Tuesday, 01 November 2022

I have only lived in the Strath for a few years, but my mum and I bought a house hear almost 20 years ago so I have been coming on and off since then, more so when mum moved up here permanently after her retirement. I have been aware of the Trust since its inception, my mum was one of its earliest directors. Knowing the history of Scotland and how underfunded rural areas have traditionally been, I thought the idea of local communities benefiting from the resources in their area was a great one and had the potential to do a great deal of good for the community.

When I moved up here, I was aware that opinions were greatly divided about the trust but through my work with BCC I became aware that the trust was transforming the way it was ran and moving to themselves on a more professional and open footing. I was really inspired by the initiative to draw up the CAP plan, the many conversations we were having, and the projects being put forward. So, I applied to be a director!

For me working on a board is a way both to bring your own skills to the table but also to develop skills in areas you may be interested in. Your primary duty is to provide oversight and governance to the organisation as well as direct strategy, areas which as a Project Manager I can immediately provide input to. SFCT however is unique in that through our projects and relationships I am gaining exposure in a number of areas I have no previous experience of from planning to house building, land ownership and local government.

This isn’t the first time I have sat on a board, so I knew what was expected. My background is in tech, largely in financial services and charity work for me, first in running a maths club and then as a board member, is a way to give back. I grew up on a council estate and was fortunate to do well through my education so largely the charities I have worked for are in the past are in field of education.  But SFCT is a chance to build on that and work with a much broader range of initiatives many of which are close to my heart - affordable housing, community gardens, facilities (for care, childcare, isolation) and the natural environment.

Professionally, I think being a board member has its advantage, aside from the skills you can learn you are effectively responsible for the running a multi-million-pound organisation, something which can look more than impressive on a CV. I have taken a couple of sabbaticals in my time, and it has more than helped with looking for a job afterwards that I continued to work on Boards and with charities, indeed my history of working as a board member and with charities directly led to me obtaining my last job. I am not alone in this, working on a board is an excellent way of plugging gaps in your CV your current job can’t provide that can help take you to the next level.

Socially being new to the area, joining the board was a way for me to make friends and meet people. I moved here from London (which was quite the shift!) but joining the board has meant I not only can meet people but can find out what is what and who is who! Being in a rural area brought a different and interesting perspective, working for a board in London, people may chat about what you do etc but here, with our community being so small, I do like the way people can button hole you when they find out you are a board member and give you a frank appraisal of how we are doing and what we should be doing. It certainly can be a conversation starter and I genuinely like hearing people’s opinions and taking them on board so we can better serve the community.

As I mentioned before I was aware that opinions of SFCT were divided but I do believe the board I am now sitting on is unquestionably one where governance and openness are key. The scale of change involved is immense in terms of what they are trying to achieve operationally, I work in Business Chance so am aware these things are a marathon and not a sprint, but I genuinely do believe we are heading in the right direction. So please, please, please, do look us up! Large or small, all contributions are welcome.

If you would like to become a director, you can find the nomination form and more information here. Please contact any of our directors if you would like a chat or to find out how they feel about being a director.  You can find all our director information here.

2026

February (2 stories)

3 February 📚 Mobile Library Visiting Tomorrow! 🚐✨

The Mobile Library is rolling into the area tomorrow, Wednesday 4th February, so pop along and say hello to Mark! Stop & time: • The Wildside Centre &ndash...

3 February RSABI Fundraising Event

Don't miss out on an incredible evening of music and laughter with the talented Farmers Choir performing in Aviemore late February in aid of RSABI and SAYFC.  ...

January (12 stories)

28 January Six Nations: Scotland 🆚 England LIVE at The Wildside

💘 This Valentine’s Day, find someone who loves you as much as you love rugby 🏉   We’re streaming Six Nations: Scotland 🆚 England LIVE at The Wil...

27 January 🌳 Development of Inverfarigaig Forest School 🌳

A community member has been in touch about the possibility of setting up a Forest School within our community. With the support of the Community Trust, a short survey has...

26 January 📚 Mobile Library Visiting Tomorrow! 🚐✨

The Mobile Library will be in the area tomorrow, Wednesday 27th January, so pop along and say hello to Mark!   📍 Stopping points & times: • Errogi...

22 January 🔥 Free Firewood Available – Whitebridge Area 🔥

A member of our local community, has been in touch with Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust (SFCT) to let us know that he has a significant amount of larch firewood...

21 January Large grant application from BCC for Foyers Stores Acquisition - Update

A Board meeting is taking place this evening in order for Directors of SFCT to consider the application and agree their recommendation. As the Chair of SFCT explained at ...

20 January Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who came along to the public meeting at the Wildside last night. We had a fantastic turnout, with 110 people attending in person and 26 joining u...

19 January Agenda for Public Meeting - Regarding the Foyers Stores Acquisition

Please find the agenda for tonight’s public meeting at the Wildside Centre regarding the proposed community acquisition of Foyers Stores.   1. Welcome &n...

14 January Apply for our Project Coordinator role

👋 Friendly reminder!   There’s still time to apply for our Project Coordinator role at Stratherrick and Foyers Community Trust ...

8 January Notice to the Community: Change of Date for Public Meeting on Foyers Stores

Stratherrick and Foyers Community Trust (SFCT) would like to update the community regarding the previously announced public meeting relating to the proposed purchase of F...

7 January 🌟 New Year, New Opportunities! 🌟

Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust is here to support your projects with our grants! 💡✨ 📅 Next application deadline: 21st March 2026 Learn more about ...

6 January 🎉 Calling all community organisers! 🎉

Do you run a class, group or one-off activity in one of the local buildings? We’d love to help spread the word! 💛 Our SFCT Community Calendar is looking a ...

6 January Mobile Library Visit Cancelled – Wednesday 7th January 2026

👋 Hello and welcome to 2026 from SFCT! 🎉 We bring news from the Mobile Library as our first update of the year. 📚 Mobile Library Visit Cancelled – Wednesday ...