Thursday 19 January 2012

Community Engagement Officer Appointed

The Trust is pleased to announce that it has appointed Cait Wooll as Community Engagement Officer for a 3 month period. Cait's role is to carry out research that will help the Trust plan future projects that will benefit both individual households and the community in general. The research will help provide evidence of the need for future projects in the areas of housing provision, improving energy efficiency of homes, crofting and business development. Cait will be seeking to visit every household in the area to learn from them and hopefully gain new ideas for the future benefit of West Harris. She can be contacted at the Trust office on 01859 520785 or via email: admin@westharristrust.org

Cait hails from Canada but has settled in Harris following studies at Glasgow University. Her grandfather served in the RAF in the islands during the Second World War and the family have been regular visitors to Harris ever since.

SRDP Success

In the last round of Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) funding the Horgabost & Seilebost and Scaristavore Common Grazings were successful with applications for measures to balance livestock and environmental management. The Trust congratulates both common grazing committees on their efforts and is delighted that they are able to be rewarded for carrying out additional works and practices that benefit the environment. Luskentyre common grazings had previously been successful with a similar application so the greater part of the estate is now actively managed for environmental benefit.