Black Isle recovery strategy

Black Isle Health and Nature Summer Festival - Get to know the Black Isle

Communities from across the Black Isle have come together to host a unique summer festival over the weekend of 31st July/1st August.  It is a direct response to the pandemic, the need to support improved mental health and wellbeing, and a desire for people to get out and about and begin meeting together again in a relaxed and safe manner.  The weekend contributes to the Highlands-wide Think Health – Think Nature  programme created by the Highland Green Health Partnership.  The fund is committed to promoting a Natural Health Service with ‘green prescriptions’ as a way forward to improve health & wellbeing.  

The weekend was conceived by Becky Richmond of the Black Isle Tourism Team and Helena Macleod from the Residents Association of North Kessock and administered through the Black Isle Partnership.

Many of the communities are hosting Get to Know your Village walks.  Health Walk Leaders are being trained, posters are appearing on Notice Boards and digital platforms are spreading the message locally. 

Helena Macleod says “ Trained health walk leaders are passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of people through walking and getting out and about in nature. The Black Isle boasts many treasures with our ancient history, scenic coastal walks and woodland trails where we can enjoy the wonders of nature in the trees and wild flowers, birds and wildlife.

Events are occurring in Avoch, Cromarty, Culbokie, Fortrose, Killearnan, Munlochy, North Kessock, Resolis, and Rosemarkie.   If you stay on the Black Isle and are interested to know more of what is happening in your village look out for the posters. If you wish to see what is happening across the Black Isle, the details of what each village is doing are available from the festival page of the Black Isle website, www.black-isle.info.  You are asked to register for many of the events to ensure the right numbers are catered for.  Each poster has village contact details for registration and also for answering any queries. 

For more information:

Contact Becky Richmond at  tourism@black-isle.info, or

Helena Macleod at  Helena@bridgeagap.co.uk, or

Jon Palmer, the Chair of the Black Isle Partnership at community@black-isle.info

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October 2020

Black Isle Partnership consultation on the future direction of the Black Isle

This public consultation received responses from 97 Black Isle residents.  The views expressed were distilled by Jon Palmer into a number of categories and the summary document is now to be distributed as widely as possible. 

TBI thanks those who responded with views in line with the thinking of the Transition movement.  There are more people in the Black Isle whose views resemble those of TBI members, or TBI members monopolized the responses. Food for thought.

The Core Aims for the future according to the survey

• Housing caters for the demands of existing and potential residents and conforms to the highest carbon neutral standards possible
• Energy requirements are provided locally through renewable sources
• A high percentage of our food is grown, produced and distributed locally – reducing food miles and food waste
• Jobs are focused on providing quality services - with a high proportion of earnings spent locally (circular economy)
• Social health and mental wellbeing are at the core of everything we do
• Waste is kept to a minimum through reducing, re-cycling and re-distributing
• Residents are able to travel within the area in a safe and sustainable manner
• Locals and visitors are kept informed on matters that affect them through a single, reliable source. 

Julian Paren.

Read the Strategy Summary document
 

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July 2020

Black Isle Recovery Plan proposed

Since the middle of April a group including representatives of Highland Council, community councils, development trusts and other interested organisations has been meeting under the auspices of the Black Isle Partnership to organise assistance to groups and individuals most severely affected by the Covid-19 crisis and oversee the distribution of Scottish Government funds made available for this purpose.  The Zoom meetings are run by Councillor Gordon Adam with Jon Palmer, Chair of the Black Isle Partnership, also playing a leading role.   A part-time Fund Manager post was created and Asia Cielecka appointed, and the immediate objective of providing emergency assistance has been achieved.

As lockdown measures are gradually eased the group is now turning its attention to formulating a Black Isle Resilience / Recovery plan to be delivered locally with Scottish Government funding, and a wide range of local groups is being asked to contribute ideas about the form this plan should take.  TBI is currently in the process of appointing a representative to the group.  The three main themes that will attract funding are

Digital Connectivity

Meeting the Green Agenda

Forming partnerships (in the widest sense).

All this will form part of a Black Isle Plan that will probably be delivered through an expanded Black Isle Partnership.  "Localism" is an important concept for Highland Council and the Scottish Government, and the Black Isle is seen by many as being  a favourable size to develop its own Recovery Plan.

There is more about Coronavirus support from the Black Isle Partnership and Highland Council at http://www.black-isle.info/coronavirus.asp .

BIP newsletter July 2020