

Eventually this supply chain will lead into a robust woodfuel sales enterprise, due to increased demand and year round activity, it will provide employment and sales income.

Households who have received Green Deal or Green Homes cashback vouchers and/or ECO measures will continue to benefit from reduced energy use.  Even if their energy bills do not decrease, they will be able to live in increased comfort.  Households and buildings that have been identified as suitable for conversion to a district heating scheme can look forward to leading the way with new technology and enjoy considerably reduced fuel bills.  ColGlen’s built heritage will be brought up to standard for the next generation to enjoy.

The legacy of this project will be that ColGlen will be working towards adaptation to climate change and will be considerably closer to the vision of “What will our Community look like in 2050?”

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News Opportunities Press & Publicity

Argyll & The Isles Tourism Roadshow at Strachur

Great opportunity to feed in to tourism strategy for Cowal on Tues 24th Sept 2013 in The Creggans Inn, Strachur

‘Tourism Argyll & The Isles 2020’ Workshop from 1 – 4.30pm
Drop in from 5.30 – 7.30pm

Open to everyone involved in tourism in the area.

Hear all about Argyll & The Isles Tourism Co-operative and help shape the future of tourism in this wonderful part of Scotland as we develop Tourism Argyll & The Isles 2020 – identify the opportunities for growth in Cowal, and the issues that need to be addressed to achieve this.

Provide input to www.exploreargyll.co.uk and the new leaflet being produced covering Cowal as part of an Argyll-wide suite. Hear all about AITC’s social media activity and how to join in. Find out what support is available for your own business from Business Gateway, VisitScotland and others.

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Colintraive Environment Glendaruel News Opportunities Press & Publicity Projects

CGDT at Community Land Scotland Conference

Mark Chambers (Community Forest Project Officer) and Charles Dixon-Spain (Chair) attended the Community Land Scotland at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on Skye the weekend of the 6th/7th June. Charles helped lead a workshop, under the chairmanship of Ian Hepburn, on Financing the Purchase of Community Forests, and Mark to the opportunity to network with fellow professionals in the community land-owning sector.

The event was highly successful with opportunities to chat with funders, policy-makers and fellow communities. Here’s the photo of all the delegates at the event.

grouppic smallFor more information on Community Land Scotland, please click here.

 

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Colintraive News Premises Press & Publicity Projects Renewables Warmer Colglen

Colintraive Village Hall reopens

Congratulations to the Colintraive Village Hall Committee for perservering and coming up smelling of roses (and paint and sawdust at times too!). A wonderful team effort with contractors, volunteers and funders creating a really wonderful space. The Grand Opening is at midday tomorrow, following the Village Hall Committee AGM.

It could not have been achieved without funding and support from the Climate Challenge Fund, Argyll and the Islands LEADER Programme, Cruach Mhor Windfarm Trust, and Argyll & Bute Council. The work was carried out by John Brown (Strone) Ltd, Forteiths Heating and Refrigeration Ltd, Gibson’s of Dunoon [electrical], Jim Carruthers [decorator], Calum Maclean and Andy Henderson [for the hearing loop and acoustic treatments].

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Forestry Glendaruel News Press & Publicity Projects Recruitment Stronafian

Our Community Forest Project Officer is here!

We’re delighted to welcome Mark Chambers to our community. Mark will be working with us for at least two years bring forward all the elements in our Business Plan for Stronafian Forest. Mark will be spending the first couple of months getting up to speed on the project, meeting people and settling in. We’ll be announcing a Forest event shortly when everyone will get to greet Mark officially!

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Environment Forestry Glendaruel Housing Ideas News Opportunities Press & Publicity Stronafian

A Wood of Our Own

Yesterday (27th February 2013) CGDT was invited by the Forestry Commission to make a presentation on our acquisition of Stronafian Forest at their quarterly “Wood of Our Own Event”.

Continue reading “A Wood of Our Own”
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Environment Forestry Glendaruel Housing News Opportunities Press & Publicity Projects Recruitment Renewables Stronafian

Afforestations of Delight

Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust (CGDT) have purchased Stronafian Forest and are now recruiting for a dynamic Community Forest Development Officer. 

CGDT are delighted to confirm that they have now purchased Stronafian Forest on the Cowal Peninsula, Argyll. The forest, purchased for £1.55M from the Forestry Commission under the National Forest Land Scheme, will provide the community of Colintraive and Glendaruel with opportunities to create sustainable housing, woodland crofts, renewable energy sources and wonderful amenity spaces.

The Trust has been working since early 2010 on the acquisition of the 600ha+ woodland, developing a thorough-going business plan, as well as working on the funding package which includes £1.3M from a commercial tenant for the rights to the commercial forestry over 99 years. Alongside this tranche of money, raised from the private sector, the trust has also raised over £300,000, both for the balance of the purchase price, but also the legal fees and a two year Community Forest Project Officer post. The trust believe this is the first purchase of its kind to combine private and public sectors in a community woodland acquisition.

Come Work With Us
The Trust are still recruiting for the post which offers an exciting blend of community engagement, project management and business development in a forest context. The Community Forest Project Officer will be tasked with taking forward a community wind turbine, developing 4-6ha woodland crofts and preparing building plots for self-build and affordable homes, as well as making the forest accessible to the local community and its visitors. This is an opportunity to work with one of the West Coast’s most innovative trusts, in an environment of outstanding natural beauty, with a community whose Hogmanays are reputed to be the best in Argyll. To apply download our application form here.

CGDT’s chair, Charles Dixon-Spain said, “We are thrilled with this acquisition which is confirmation of the momentum our community has been building over the last five years. Colintraive and Glendaruel is a community that has been in decline for many years, and the Trust feels this purchase signals the renewing of our community, of bringing people in and services back and of ensuring the future of those services that we have held onto. Thanks to everyone who has helped us get to this stage!”

CGDT wish to thank Forestry Commission Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Argyll and the Islands LEADER, the Scottish Land Fund, the Big Fund, Aitchesse Ltd. and our tenant for all their help, financial support and encouragement over the last three years.

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Glendaruel Kilmodan Primary School News Press & Publicity

Our “Scruffy Men” hit the headlines!

ForArgyll.com, always one to support a community taking initiative, has an article publicising the forthcoming fashion show in the Glen Village Hall supporting Kilmodan School. We particularly like the quote from Kirsty McLuckie,

” … you may see some neighbouring farmers, foresters or shinty players in a whole new light.”

We wouldn’t miss it for the world. Here’s the full story.

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Clachan Glendaruel Kilmodan Primary School News Press & Publicity

Kilmodan Primary School Nominated for the Employability Across Learning Award

Kilmodan Primary School’s Market Garden and Tearoom project has been nominated for the award for Employability Across Learning Award. The text of the nominated reads as follows:

[Colintraive and Glendaruel is] a tiny community; the clachan that the school is in no longer has a shop, pub or cafe after recent closures. We lack opportunities to come together to meet which is a problem, especially with an aging population.

The idea for a tearoom arose organically from the pupil’s success in growing plants in their polytunnel. For the last three years they have been holding plant sales in the summer term, selling produce, young plants and hanging baskets that they have raised from seed. As well as tending the sales tables and showing visitors round the polytunnel, the pupils made cakes to sell alongside teas to add to profits. These events were well attended by parents and the wider community. Last year was decided to hold a winter tea room in aid of funds to help the Pakistan floods, again this was well attended and enjoyed by the children, and it was decided to set up a monthly event, in aid of specific school projects.

From these small beginnings, the tearoom has taken off and now sells produce from local farmers too; the profits are shared between the school and the producer. The children make crafts, greetings cards and potted cuttings to sell at the same time.

Cakes are made by the children who also serve the tea and coffee. But a micro business is being run behind the scenes; pupils are undertaking tasks such as marketing, staff management and rotas, handling money, setting prices and customer service, in line with their ages and abilities. Skills involved include maths, enterprise, commerce, retail and of course baking, but in a wider sense they are developing resilience, cooperation, politeness; all aligned to the Curriculum for Excellence core values.

We are a small school, but everyone takes part. The younger children sell the crafts, serve the cakes and count the money; the older children (P6 and 7) take on the role of marketing, management and investment. They have already decided to invest from their profits in new crockery and cake stands so it is really giving them an idea of how a business grows by ploughing money back in. Cards and crafts are now sent to be on sale every day in Colintraive’s post office; again with a desire to grow the business.

The older children hold meetings to plan each event, and discuss any problems or ideas for improvement afterwards. The teachers also bring in examples thrown up by the tearoom in subjects such as Maths, English, Art, Home Economics; it is a handy shared experience which makes the abstract real and the staff are keen to discuss what skills have been learnt after each event and relate them to the workplace. From the feedback the school has had from parents, it is clear that they think it is a worthwhile project and my own son, who is in P7, seems to have learnt more from the tearooms than any other project; hearing him talk of profits and overheads can be unnerving but it illustrates his enthusiasm and understanding. It is lovely for parents and the wider community to be able to witness and literally share in an ongoing school project too.
From the outset it was important to be a business with a conscience and a purpose beyond the financial; as well as fundraising for charity, the pupils wanted to provide a service to the community rather than just take their money. They have been delighted to form a relationship with Befrienders Dunoon, a local charity that takes out elderly people who might otherwise be housebound or lonely. Eight to ten people are brought to every tea room in a minibus, and the children have become fond of their visitors. It is a symbiotic relationship; one elderly lady came in to talk to the school about their Africa project, having been raised there and the children have performed songs and poems at each end of term tearoom.

The children have seen real results from their enterprise; the first year, starting in winter, netted over £600, this school year, they’ve raised £900 so far. They have used the money to attend a Stramash outdoors activity week before school broke up, including a night under canvas, costing £2200 and paid for in large part by the tearoom profits. This was matched funded by the local Wind Farm Trust in recognition of the children’s achievement. The Parent Council, have applauded their efforts. In such a tiny school itis often difficult to fund more expensive projects.

In terms of employability, the scheme could not have been designed better to give pupils a taste of the types of skills needed in the work place, particularly in a rural area. This part of Argyll is a centre for tourism, needs enterprising business start ups, especially in the hospitality industries. In the wider country, retail sales, and seeing how a product can go from seed to shop is a useful illustration, especially as many of our children come from farming families, so may be used to the production but not the end sales. We are an aging population too so working with the elderly is a real possibility for our pupils, it is nice to see them interacting with some quite vulnerable members of the community.

The provision of a tearoom has made a huge difference to this community; what the children have managed to do is a great lesson to those interested in development; they have seen a gap in the market and designed a product/service to suit that gap. They have adapted and grown to suit market conditions and learnt a huge amount in the process almost without noticing. As for partners, working with both local producers, a charity and consumers more than gives the experience that this award category suggests.

Well done Kilmodan PS, an example to us all!

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Glendaruel Ideas News Opportunities Press & Publicity

Glendaruel Kiosk goes National!


TV and newspapers all wanted to know more about the Adopt a Kiosk scheme and Heather Munro’s idea to house a defibrillator in one of ours. Brilliant stuff!

Here’s the BBC Story & Report

Here’s the Scotsman story

Here’s the link to the BT Adopt a Kiosk scheme