Raasay Development Partnership
The Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have introduced a programme to support the future of over 40 communities in the most fragile rural areas by investing in these communities to develop and implement plans for local growth.
The communities themselves drive their own sustainable action planning and deliver projects with direct benefits. To achieve this HIE and Leader provide funding for groups to employ a local development officer and offers additional support from its own staff.
The Isle of Raasay has been identified as one of these fragile areas.
A public meeting was held on Raasay in July of 2011 to discuss the possibility of funding for a Local Development Officer for Raasay. The role of the Development Officer was to work with a locally elected group and the community to develop and implement a community growth plan, which takes account of opportunities to enhance the socio-economic, cultural and environmental welfare of the local area. The consensus at the meeting was that we should form such a group and apply for the funding for a Development Officer. Following this meeting all constituted groups on the island were formally invited to send a representative to sit on the Raasay Development Partnership.
Initially affiliated to the Raasay Community Council, the partnership is now affiliated to Raasay Community Association, as at the community council elections in November 2011 an insufficient number of nominations received meant that the community council was forced to disband.
The members of the Raasay Development Partnership are as follows:
Donnie Oliphant (Chairman) - Originally representing the Community Council Donnie was co-opted to remain on the partnership when the Community Council disbanded.
David Westgarth - representing Raasay House Community Company
Freya Rowe - representing the School Parent Council
Calum Don MacKay - Representing Raasay Heritage Trust
Katherine Gillies (Treasurer) - representing Raasay Community Association
The Development Partnership were successful in their application to HIE and initially received funding for a Development Officer for November and December of 2011.
The successful applicant was David Dickson and his role was to carry out a community audit and a development survey. This resulted in the report which is available from this web page and identified and prioritised a number of projects for the next phase. We have now successfully secured funding for a Development Officer up until 31st December 2013 to progress this project further. This role is advertised on this web page. If you have any queries regarding the report or the project, please contact a member of the Raasay Development Partnership.
Click here to download David Dickson's Final Report for the Raasay Development Partnership.
Raasay Community Association
A charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland. Company no. SC 269183. A recognised Scottish charity, no. SC036239
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