July 2020 monthly update

Helping Hands Funding

Since the CV19 lockdown, Lara van de Peer the Dail Mhor project officer has also been assisting the Community Council with the local community response. We are delighted to announce that the Community Company has secured an offer of a further £6,000 from Highlands & Islands Enterprise to support the Sunart Helping Hands project with costs up to August. Well done Lara!! 

Sunart Moorings, Jetty & Open Water Swimming

With the First Ministers announcement earlier this month easing lockdown, we are pleased to confirm that the Jetty and Slip at Sunart are open and the visitor moorings will available for use by locals wishing to  get boats in the water (We’re not expecting visiting sailors any time soon!). Plans to refurbish the green shed as a changing area for open water swimmers and canoe/kayakers were put on hold due to CV 19 and also the failure of a couple of funding bids. We are still hoping to complete the refurbishment this year and await news of funding. Following on from the public meeting last year about the jetty, we will be putting up some signs to try to organise the car parking better (as it can get busy on nice days) and also to encourage cooperation amongst users of the facilities. Users are encouraged to note:

• All vessels are encouraged to watch out for open water swimmers and to travel at low speed in the mooring area to reduce wash and watch out for families swimming.
• Open water swimmers must use a hi-vis swim float when out in the loch for your safety
• For everyone using the water – we would ask folk not to climb on board any private vessel at the moorings as this leads to safety and security issues.

Oakwood

We have no firm date for the re-opening of Oakwood, but our new Coordinator, Jane Mellis is in touch with producers and volunteers to plan a date. Social distancing measures, hand sanitiser and a screened till area will all be in place. We realise not everyone will want to volunteer in the shop this Autumn and so we welcome applications from anyone interested in getting out the house for a few hours a week and working behind the till. Full training will be provided. Although tourist numbers are expected to go up in the Highlands as lockdown is eased, we don’t expect many customers in the shop, but remember Oakwood has a really good range of unique gifts and cards as well as a quality range of books and last year was VERY well supported by local residents from around the area. When we open, please call in if looking for that extra special gift – and remember every item bought from Oakwood helps raise money for our charity. 

Men’s Shed Work Party

With the lockdown, the former community compost site (where the new Men’s Shed portacabin is) now looks very overgrown. We intend to organise a ‘socially distanced’ work party later this year but in the meantime if anyone wants to run around the site with a strimmer, clear some weeds or give the area a tidy up you are very welcome! (Hedge cutting will not be done for another month to give the birds time to finish nesting.)