Coigach Community Development Company wishes a very Merry Christmas to all the people of Coigach, our members, partners and friends! We hope that you have a good festive period and enjoy the Christmas Ceilidh on the 27th at Coigach Community Hall. This year’s music is sponsored by CCDC to celebrate the Varuna, our community wind turbine, raising £1.2 million for Coigach.
As we turn our thoughts to the future and consider how the funds should be used, we have an anonymous survey out over Christmas and into January asking whether you’ve heard of the different grants available, whether you’ve applied for one and whether you think the grants are for the right things. The link to the survey is here.
Please do have your say – feedback is so important to making sure we are making the best use of community funds.
Reflecting on 2024, we have celebrated success with launching a music album and online shop, setting up Coigach Community Gardens and welcoming Amy, Heather, Cathy and Steve to the team. Of course our big news was receiving a donation to purchase the Badentarbat Estate and we have been focused through the autumn months on easing into our new role as a Community Crofting Estate owner. We will set up an Estate Business working group ensuring community representation and control over management issues. You can follow our Community updates through our website and Facebook page.
Looking ahead to 2025, we have every hope of a positive planning decision for our housing development at Achagarry and beginning work on site in the late summer. Working with Coigach Heritage we will ready the Old Village Hall for a cafe opening in Easter and our grants scheme continues to be open for anyone who needs to apply.
Did you know you are eligible for a fuel grant if you are experiencing difficulties due to rising fuel costs? This may be especially important for those who have recently lost the winter fuel payment. It is worth having a read of the Scottish Government definition of fuel poverty as many people won’t realise that the cost of keeping their home at the official acceptable standard of living costs more than 10% of their income.
We plan to continue our pilot Coigach Community Gardens project and will also be researching what the costs may be and how we can support community waste management, footpaths, play parks, a gym and workshop units.
If you’d like to read our annual report for 2023/2024 it’s available here.
Yours Faithfully,
Laura Hamlet
Chief Executive
Coigach Community Development Company Ltd
Meet our new board member, Paula
This year we welcomed Paula Shepherd to the board. Paula grew up in Yorkshire, lived in Inverness from 1998 to 2013 then enjoyed the opportunity to work and live in the USA and Italy before moving to Polbain in July 2022.
Studying Chemical Engineering at Loughborough University her experience is primarily in manufacturing of medical device and pharmaceuticals, Paula was plant manager in Pennsylvania, Florida and Italy and will bring these useful management skills to the board.
Paula is looking forward to increasing her contribution to the Coigach community through supporting and driving projects with CCDC that will benefit our community.
Through winter 2024/2025 Paula is developing her creative side and enjoying the portfolio course at Bridge House Art in Ullapool.
The Achiltibuie Community Garden
A lot has been happening at the garden so far over the winter – read our December update here, and we have plans for the rest of the winter. Join us on Saturday 21st at noon to help build some more raised beds and to celebrate the Winter Solstice around the bonfire. In the new year we are planning volunteer days filling the raised beds, planting potatoes, building a new fruit cage, some tree planting and more… Plenty to keep everyone warm over the winter months, along with soup and cake of course! Keep an eye out in the Ullapool News and on social media for details.
Ann Marie
Update on the Achagarry Project: Review of 2024
At the beginning of 2024, the design team for our affordable housing project at Achagarry had recently been appointed, the project brief and scope was being defined and the early site analysis and concepts being explored. At that stage we were still referring to the project as ‘The Former Hydroponicum Site’. However, after a community consultation around a short list of names, Achagarry (‘field of the garden’) proved to be the popular choice.
Through community consultation, a concept design for the site became a more detailed design, which was submitted for planning approval in September.
Approval is anticipated early in the new year, at which stage funding can be progressed further and a contractor appointed with a view to starting on site in the summer of 2025 and having 10 new affordable homes ready for tenants just over a year after that.
Inevitably, time and resources have been focussed on progressing Achagarry. However, CCDC continues to keep further options under review and to look for new opportunities as the need for more affordable housing continues to be vital to the sustainable future of our community.
Seori
Northwest 2045 Gathering in Durness
On Thursday 7 November, the team (Laura, Ann Marie and Julia), driven by Ewen McLachlan, with his Assynt Development Trust hat on, headed for Durness. We went to meet up with representatives of other groups in the North West and National and Regional Government agencies at an event organised by the NW2045 group who aim to represent communities in the north – as a collective voice.
On the whole, everyone there shared the same issues and challenges: falling population, school numbers dropping and schools closing. And what everyone agreed on was that the lack of housing was having a detrimental effect on life: it’s now become very difficult if not impossible for young people to get accommodation.
Since so many communities like Coigach are in the same position, we hope the Scottish Government is listening. Coigach’s own Joseph Peach organised the day on behalf of the NW2045, and is making great strides in his new role to make sure Holyrood hears what we are saying.
Julia
If you have any questions or comments please do come back to us on info@coigachcommunity.com