This week’s topic of the community Digital Inclusion course: Scam Awareness
Anyone can fall for a scam regardless of age – through knowledge and awareness during this week’s lesson at The Strathdearn hub participants can learn how to protect themselves and their loved ones online and on the phone.
All welcome with an IV13 postcode – during the break of the session pop up to The Snug for a free cup of tea or coffee.
[Police Scotland issue this newsletter as a pdf which can’t be displayed in a webpage. Click the link below the introduction to download it]
This newsletter features updates on the work carried out across the Inverness area command area of the following teams and officers: Community Beats Team City Centre Team Divisional Alcohol & Violence Reduction Team Inverness School Link Officer Inverness Rurals – Beauly/Fort Augustus These teams work alongside the response ‘999’ shifts in addition to other Police teams and units based in the Highlands, examples – child protection, roads policing and firearms licensing.
Local Community Councils are obliged to put themselves up for re-election every 4 years. If the CC election is uncontested, the final meeting of the present Strathdearn Community Council will be on October 10th 2023. If the election is contested the final meeting will be on 14th November 2023.At midnight of that day the council will be dissolved. Candidates are invited to put their names forward for election to the next Community Council. The following description of the procedure has been received from Highland Council:
Dear Community Council,
I attach a copy of the notice of Election that will be published on Monday 4 September 2023 on the Council’s web-site at www.highland.gov.uk/ccelections
Candidate’s wishing to put themselves forward as a Community Council Member need to self-nominate themselves by completing the online form that will be available on our website. It’s simple and should take only approximately 5 minutes to complete, all they have to do is submit their contact details, name of community council they wish to represent, confirm they are eligible and provide their electoral number. In order for the Candidate to obtain their electoral number, this can be done by them completing the electoral number request form or it is available from the Electoral Registration Office by emailing ero@highland.gov.uk or telephoning 0800 393783.
The cut off date for submitting an online form is 12noon on Tuesday 3 October 2023 and published thereafter by Wednesday 4 October 2023 will be the statements of persons nominated on the community council elections webpage.
The Elections Team or Ward Managers are available to assist anyone that has difficulty accessing or completing the online form by emailing ccelection@highland.gov.uk or telephoning 01349 886657.
We want to have all our 156 Community Councils formed so please share and use our resources toolkit to download posters, leaflets or share messages on social media that may useful to notify local residents about Community Council elections.
To encourage participation, some of the Council Fleet vehicles will be driving around the highlands with our magnetic signage on display as per sample below and we will be issuing press releases and sending out key messages on social media.
Candidates will have up until 12noon on Tuesday 10 October 2023 if they wish to withdraw their candidacy and ballot papers will be posted put on Tuesday 31 October 2023 for any that require to be contested.
Existing Community Councils must be dissolved by 11.59pm on the key dates listed below.
Highland Council have also sent the following guidance for our Community Council during the election and nomination period. Further queries should be directed to: communitycouncil.support-townhouse@highland.gov.uk
Can we continue to meet?
Yes. Community Councils can continue to meet up until they are dissolved.
When are Community Councils dissolved?
This depends on the number of nominations received.
Uncontested Community Councils i.e. enough nominations to form but not to go to ballot.
These Community Councils are dissolved at 11.59 on 10 October.
Community Councils going to ballot i.e. more nominations than places.
These Community Councils are dissolved at 11.59 on 27 November.
Not enough nominations received
These community Councils will be dissolved at 11.59 on 10 October
They will need to wait until January for a further round of nominations to see if they can form.
When is the first meeting of the new Community Councils?
Uncontested
The first meeting will be called by the Ward Manager – in conjunction with the new Community Councillors – as soon as possible after 11 October
Contested
The first meeting will be called by the Ward Manager – in conjunction with the new Community Councillors – as soon as possible after 28 November
Handover period
There is no official handover period but the former Community Councillors are expected to had over all relevant paperwork to the new Community Council as soon as possible.
As part of the Scheme, Community Councils are required to produce an interim account at the end of September which is to assist this handover to the new Community Council.
Existing payments
All existing payments – agreed by the existing Community Council – should continue to be honoured, up until the new Community Council takes office. This could also be for spend during the November/December period. E.g. the current CC takes a decision at the September meeting to order a Christmas tree for December and pay for it in advance.
Come and celebrate the New Year with us at the most exciting event in the village! The Strathdearn Hogmanay Bash will be held on Sunday, December 31, 2023 starting at 19:30 GMT. Get ready for a night filled with fun, music, and festivities!
Our event will take place in the charming village of Tomatin, located in Inverness at IV13 7YN. We have prepared a fantastic venue where you can enjoy live music, delicious food, and a wide selection of beverages.
Get ready to dance the night away with our incredible band “Full Circle”. Whether you’re a fan of traditional Scottish music or prefer modern beats, we have something for everyone. Expect a lively atmosphere and an unforgettable night!
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to celebrate Hogmanay with friends and family. It’s the perfect way to bid farewell to the old year and welcome in the new one. So mark your calendars and get ready for an evening of joy, laughter, and great memories.
Join us at the Strathdearn Hogmanay Bash and let’s make this New Year’s Eve an unforgettable experience!
Following carrying out various studies/reports, and pending the results of these, the current planning application has been ‘on hold’ for some time to respond to concerns raised primarily by The Highland Council Flood Team. A revised site layout has been completed to comply with the new National Planning Framework 4 policy and is in the process of being re-submitted to Highland Council Planning under our current planning application. It appears that the original site layout submitted following the new NPF4 cannot be made to work in an affordable way. Therefore, this has resulted in a reduction in the number of homes – we can deliver six in total. The revised planning application can be resubmitted at no further cost; however, this means it will be re-advertised with fresh statutory consultations required.
Dalarossie Church
As previously reported, we have the opportunity to acquire Dalarossie Church. The initial starting point is to arrange a feasibility study which includes a specialist condition survey report. Many will know the building itself is listed, and is surrounded by a graveyard, with some environmental factors to consider. The feasibility study will be helpful to inform the community as to the sustainability of acquiring a heritage church. We are currently in discussions with The Trustees from The Church of Scotland to agree timescales and we will keep the community updated on the progress.
Renewables Project for The Strathdearn Hub and Shop/Cafe
The global energy crisis has affected everyone, and we are no different here in Strathdearn. Although our hub and shop/cafe already have strong green credentials, there is always room for improvement to reduce our operating costs and carbon footprint. Following a procurement process, we are planning to install 93 Solar Panels and Battery Storage facility at the hub, with 67 Solar Panels at the café/shop. This will provide both facilities with some resilience and control over energy cost, with a view to reducing the operating costs to each building. It also adds value to the community’s assets and provides some future proofing and sustainability for any further unpredictability within the energy market. This is a significant project and we have applied to the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewables Scheme for grant funding. This can be up to 80% of the cost of the project. The remaining 20% either must come from our own funds or match funding from SSEN’s pot of community funds. We are hoping this match funding will also be granted to allow the delivery of the project. All being well, we anticipate the timescales for this will be commenced this year. This is dependent on grant awards, installers programme of works, and weather permitting! Let’s hope the sun shines on Strathdearn!
Hazelbank Woods
We have submitted Stage 2 of our application to the Scottish Land Fund for the proposal to buy Hazelbank Woodland, subject to grant funding being awarded. Commercial discussions are ongoing with the owners. The next steps are an assessment of our submitted feasibility and project plan. Following that it will be presented to The SLF Committee mid-November for consideration. We will make an announcement as soon as we are advised of any outcome of funding that potentially will be awarded.
Community E-Bikes – FREE E BIKE HIRE FOR RESIDENTS OF IV13
Following up on the session with Bikeability Instructor of the year 2020 Iain Bamber from Cycling Scotland which was held at The Strathdearn in July. There was lots of support on offer to cycling enthusiasts with the opportunity to try different styles of bikes. SCD continues to support the community in its quest for health and wellbeing to use cycling as a way of getting around locally and keeping fit. To enjoy a free trial on an e-bike funded by SCD, contact enquiries@strathdearn.org who will be happy to help.
Schools Out For Summer Kids Holiday Activities
The summer holidays are over! Time to get back into the “normal” routine for families. SCD were delighted to be able to support seven local families during the break with 50% subsidised places for High Life Highland’s Multi-Sports camp as well as providing a free minibus from the Strathdearn Hub. We had great feedback from the families as this provided entertainment and exercise for the children as well a much needed break for parents. SCD looks forward to continuing this relationship with High Life Highland to provided subsidised activities for the residents of Strathdearn in the future.
High Life Highland Membership – half price to Residents of IV13!!!!
The below classes require more people to participate, otherwise, unfortunately they will not be able to continue. Please support the classes. High Life Highland have offered a FREE class so you can ‘try before you buy’. Come on get your dancing shoes on for Zumba and stretch it out at the end! SCD pay 50% of the membership fee – contact info@strathdearn.org, or you can attend on as Pay as You Go basis. The more residents that join the scheme the more activities we will be able to bring to The Strathdearn! It’s an incredible offer as there is so much included in the High Life Highland membership!
18:00-18:30 Core HIIT
18:45-19:30 Zumba
19:30-20:00 Stretch and Flex
High Life Highland Coach hire
SCD are very excited to announce that we are currently in discussions with High Life Highland to fund a Lead Coach position. The proposal is to organise a day a week during term time of after school activities for local families at The Strathdearn Hub. Watch out for further information! Once hired the Lead Coach initially will arrange activities from 3.15pm onwards and will support the current football sessions run by a dedicated young member of the community. These activities will either be in the MUGA or Auditorium depending on weather conditions.
The SCD Snug hosted at The Strathdearn
The Summer months has seen low usage of The Snug, especially over July and August. For the month of September, we will continue a Tuesday and Friday with free tea/coffee newspapers and the space to catch up with other residents. Come along if you haven’t been – all welcome! As we start to come into Autumn, we will be looking at increasing the Snug offering over the colder months. We plan to provide soup and a roll from October all the way through to the end of March 2024. Hope to see you all there.
Upcoming Community Events
Our Events Co-ordinator has been putting together SCD’s forthcoming Autumn and Winter community events! Look out for the upcoming information, it all sounds very exciting!
Community Computer Skills & Online Support Course
We are delighted to have had a successful first day of the Digital Inclusion course! There was a high attendance and participants said that Kirsty and her team from Red Chair Highland were very patient in guiding them through the lesson. During the “drop in” session they also helped residents solve those pesky issues people have been having with their devices. Thank you to all who provided feedback from the digital questionnaire – this gave valuable information so that the course could be tailored to best suit the community’s needs. The above sessions were a starting point to gauge the demand and the level. We hope to extend this offer to include evening sessions in the future which may suit others who work during the day. We will advertise these when we find a suitable provider. This course will be running every Friday morning from 10am -12pm at the Hub until the 15th of September – if you would like to attend, please email info@strathdearn.org or pop into the Hub to sign up.
Visit Document Library if you are looking for any of the following: Newsletters; Minutes of meetings; Application forms; Accounts, projects and other info on SCD and SCCT.
We are excited to screen our 2-minute film showcasing our local attractions and The Strathdearn Complex. Journey from the wild high glens and their wonderful nature, along the River Findhorn, to the Tomatin Distillery on to Loch Moy and the excitement of the Moy Games.
Walk-through and aerial footage of The Strathdearn Hub
