Community Connections

TENANTS AND RESIDENTS MAkINg A DIffERENCE

With Jo Cowan Lochaber Life recently featured the fantastic work being done by Upper Achintore Regeneration Group (UARG). The group meets on the third Monday of each month. All residents are welcome and an invitation/link can be obtained from UARG secretary Sarah at uarg19@aol.com

A group looking for new members: The Plantation Community Association (PCA) needs a new committee and members to get its group and community spirit going again. The Plantation has a lovely park for the children with lottery funding and a lot of work from the PCA. Having a residents’ group helps to achieve results in your area, improves services, makes new friends, holds organised events, and generally gets the community involved. If you would be interested in getting involved then please get in touch with Karin McKay, tenant participation officer, on 07785 477696 or email karin.mckay@ highland.gov.uk

A new group in the making: Kinlochleven Environmental Regeneration Group is a new residents’ group that is forming in Kinlochleven. Its aims are to get permission to regenerate unused areas of council-owned land in the village to provide food-growing areas and relaxation spaces for the benefit of the community. It also aims to upgrade the village play areas for children and to generally improve the area. It would like to encourage all Kinlochleven residents to become involved and support the group. For more information contact Karin McKay who will put you in touch with a committee member, or you can send a message through the group’s Facebook page.

Claggan Residents Association is a long-standing residents’ group. Its aims are to safeguard and promote the interests of residents in the Claggan area on matters concerning housing and the environment, and to help improve living conditions, community facilities and services. The group has held many successful events in the past and is hoping, when it is safe to do so, to have more. They have been working with the Highland Council to get the Quadrangles upgraded and services improved.

Plans have been made available at numerous meetings, tenants consulted, and every idea or suggestion taken into account. The project is expected to go ahead once approval and financial budgets have been agreed through local members.

The group has planted flowers across from the Spar shop in the shape of a rainbow and is hoping to get more volunteers involved. The group is always looking for new members : email clagganra17@gmail.com for more information.

A furniture business built on quality and care

Highland BlindCraft makes high-quality beds, but that’s not all it does. It’s all about making people feel involved, valued and cared for. Highland BlindCraft’s roots lie in teaching the blind with the belief that if someone has the willingness to work, then paid employment should be an option for all people including those who suffer from a disability. The deprivation of sight has been shown to be no disqualification for a life of ordinary usefulness nor has it stood in the way of pre-eminent success in almost every department of human labour. When the factory was established, its employees were given the same rights and conditions as able-bodied people in the workplace and would not be further disadvantaged – and the factory is still run on the same principle today. As a charity and a business, the employees’ wellbeing is at the very heart of the charity’s philosophy and practice. The workforce could almost be described as a family – a close family looking out for one another and supporting each other in their individual development and quality of life expectations. Highland BlindCraft is committed to lifelong learning and improving the quality of life for all the people it is responsible for. It’s not all about making amazing beds; it’s so much more.