Fundraiser launched to keep Portree’s Red Pitch open
A fundraising campaign has been launched to keep a popular skate park in Portree open
On Tuesday, the Portree and Braes Community Trust announced that it would have to remove the skate ramps from the Red Pitch in Camanachd Square as they are unable to cover the £3,000 of insurance costs which run out at the end of July.
However, Tiffany Maberley who successfully led a campaign to establish a new play park in Portree, through the Trust’s outdoor activities group, has launch a JustGiving page to keep the ramps in place.
More than £400 has been raised since Tuesday evening towards the cost of the £3,000 insurance.
The initial funding for the skate ramp project was secured in 2017 by a team of volunteers led by trustee Chris James.
Before retiring as a trustee last year Chris, alongside his team, raised £3000 of funding required to cover annual insurance costs and to carry out regular checks and repairs.
The Trust said that unfortunately it hasn’t been able to recruit any volunteers to manage and fundraise for the project since.
Tiffany Maberley told Radio Skye that the Trust now has just two weeks to raise this money
She said that it would a terrible shame to have to pack the ramps away and added that such outdoor activities were important for the enjoyment, health and development of children in the area.
Award-winning musician to play secret gig on Skye
Award-winning Skye musician Brìghde Chaimbeul will play a special show on the island this autumn.
The gig is being hosted by the team behind the Third Ridge Climbing Wall in Portree.
On Saturday 2nd September, ticket holders will follow clues through the landscape, learning about the local folklore and history that inspired Brìghde Chaimbeul’s album.
The trail will lead to a secret outdoor concert, which will be followed by supper made by the Hungry Gull.
Brìghde is a leading purveyor of experimental Celtic music and of the Scottish smallpipes.
She has received several accolades for her musicianship including the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award and the BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award, and in 2021 performed to world leaders at the opening ceremony of COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference.
Image by Monika Ruman
NHS Highland CEO to take part in Q&A
The chief executive of NHS will take part in an ask me anything online session this Thursday.
Pam Dudek and her colleagues will also present the local health authority’s Together We Care strategy during the session.
Together We Care is NHS Highland’s five-year strategy for health and care delivery.
The approach follows extensive engagement with 1,700 people including partner organisations, communities, and the wider population.
NHS Highland’s three main objectives are to deliver the best possible health and care outcomes, be a great place to work for employees, and create value by working collaboratively with partners to transform the way it delivers health and care.
The hour-long session will be live at 3pm on Thursday.
You can join the session, via the following link.
“Vital” community council posts election appeal
The Sleat Community Council have have today underlined the vital role that the local voluntary bodies play to communities ahead of the next round of elections
This autumn, Highland Council will form new councils to serve from January 2024.
A notice of election will be published on the 4th September with nominations accepted from the 5th September.
A spokesperson for the Sleat Community Council described the groups as the first tier of local democracy which represent residents, businesses and organisations across public agencies, such as the Highland Council, NHS Highland, housing associations, public transport operators, as well as schools and other community groups.
To form a new community council the south Skye body needs people to step forward and consider serving the community.
Three office-bearers will be required: a chairperson, a treasurer, and a secretary and, if numbers permit, a vice-chair.
Those wishing to stand as candidate must be over 16 years of age, a registered voter, and reside within the boundary of the community council.
If you are interested in joining the Sleat Community Council you email sleatcommunitycouncil.org.uk – or for more general information you can visit the Highland Council website.
Alzheimer Scotland team to host Glendale event
The Alzheimer Scotland’s West Highland team will be in Glendale this Thursday (20th July) for a chat at the local village hall.
Community Activities organiser Diane Smith and Dementia Advisor, Lesley Hellon will be on hand to provide support and information across the visit which will be held from 2pm to 3.30pm on Glendale Village on Thursday.
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The chief executive of NHS Highland has there are no plans to close Portree Hospital but stressed the local health authority does face challenges concerning future provision.
On Thursday, Radio Skye was informed through a community source that two full-time nurses at the Skye capital had handed in their notice.
Addressing the matter, Ms Dudek, who was in Skye on Thursday for the official opening of the Staffin health centre, told Radio Skye she had only recently been made aware of the situation.
However, she said there needed to be a balance in terms of past services and what was suitable for the future.
Here is Ms Dudek speaking on the matter…
https://www.mixcloud.com/RadioSkye/nhs-highland-ceo-pam-dudek-on-skye-staffing-challenges/
At present the urgent care centre in Portree Hospital is open from 9am to 6pm at weekends and bank holidays only.
Earlier this month a spokesperson for NHS Highland told Radio Skye that progress with the rural support team and urgent care centre would be review at the end of March and develop a develop a plan for how urgent care will be delivered by June 2023.
The spokesperson added that the extension of the urgent care service will need to be completed in a phased way due to new practitioners being at different stages of their training
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Uig sailings diverted for three-days following “enormous disruption”
A ferry leaves Uig harbour on Friday 13th January before the start of the first phase of vital works at the Skye port.
All CalMac sailing through Uig harbour have been diverted for at least three days amid issues with the temporary bridge at the Skye port.
The ferries operator CalMac said it had taken the decision to divert sailings away for Uig after it emerged that vehicles greater than 10 metres in length were unable to travel through it.
The Highland Council, which is the harbour authority, said the problem was discovered during a live trial of berthing of the MV Hebrides on Wednesday night.
From today CalMac has reverted to the Uig closure services with a daily service provided between Lochmaddy – Ullapool until 27th March.
The decision came after a day of enormous disruption at Uig harbour on Thursday in which services through the Uig were halted just hours after the harbour reopened following a nine-week closure for essential works to the maritime asset.
The Highland Council has announced earlier in the week that the first stage of works to prepare for the replacement of the vessel linkspan had been completed and that ferry services to and from Uig Harbour would resume from 23 March.
Indeed, a spokeswoman for CalMac said they were assured by Highland Council, who are the Harbour Authority, that there would be no restrictions on operations at Uig – however, this has now been proven to not be the case.
CalMac said they are seeking urgent confirmation of the situation from Highland Council as this has caused enormous disruption and upset to our customers. We are pressing Highland Council to resolve this matter as quickly as possible so that we can resume our services to Uig.
The spokeswoman went on say that CalMac fully appreciates and shares the frustration felt by communities regarding this very late notice from Highland Council, which brings more uncertainty to our communities regarding the reopening of Uig.”
They added: Please be assured that we are working closely with The Highland Council and will provide a further update as soon as we are able to.”
Commenting on the farcical situation, Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnstone said: “This latest issue at Uig is extremely disappointing. Ferry users now face longer journeys, more disruption and more uncertainty.
“Surely these issues should have been identified and addressed earlier, and not left until the 11th hour.
“Our ferry network is already struggling, and every incident like this just erodes confidence in the service a little more.”
The second planned closure at Uig harbour for the works is due to take place from 30th October to 11th Dec 2023.
News by Adam Gordon.
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