Venue: Online by Zoom

Start time: 7.00pm 

Location: Zoom – please email info@portreeandbraes.org for meeting link

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Skye Community Response Public Meeting

After an extended break the Skye Community Response team have been regrouping to discuss the future of the Skye Community Response initiative. What was collectively achieved on Skye, Raasay and beyond, throughout the pandemic was incredible and an inspiration to many communities across the Highlands. We now need your input on our next steps.

 

In March 2020 the Skye Community Response online crowdfunding campaign was set up with an initial request for £30,000 “to ensure that everyone living on Skye and Raasay has someone to turn to for help during the ongoing covid-19 crisis”. The crowdfunding campaign went on to receive an overwhelming response and £98,417, including Gift Aid, was raised by the public until the campaign was closed. Including grant funding £220,000 was raised in total. The funds were allocated quickly to meet urgent requests from hospitals, care homes, schools, community groups, businesses, and individuals on Skye, Raasay and beyond. It was with this financial support that an army of volunteers were able to carry out the work that they did making scrubs, delivering blood samples, manning helplines and much more, ultimately helping to contain the virus.

 

By March 2022 the pandemic was easing and requests for the support that the initiative had initially been established to provide had stopped. The committee felt that it would not be appropriate to issue any more funding without a review of SCR’s aims. As a result of the crowdfunder being so successful and Skye Community Response unexpectedly receiving significant grant funding to support its work, there was still £35,000 remaining in the Skye Community Response account at this time. No expenditure has been incurred since March 2022.

 

To date, Portree and Braes Community Trust (PBCT) have been administering the funds on behalf of the Skye Community Response initiative, however, PBCT have now been advised that the funds should be transferred, before the end of May 2023, to a more appropriate body – one which has the remit of supporting the wider Skye and Raasay area.

 

Over the course of the past year the Skye Community Response committee have been discussing how to move forward and what would be the most appropriate use of the remaining funds.  Individuals went to great lengths to raise funds and contribute to the appeal in difficult times, so with this in mind, the Skye Community Response team would now like to invite interested members of the public, particularly those who were involved in or contributed financially to the public crowdfunding campaign, to attend a public meeting to help decide how any remaining funds from the campaign should be used.

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 www.facebook.com/skyecommunityresponse 

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For more detailed information on any of the Trusts current projects please visit Portree and Braes Community Trust | Portree, Isle of Skye

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