Friday, 03 May 2024

The Community Trust and Community Council are having a joint meeting to review actions in the Community Action Plan and Place Plan and also to update any news on planning that may impact the community.  It will take place on Wednesday 15th May at 7pm.

This will be done round table with members of the community also invited to attend and listen in.  There will be an opportunity to mingle and ask questions of Board Members of Community Representatives at a social afterwards.  If there is anything of interest you can also offer to get involved too.

May is a period of reflection for me, both in terms of what has been achieved and the health and well being of volunteers, staff and, if I am honest, myself.  I was in Whitebridge on Wednesday.  It felt like the first (maybe only?) day of summer – sunny, no jacket, no wind, no rain. Amazing. 

I was looking out of the window of the Wildside Centre and watching the team building the new playpark.  Now in the future it will be a playpark for children to play on (with a shelf life of seven to ten years you would hope) and for parents/carers to enjoy the wonderful scenery of the area. 

But for all the volunteers, the Trust Board and staff you look at this playpark and I can’t help but think about what more than five things went on behind the scenes to get to this point.

• The Board preparing for the future and putting resources in place to make things happen.
• A major Community Action Plan and Place Plan consultation evidencing community need.
• Volunteers getting together at several meeting to make PlayParks a reality.
• The Comms Team promoting every meeting and every consultation to get the look and feel of the park just right - and writing about it on social media, websites and magazines.
• The Fundraisers raising £20,000 to make the project happen.
• The Finance Team preparing budgets and monitoring spend and cash flow on the project, paying invoices along the way.
• The Project Team informing, co-ordinating and ensuring everything ran smoothly.
• Discussing with Highland Council on supporting the project.
• Working with architects to get planning.
• Checking with insurers.
• Tendering for the right contractors.
• Tying it in with other activity on site to make use of resources available to us.
• Getting sign off from Highland Council.

I will stop there (and forgive me if I have forgotten anything).  Now my reflection is if you times a simple playpark by the number of other projects we are working on, big and small, is it any wonder that its good to draw breath and think about what goes on behind every community project and the well being of everyone who are working to make the area better to live and work.  For me, before anything else, I start with a ‘thank-you’.  More May reflections next week...

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 ...