HELMSDALE & DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT TRUST

COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2012

It is nearly that time of year again, when the white wet stuff floats down from above and I think Santa will be very busy this year. Talking of being busy, the Trust has undertaken a lot of work over the past 6 months, what with the

Housing Business Units Renewable Energy Dealing with Tax & VAT

Petrol station Harbour Railway Station Building Setting up Trading Subsidiaries

Training Days & Evenings for the Directors

Most of which is reported in this edition of the newsletter. We have another busy 6 months ahead of us, so keep your eyes peeled for information posters or on the website for updates as they happen. From all the Directors of the Development Trust, we wish you a Happy Christmas and a prosperous new year
All the Best Paul Harrington Local Development Ocer

Housing
Where are we now with building the 4 affordable homes?
Well, we can report that we have now raised approx. 92% of the funds needed to build and we have made applications to other grant funders for the remainder.

We have gone to pre-tender with several building contractors. When these tenders are returned, we will have confirmed the actual build costs of the 4 homes. We are expecting a saving on the budget allowed earlier in the year. We plan to hold an open day in the Community Centre in early 2013, so that people can see the plans in their entirety. We want you to comment and feedback on such things as, where radiators should be situated, which way doors should open and whether storage space is adequate. Why, you ask, does it take so long to get the monies together? Well, all grant funders have firm criteria regarding what they will fund. Few funders will contribute to what is deemed a Statutory Provision, therefore, we have to research potential funders very carefully. This involves looking at the projects they have funded over the past 2 to 3 years, building a working relationship with them, submitting an application, waiting for their trustees to meet, and awaiting the outcome. This can be a lengthy process. What about the Big Lottery? The Lottery will not fund any housing projects, because as mentioned previously, this project is seen as a Statutory Provision.

We aim to start building in Spring 2013

PETROL STATION
The feedback we have had from the games day and the more recent open days in the Community Centre have proved invaluable. We have completed the business plan, identified all the potential risks and we can report that YOU the Community have chosen from the 3 options available to the project your preference - which is to repair and re-line the tanks, new pumps, new forecourt area. We have already started the process of applying for funds to undertake the project, we have been invited by the Big Lottery Fund to apply for capital funding. They are fully supportive of our application for funds towards to project costs. It is still planned to make the site a 24/7 chip n pin facility and totally unmanned - managed by a group of volunteers. It will prove invaluable to the Community once it is up and running. More on the petrol station in the coming months as things start to happen.

Allotment Site
Following the recent community consulta on undertaken several months gao, we had a very good return, and support for the allotments . There were, however, only 15 people actually wan ng to rent a raised bed(s), which is a li le disappoin ng. We have therefore decided to put this project on the back burner, so to speak, un l there are sucient numbers to make the project viable.

Helmsdale Sta on
We can now report that the Railway Sta on building project will be star ng early in the new year. This has been a lengthy process undertaken by the Community Interest Company (CIC) for the building. The CIC has had to jump through lots of hoops and solve several funding problems, se ng up the tripar te lease between Network Rail, Scotrail and the CIC, at the same me work with Sco sh Heritage, (as the building is listed), in order to realize the project. Congratula ons to the Directors for persevering over the past 18 months.

Note: The Helmsdale Sta on CIC is set up as a non-prot making organisa on to ensure all proceeds from the building are used for Community benets, such as combined bus & train metable displays or oral/plant tubs. The project will increase tourism through oering a discount to those who arrive by public transport, and hopefully will encourage visitors who use the facili es and ameni es to stay in Helmsdale. It is also worth poin ng out that it is not to be a B&B, but will be a self catering facility, and aimed at public transport users.

Community Energy

The Gordonbush Community Benet fund is now in its second year. It is open for applica ons from the 1st November and closes on 31st January 2013. We encourage groups within the community to apply for funds from this valuable fund. If you require advice, guidance or help on the applica on process, then please contact the LDO, Paul Harrington. Some of you may be aware that there is also a planned wind farm at BALNACOIL, just north of Gordonbush. Several community members appointed by the Community Council have already met with the developers, Vinto Ludens, over the past several months. The Balnacoil wind farm will provide community benet to the four community areas of Helmsdale, Rogart, Golspie & Brora, along similar lines to that of the Gordonbush fund. There is a planned community consulta on event in February 2013, which will be well publicized. The Development Trust is in the process of inves ga ng two poten al sites in order to generate income towards community benet using Micro HYDRO. We have applied for funds to carry out feasibility studies of both sites. When the reports are returned, we will hold a consulta on/open day, in order to get feedback from the community. Why are we doing this? Well, it is fairly easy to obtain grant funding for capital projects, although it can take some me to achieve a target gure. However, when sourcing monies to support revenue of core costs for Projects, this process become very dicult. Having our own dedicated community monies allows the Development Trust to support many of the projects outlined in the Development Plan to be achieved in a much shorter me line.

COMMUNITY BROADBAND

Over the past several years the Development Trust has been lobbying along with many of other community groups throughout the Highlands & Islands for increased speeds and infrastructure development for Broadband.

Success! it has been recently announced that Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) has received 120m for this purpose. It is the aim of HIE to provide a minimum speed of 2mbps (megabites) throughout remote and rural areas by 2015. Helmsdale currently a racts approximately anything between 4mbps and 8mbps. However, outside the village centre, these speeds are greatly reduced, with some areas only able to access around a frac on of this. We are therefore exploring the possibility of providing our OWN community broadband network, using Wi-Fi. We would bring into Helmsdale approx. 21mbps, and then create a mesh network through the whole community, with each household being able to achieve a minimum of 8 to 12mbps. A vast improvement on the current speeds and a frac on of the cost of what some people are paying for a BT broadband connec on at the moment. We have applied for the funds to carry out a feasibility and cost study with regard to purchasing the equipment, the processes needed to undertake such a project an ul mately what speeds can be achieved and maintained. We will make the report available for all to see, and shall hold an informa on day(s) for all to a end and provide feedback and comment. So look out for the posters and informa on updates.

As you may know recently we a empted to restart Helmsdale Youth Project (HYP). We urgently need more adult volunteers as the Project will not be able to con nue without your assistance. In the rst 2 weeks of the HYP, sixteen young people a ended on both occasions at Helmsdale Youth Project Facility. You should know that all the young people that a ended advised us that they really enjoyed HYP and want it to con nue. At HYP the young people are given the opportunity to engage in a range of Ac vi es, as well as aording them the possibility of bonding with their peer group in a safe environment. Furthermore once established, we would be able to oer trips and other outdoor ac vi es. Ideally we would be looking for you to assist one night every 6 -8 weeks. If we have enough adults involved then a rota could be established and your par cipa on as a volunteer for HYP could be as li le as 6 mes a year. Having met all the young people who a end HYP we can assure you that volunteering with this project is something that you will nd extremely rewarding. Please let us know if you would be able to help and in what capacity i.e. on a regular or an ad-hoc basis by contac ng HYP on the following number.

Barbara Jappy - 01431 821690