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YOUR VIEWS: £8k raised for Macmillan, lost earring and Highland Council turns down autism training chance





Ian Cameron sent this image of works in progress at Thurso Harbour.
Ian Cameron sent this image of works in progress at Thurso Harbour.

More than £8000 raised at Watten coffee morning

This year marked the 30th anniversary of the Watten Macmillan Coffee Morning. Throughout the years we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our supporters and this year was no exception.

Our stall at the Watten Shop raised over £1000, our raffle made £2200 and, with donations from those who couldn’t come on the day, our total after the coffee morning reached £8005!

Macmillan Cancer Support is needed as much as ever and this will help them to provide emotional, financial and physical help to people throughout their cancer experience.

We would like to thank all who made this possible; to our wonderful team of helpers and everyone who helps behind the scenes and to all those who donated. This year a special thank you goes to the businesses who gave such generous prizes for the raffle.

If you were able to attend the coffee morning, we hope you enjoyed the event and will come again next year with friends and family. If you weren’t able to be there, we would love to see you next time. We couldn’t do it without you!

Your kindness really make a difference.

Thank you so much.

Dianne Mackay (and friends)

West Watten

Lost earring

Sixty-three years ago my husband, who died of Parkinson’s syndrome last year, gave me a pair of Victorian gold, large hooped earrings as a keepsake, which I have worn dearly ever since.

Sadly, I lost one a fortnight ago when my carer took me into town (Thurso) for my Covid vaccination at the British Legion and then to Tesco. We had also visited the surgery in Castletown.

The earrings were of great sentimental value to me and if anybody finds the lost one, please phone me on 01847 851751.

Name and address supplied

Council turns down training opportunity

It is said “you should never look a gift horse the mouth”. Equally we are told “there is no such thing as a free lunch”.

Your readers might be interested to know that Encompass Caithness, the local campaign pressure group seeking for improved services for people with autism, neurodivergent conditions and additional support needs (ASN), offered Highland Council both a “gift” and “a free lunch”.

Imagine our shock when both were turned down!

As part of our ongoing campaign, we had carried out a survey of services users asking them about their experiences, what supports they received and what help they needed.

Many of the 115 respondents told us they felt helpless, isolated, abandoned and forgotten about.

In the absence of a diagnosis little or no help was available to them. Even with one support varied and could be very scant. One teenager had expressed suicidal feelings.

We were delighted when after much persuasion Highland Council recently agreed to reinstate respite care for children at Thor House, Thurso. The service had been closed for some years.

Our campaign was not over and better schooling outcomes and an adult day centre remain our current priorities for the people we represent.

Over the summer months through many community events, and some generous donations, we have raised approximately £10k – this figure is still rising.

We have been approached by many school staff members, including primary class teachers, classroom assistants, head teachers and senior high school staff who tell us of the daily challenges they face – some were close to tears. Some admitted they were out of their depth.

The Wick High School rector is on record as saying more than 40 per cent of his pupils have some sort of additional support need.

Children only get one childhood. And one chance at schooling.

They have no chance if the schools are inadequately resourced and can’t cope.

We have numerous accounts of children being sent home – repeatedly.

So we sourced a leading autism trainer and consultant, the renowned Tanya Tennant, and were happy to invest £2500 of our own money to provide free training over 3 days in November, to 30 staff a day – with a free lunch provided!

Highland Council was initially very pleased by the prospect but seemed over the weeks to dither and delay. The buck was being passed from pillar to post before, in the shortest of emails, they said they would not be taking up our offer as they could not release any staff. That’s none, nada, zilch…from any of the county’s 20 or so schools.

Our plans had always been to share these training events with social care sector staff and families to make up the numbers but now… how to fill 90 places at short notice!

If you are interested in Autism training please – quickly - get in touch with Encompass Caithness.

Is there anyone else – even within Highland Council - who feels their gast has been well and truly flabbered?!

Dan Mackay

Encompass Caithness group adviser

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