Four Caithness communities set to benefit from £750,000 Scottish Government funding package

Published: 09:00, 03 February 2023

Caithness has "a unique opportunity" to benefit from a £750,000 funding package from the Scottish Government to help make four far north communities more sustainable.

The money is set to go to projects in Wick, Thurso, Castletown and Lybster and aims to enable organisations "to work together to meet key challenges" in their areas.

The initiative could bring "positive changes for all", according to Highland Council leader Raymond Bremner, who is a Wick and East Caithness ward councillor.

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The aim of the Caithness Place-based Demonstrator project is to look at how four buildings – the Carnegie Library in Wick, the UHI Thurso campus, the Castletown Drill Hall and the Lybster Community Centre can, along with other organisations, help provide additional services such as education and skills development, health and social care and wellbeing advice.

The UHI Thurso campus is one of the four places which could benefit from the funding

But it is stressed the public will have an opportunity to express their views on what changes they would like to see with a series of drop-in events organised in each of the four places. The sessions get under way later this month and the feedback will help identify the future use of the buildings.

The project, which is supported by Scottish Government funding, involves a number of agencies including Highland Council, NHS Highland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, University of the Highlands and Islands, Hub North Scotland, the Scottish Futures Trust, and social innovation foundation, Nesta.

These bodies have to identify what needs to be done to improve the buildings by the end of March to secure the funding. A programme for carrying out the work will then be agreed. The £750,000 covers that work.

Cllr Bremner said: "This is an ideal opportunity for residents to tell us what needs to change to help them live well locally. We want to hear what different activities and resources they want to see in these spaces which will help make their communities more sustainable. Their input will shape the future use of these spaces to bring positive changes for all."

Raymond Bremner says the project could bring "positive changes for all."

Fraser Innes, place and partnership director for Hub North Scotland, which is facilitating the project, said: "This is a unique opportunity for everyone to work together to test and learn how to deliver the best possible outcomes with these communities.

"Partners and local organisations will be able to tell us how they see these spaces being used and consider what resources and activities they need to help make these locations more resilient and sustainable for the future."

The initiative was mentioned at the most recent meeting of the Castletown and District Community Council and was described as "quite a promising thing" by Thurso and Northwest Caithness Highland councillor Ron Gunn.

Chairman Billy Dunbar also welcomed the proposal, although he thought the end of March timescale for identifying what needs to be done was tight.

The drop-in sessions are being held at:

Castletown Drill Hall: Tuesday, February 21, 4.30-5.30pm (youth club), 6.30-7.30pm (public)
UHI Thurso Campus: Wednesday, February 22, 12.30-1.15pm (students), 1.30-2.30pm (public)
Carnegie Library, Wick: Wednesday, February 22, 6.30-7.30pm (public)
Lybster Community Hall: Thursday, February 23, 6-7.30pm (public)

Anyone who cannot attend the events can give their views in an online survey by Monday, February 28.

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