News
Coronavirus – Covid-19
Sunart Community Council Helping Hands – a COVID-19 Coronavirus community response. We want you to know we are here to help.
If you need help, go to this page and complete the survey form: https://sunartcommunitycouncil.co.uk/get-help , email: helpinghands@sunartcommunitycouncil.co.uk
Pines Medical Centre updated procedures, other useful information and to find out how we are helping the community during the crisis: See:- https://sunartcommunitycouncil.co.uk/covid19
News from our Facebook page
Comments requested on suggested deciduous plantations on Ranachan Croft.
An A.O.B. at last weeks meeting was a request for comments on a draft proposal to plant more trees on Ranachan Croft. Other photos will be available to view on the SCC website. Community Councillors felt that increasing deciduous tree cover to link with the oak woods along the lochside should be supported on environmental and amenity grounds. Although not a formal consultation, anyone with comments please send to the Community Council so we can pass on to the proposer.
Planning Ref 20/05131/FUL - extension of existing borrow pit to form a quarry.
Members of the public are notified that local firm Corrigan Contractors lodged a recent planning application (published on Jan 8th) to quarry rock beside the forest track to the east of Liddesdale Hill - to be known as the Midland Bank Quarry) At last weeks CC meeting Councillors were minded to support the application, as an economic supply of rock is required for building works this side of the ferry. They were informed that the orientation and topography should minimise visual impact. Anyone wishing to express views on the application can do so via the Highland Council's Planning portal (Ref: 20/051341/FUL ) or my making comments to the Community Council before the 25th January.
Make no mistake, a quarry isn’t just about the visual impact, it is primarily about noise! We moved to Strontian from Achintraid on Loch Kishorn and have first hand experience of a new quarry being created! The peace of Loch Sunart will be gone for ever.
Gemma Gray
Teacher (Secondary), Mathematics, Ardnamurchan High School HGH09426 - | Highland Council | myjobscotland
www.myjobscotland.gov.uk
View details and apply for this Secondary Education job in Lochaber with Highland Council on myjobscotlandCorran Ferryvservice update - MV Corran is back on service and Maid of Glencoul back on her mooring.
Voluntary Action Lochaber, on behalf of HTSI are collecting information from everyone who has or is volunteering as part of the CV19 response. They ask if you could complete this short survey for Highland Third Sector Interface about volunteering during Covid please? Many thanks. www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HighVol21
www.surveymonkey.co.uk
Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.Thursday Morning - MV Glencoul is operating this morning as the larger ferry is off. Some HGV restrictions apply.
The Community Council Helping Hands team continue to meet and look at ways to help our community. Prior to Christmas, we delivered 18 seasonal food hampers to elderly residents whom we considered to be most isolated, and we have received a lot of lovely thank yous!
Strontian Stores and the Strontian Post Office continue to offer delivery services as per the last lockdown so if you are isolating and require groceries please get in touch in good time. (Thank you Alasdair and Douglas!)
Prescription Collections – Currently, we will continue to work with NHSH to maintain the Prescription Collection Service from the Strontian Surgery foyer as operating before Christmas. A big thank you to our dedicated volunteers who sit behind the table day in day out to help protect NHS staff.
In case anyone finds themselves requiring extra support or specialist assistance in these difficult times our dedicated Helping Hands Coordinator, Fiona Christian has pulled together the following list of Useful Phone Numbers:
Financial Help or Emergency Food Supplies:
Lochaber Foodbank 01967 700212
(Sunart Helping Hands now has Lochaber Food Bank supplies so we can distribute ourselves - just call Fiona)
Highland Council Benefits Advice 0800 090 1004
Jobcentre (New Claims) 0800 055 6688
Universal Credit Claim Line 0800 328 5644
Citizens advice bureau 01397 705311
Other Assistance:
Duty Social Work 01397 709873
Ewen’s Room Helpline 0800 689 3317
Ewen’s Room Textline 07537 431637
Samaritans 116123
MIND - Info and Support Line 0300 123 3393
Lochaber Hope 01397 704836
NSPCC Advice and Guidance line 0808 800 5000
Childline Chatline (under 18’s only) 0800 1111
Scottish Women’s Aid 0800 027 1234
If anyone finds themselves in need, perhaps getting in fuel for the fire, picking up supplies, then please get in touch with Denise Anderson or Fiona Christian who will be happy to allocate a Helping Hands Volunteer!
The Christmas Hampers seem to have been a nice gesture which has backfired because of the decision of the CC to omit one local resident who met the criteria but whose face didn’t fit............Disgusting!
Hello folks, could you perhaps encourage volunteers to complete this short survey for Highland Third Sector Interface about volunteering during Covid please? Many thanks. www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HighVol21
Tony Dobson In spite of several emails to all members of the Community Council to enquire why, as the only elderly resident who lives alone and has no family living locally, I was singled out not to be offered one of the Christmas Hampers, I have still not received a satisfactory answer. Pathetic excuses such as “shortage of available products” and “we thought it would be neither here nor there to you” have been given. If products were in short supply, then surely it would not have taken much initiative to obtain a few more items. Additionally, although she denied receiving a hamper, I was advised that the CC Chair did in fact receive one, albeit an incomplete one. It is quite obvious to myself and other residents that this was no more than a childish, vindictive act by those on the CC who were responsible for compiling the list of recipients and who decided that due to my criticism of the CC’s actions over the past years, I would not receive a hamper
Today’s message from the Corran Ferry Team (Monday 11th) - a reminder that the smaller vessel now in service means there are restrictions for some HGV’s. ....and for the rest of us in cars to remember that the ferry fills up more quickly so you might miss it!
The next meeting of the Sunart Community Council is at 7.30pm on Thursday 14th January via Zoom. Anyone wishing to bring an item to the attention of Councillors please get in touch via phone, email or Messenger.
Thursday the 14th
No prevent the number of slips and falls in cold weather and to help the NHS, the Highland Council are bringing in extra resources to 'grit' more pavements and paths. However they have re-iterated that if local volunteers want a supply of salt/grit for near their houses or local paths they will deliver, and supply equipment etc.
If you would like to be involved check out details here:
www.highland.gov.uk/info/20005/roads_and_pavements/99/roads_information/7