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SLCVO Weekly Round-Up 8th-12th September

  • joford4
  • Sep 12
  • 7 min read
SLCVO Tigh Lisigarry Offcie Portree

This week has been a busy and productive one at SLCVO, filled with strategic meetings, planning sessions, and exciting developments around community spaces and funding opportunities.







🛠️ Exploring Funding with South Skye Men’s Shed

We’ve been working with the South Skye Men’s Shed to look at funding options for a building refurbishment project. The group is now part of the Skye and Lochalsh Health, Wellbeing, Welfare & Social Care Collaboration, and they’re doing amazing work as a key community asset that helps build local resilience.

 

Men’s Sheds are known around the world for their positive impact—especially when it comes to mental health, tackling isolation, and creating peer support networks. They’re especially valuable for older men and anyone who might be feeling a bit disconnected.

 

We’ve been lucky to work alongside the Men’s Shed for a few years now, and it’s brilliant to see how they’ve grown. They offer a warm, inclusive space where people can get stuck into practical projects, share skills, and enjoy good company.

 

Follow their journey or show your support on Facebook: South Skye Men’s Shed


♻️ Engaging with Skye’s Reduce, Re-use and Recycle Community

This week, Michelle SLCVO’s Third Sector Support Officer spoke with Emma from Rag Tag and Textile to progress plans for an exciting event that will focus on local community initiatives involved in reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill.  

 

Aiming to bring together local groups and organisations who are already doing fantastic work in circular economy initiatives, the session will explore who’s doing what, identify gaps in local provision, and look at how groups can work together to strengthen the impact of their efforts.

 

There are already many community groups delivering opportunities for recycling, upcycling and repairing and the event will enable mapping out existing activity and encouraging collaboration.  The event hopes to spark new ideas, build partnerships, and make it easier for people across the area to access reuse and recycling services. It’s also a chance to celebrate the creativity and commitment of local groups who are helping reduce waste and promote sustainability.

 

SLCVO is proud to support this initiative and sees it as a key part of the wider Skye and Lochalsh Health, Wellbeing, Welfare and Social Care Programme—recognising that environmental sustainability and community wellbeing go hand in hand.

 

Stay tuned for more details about the workshop and how you can get involved!


🌿New Opportunities : Skye & Raasay Renewables Fund

 This week, Jo SLCVO's Chief Officer, had a positive meeting with Katy Lawrence from the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub, discussing the progress of the Skye and Raasay Renewables Fund working group and the exciting direction things are heading.

 

While the current focus is on community benefit funds linked to Glen Ullinish II and Ben Sca wind farms, the bigger picture is about creating a Skye and Raasay-wide community benefits organisation. This group would help manage future funds and explore ways to generate even greater returns for our communities.

 

So far, the Climate Hub has done a brilliant job supporting the working group, and now it’s time to take things to the next level. That means developing a clear plan, engaging with the wider community, and setting up an organisation that’s fit for purpose.

 

SLCVO will be stepping into a more active role in the group. One of our priorities will be making sure community engagement is front and centre, so people across Skye and Raasay understand what’s being proposed and have a real say in how things move forward.

 

We’re also looking at how this work could link up with the Skye and Raasay Future Area Place Plan and possible community engagement activities in early 2026. If everything aligns, we’ll explore funding for a dedicated development officer to support the renewables fund work and area plan community engagement, helping to build stronger connections.

 

We’re hoping to see progress over the next 2 months and if plans for a dedicated officer are supported, we’ll start to take forward a development funding application.



🤝 Meeting with DTAS & COSS Advisors

On Monday, Jo and Michelle met with the Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS) :

  • Onie Tibbitt, Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) Advisor for the Highlands, Moray, Eilean Siar, Orkney Islands, and Shetland Islands.

  • Audrey Dunn, Churches Advisor for North Scotland.


The meeting took place at SLCVOs Portree office and focused on the New Futures Programme – Former Places of Worship and the Community Ownership Support Service (COSS)

 

Audrey shared insights into the New Futures Programme – Former Places of Worship, which supports communities in repurposing former church buildings for new uses.

 

Onie gave us a great overview of her work with COSS – a Scottish Government-funded programme that’s all about helping communities take control of local buildings and land, the service:

  • Supports community groups to take on assets like buildings or land, giving them more say in how these spaces are used and helping make sure local services stay local.

  • Works with councils, public bodies, and sometimes private owners to transfer ownership of buildings or land to the community – recognising that working together can lead to better outcomes for everyone.


It’s a brilliant resource for any group thinking about taking on a space for community use.

 

We’re really looking forward to working with Onie and Audrey and teaming up to support local groups in Skye and Lochalsh. It’s great to explore ways we can work together and strengthen the support available to our communities.



🤝 Upcoming Events to Support Personal Assistants in Skye & Lochalsh

On Wednesday, we met with Becs Barker, Operations Manager at Community Contacts, and Amy Scobbie, Project Officer for Adult Social Work and Social Care at NHS Highland, to start planning a couple of exciting events for Skye and Lochalsh.

 

These events will:

  • Promote local job opportunities for anyone interested in becoming a Personal Assistant (PA)

  • Bring together current PAs to connect, share experiences, and explore how they can be better supported

 

Personal Assistants are a vital part of our local social care system, often employed through Self-Directed Support (SDS) to help people live independently and with dignity. These events aim to raise awareness of the role and give both new and experienced PAs a chance to build connections and access support.

 

Who’s Involved?

  • Community Contacts – an independent Carr Gomm project funded by the Scottish Government’s Support in the Right Direction (SiRD) programme. They offer one-to-one guidance for people navigating their SDS journey, including help finding PAs.

📞 Contact: 01546 886285

 

  • Personal Assistant Network Scotland (PANS) is a dedicated community for PAs in Scotland, offering a space to connect, share experiences, and access resources. Members get information on employment, training, wellbeing, and exclusive offers, plus a professional ID badge.👉 www.panetworkscotland.org.uk

 

To help promote the events and highlight employment opportunities, SLCVO signposted the planning team to the Work On Skye website—a collaborative initiative by the Portree and Braes Community Trust, in partnership with NHS Highland and NHS Education for Scotland (NES). Work On Skye showcases job opportunities, shares real stories from island workers, and helps raise awareness of the benefits of working in Skye and Lochalsh.

 

Find out more and explore current vacancies: www.workonskye.com

 

SLCVO believes these upcoming events will play an important role in highlighting the value of Personal Assistants and the opportunities available for people who want to work flexibly around other commitments. They offer a chance to raise awareness, build connections, and support individuals who are helping others in their communities live their best lives. We’re proud to support these events and will be working to connect them with the Skye and Lochalsh Health, Wellbeing, Welfare and Social Care Programme to ensure they’re part of a wider effort to strengthen care and support across the area.


💙 Connecting Carers Joins Skye & Lochalsh Health and Wellbeing Collaboration

On Thursday, SLCVO was invited to a valuable meeting facilitated by Harry Tedstone, Community Partnership Officer at the Highland Hospice, where we had the pleasure of connecting with Roisin Connolly, Chief Executive Officer of Connecting Carers.

 

We’re delighted to welcome Connecting Carers into the Skye and Lochalsh Health, Wellbeing, Welfare and Social Care Collaboration. Their involvement brings a wealth of experience and support for unpaid carers—those who care for a loved one, friend, or neighbour without formal pay.

 

Connecting Carers is a Highland-based organisation offering tailored support to carers at every stage of their journey. Their services include:

  • One-to-one support for adult and young carers

  • Information and advice to help carers make informed choices

  • Events, training, and peer support to reduce isolation

  • Advocacy to ensure carers’ voices are heard in health and social care planning

  • A dedicated Carer Support Line for anyone needing guidance or a listening ear

 

Their mission is simple but powerful: no carer should ever feel invisible or alone. They walk alongside carers, helping them access the support they need—when they need it most.

 

We’re excited to be working with Connecting carers to strengthen support for unpaid carers and their families in Skye and Lochalsh. By linking with local care-focused organisations such as Skye & Lochalsh Young Carers, Crossroad Care-Skye and Lochalsh and Skye Stroke Friends we hope to build a more holistic and joined-up support system that truly meets the needs of our communities.

 

If you are an unpaid carer you can contact Connecting Carers:

📞 Carer Support Line: 01463 723560

 

Other support

If you or someone you know needs support from community health or social care services in Skye and Lochalsh, the Single Point of Access (SPOA) team is there to help. SPOA is a central contact point for accessing a wide range of services, including district nursing, social work, occupational therapy, and more. The team works to make referrals smoother and ensure people get the right support at the right time. Whether you're a carer, a professional, or someone looking for help for yourself, you can contact the SPOA team directly to discuss your needs.

📞 Phone: 01478 612055

🌐 Learn more: SPOA for Community Services – NHS Highland


Next week

We’re looking forward to next week and the chance to meet more local groups at the Skye & Lochalsh Community Wellbeing and Support Forum on 17th September, where the focus will be on children and young people’s services. It’s a great opportunity to connect, share ideas, and strengthen collaboration across the area. If you haven’t already, you can register here https://www.slcvo.org.uk/forum-registration to join us—we’d love to see you there!

 
 
 

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