Biosphere Ros an Iar/ Biosphere Wester Ross feasability study is now underway. Dr Calum Macleod, UHI Centre for Mountain Studies is co-ordinating the study. Your views are important in this project, we would ask if approached by Study Group to be as honest and frank as possible with answers.

This feed was drawn from the Wester Ross Alliance website

Wester Ross Alliance will hold our AGM on 28th February from 1pm onwards in Kinlochewe Village Hall. This meeting is open to all members of the public.
The AGM will be followed by an update briefing on progress with our current projects, ‘Biosphere Ros an Iar’ (Wester Ross Biosphere) and ‘Cape Wrath Trail’.
After the AGM we will be hosting an important open discussion on the problems faced by remote areas around the availability, quality and costs of goods and services, whether bought locally or on the internet.  This is part of a wider consultation being carried out by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and is a great opportunity for us to engage directly with OFT staff and help them understand the issues we face in Wester Ross.  This discussion is one of a number being held across the UK.
The OFT will be telling us about their research on the issues faced by similar communities elsewhere, but most of the time will be devoted to an open floor discussion to hear the views and experiences of people in Wester Ross and exploring how the OFT and other partners can help respond to the issues raised.
The event will start immediately after the AGM on Tuesday 28th February at Kinlochewe Village Hall and run from about 2.15pm to 4.15pm – please come along even if you can’t get to the AGM.
“The Kinlochewe event will be the only one on mainland Scotland, so we are very pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to the communities of Wester Ross. (This will be one of seven events being held throughout UK: 2 in Scotland, 2 in England, 2 in Wales and 1 in Northern Ireland.)This event will provide an excellent opportunity for residents and businesses alike to express their concerns in open forum with regard to such as delivery charges, fuel prices, utilities and limits in supply of goods and services. If you are unable to attend and would wish to have concerns raised please contact me by email at tomcromasaig@msn.com . Your concerns/questions will be raised on day”.
Tom Forrest                                                                                                                Chairman Wester Ross Alliance                                                                                              Tel; 07780967018                                                                                                            Email; tomcromasaig@msn.com

Background
Remote communities face specific challenges around the efficient operation of markets: accessibility, small populations, low population densities and limited range of suppliers all play a role.  There may also be specific ways in which remoteness and close community contributes to positive market outcomes in these communities. The impact in specific locations may be increased or reduced according to demographic patterns. For example, populations which are elderly, which have high levels of deprivation, or have low levels of car ownership are all likely to experience particular challenges that other communities may not. The OFT wishes to understand how the markets work in relatively isolated areas.  This includes gaining a better appreciation of the challenges, and the advantages, faced by consumers in these communities.  The study will combine research findings with the experiences of residents (both as consumers and suppliers) in remote communities.  It will also draw on experience from around the world on how best to serve remote communities.
Having identified features of markets in particular locations we will explore with local stakeholders the sort of interventions that they consider would be most significant, practical, affordable and appropriate in their circumstances.  The OFT are keen to ensure that the study is responsive to local ideas.
The event will provide an opportunity to hear the views of local residents/businesses, to explore possible solutions and interventions and to challenge preconceptions on both sides.  We expect event to be approximately 2 - 3 hours in length.
The discussion and findings from the events will form a key part of the OFT’s thinking and will be reflected in the final conclusions and proposed solutions.
The aspiration is to attract c40 local consumers and stakeholders to each event and explore openly the issues facing people living in these areas, and what issues around market failures could be tackled by the OFT and/or local partners. 
 

This feed was drawn from the Wester Ross Alliance website

Wester Ross Alliance is to hold its AGM on Tuesday 28th February 2012 at 1pm at Kinlochewe Village Hall, followed by an update on current projects and a discussion forum led by an Office of Fair Trade representative.

This feed was drawn from the Wester Ross Alliance website

For a limited time only, the Highland LEADER Programme is offering higher rates of funding for joint projects between LEADER supported groups within the UK and beyond.

The £345,000 available under the LEADER Action 2 initiative can offer up to 90% of funding for international projects and up to 75% for UK joint projects.

Cooperation is a key theme under the Highland LEADER Programme encouraging community groups/partnerships to undertake joint projects with other LEADER groups within the UK or internationally. All Action 2 projects must involve joint activity with an identified Partner and deliver shared outcomes and community benefits for both areas. All projects must be completed within two years of approval.

Action 2 Cooperation projects must fit with some of the strategic priorities set by the Highland LEADER Programme:

• Development planning and community capacity building
• Culture & Heritage
• Training & Learning Opportunities
• Access to Facilities & Services
• Land, Environment & Access to Countryside
• Renewables
• Tourism
• Social enterprise & micro businesses

The Highland LEADER Programme is an EU and Scottish Government funded Programme which aims to deliver sustainable economic development within rural areas whilst providing an opportunity for communities to pilot new/different ideas.

If you have an Action 2 project idea, please contact Fiona Daschofsky on 01463 702163 or e-mail fiona.daschofsky@highland.gov.uk. Alternatively please download and complete an enquiry form from http://www.highlandleader.com/funding

This feed was drawn from the Wester Ross Alliance website

Scottish Sea Farms 'Heart of the Community' Trust have outlined a new community grants scheme - details can be found here - http://www.scottishseafarms.com/en/corporate/heart-of-the-community.html

This feed was drawn from the Wester Ross Alliance website

Wester Ross Alliance has been sent the following advice from to pass onto its members - full details has been submitted to our member contacts - if you have not received full info or would like to become a member please get in touch asap

Dear Community Groups,
As you may be aware, the Forestry Commission recently undertook a tendering exercise to allow private companies to develop wind and hydro on National Forest Estate (NFE) Land. This has now been completed, and the FCS have issued exclusivity rights to several developers, giving them around 8 months to look initially at the opportunities on the NFE. After this period elapses, the developers will negotiate with FCS to secure formal options agreements on the sites they want to develop. Some will be developed directly after this (subject to the normal planning process), and other sites will be left on an ‘Extended Exclusivity List’ to be taken forward in the future.

Communities will not be able to develop their own renewable projects on these sites once option agreements have been signed.

The FCS have negotiated with these developers to agree several different options for communities to engage or invest in projects the commercial developers take forward; more detail on these can be found in the attached Q&A.
For communities with an interest in developing their own, wholly-owned wind or hydro project on the NFE, it is vital that they register an Expression of Interest (EoI) as soon as possible. It might be that you have a long-standing relationship with the FCS on a particular site, in which case they may have told the developers that they cannot look into that particular area.
For communities interested forming a joint venture or receiving community benefit with one of the commercial developers in your area, it is still worth filling out an EoI as this will make the developers aware of you and will put you in a stronger bargaining position.

For communities at earlier stages, and even communities who have not identified a site yet, it is still vital that you register an EoI for your nearest FCS-owned forest as soon as possible.
 

This feed was drawn from the Wester Ross Alliance website

Following from the Alliance's AGM the board were pleased to welcome Michael Francis onto the Board.  Michael was put forward as representative of Glenelg & Arnisdale Development Trust.  For the full list of current board members please click here - www.wester-ross-alliance.co.uk/board-of-directors.asp

This feed was drawn from the Wester Ross Alliance website

Go and SE

Highlands and Islands Enterprise has supported HI~Arts to set up a new fund to help cultural groups and organisations to connect with, and learn from, models of good practice and potential mentors in the field of ‘social enterprise’.

Go and SE is designed to:

(a) Assist cultural organisations to visit and meet with good models of entrepreneurial practice

(b) Compensate those ‘good models’ for their time

(c) Facilitate informal mentoring and benchmarking schemes.

Who the scheme is for

· Organisations active in the cultural sector, which are constituted as charities or community interest companies, or are currently unincorporated associations aspiring to company status.

· For the purpose of this scheme the ‘cultural sector’ is presumed to include:

o Any group or organisation which organises and/or promotes arts activities: music, visual arts, crafts, drama and dance, literature, storytelling, film, etc

o Any group or organisation which is active in the field of heritage and local history: museums, visitor centres, history societies, etc

o Any group or organisation active in the environmental sector which is developing arts or heritage-related activities, e.g. community woodlands

o Any organisation where cultural activities play a significant part in a wider programme of activities: village halls, community centres, etc.

o Any Gaelic-based organisation which is also active in the areas of arts and/or heritage: e.g. a local fèis

For more information go to http://www.hi-arts.co.uk/HI-Arts%20Services/funding or contact Laura Martin at HI~Arts 01463 717091 laura@hi-arts.co.uk

This feed was drawn from the Wester Ross Alliance website

WRA delegates recently attended a 'Stronger Communities Stakeholder' Meeting in Kyle to meet the Scottish Community Foundation, Scottish Community Development Centre and Forward Scotland to learn apart the Stronger Communities Initiative.

This feed was drawn from the Wester Ross Alliance website

Membership forms for 2011 are now available for download. Current members will have received them in the post addressed to their respective secretaries. If you have not received yours please get in touch with Fiona Downie as soon as possible.

This feed was drawn from the Wester Ross Alliance website