Butt to Barra District News 10.3.16

Reunion - The Lewis and Harris 40th Reunion will take place over the weekend of April 1st and 2nd.

On Friday, April 1st group photos will be taken at the Cabarfeidh Hotel, Stornoway from 4.30pm. Later in the evening there is the reunion dinner with live music from Catch 22.

On Saturday afternoon fun activities will take place in the Lewis sports centre from 2pm and will include: old school sports, tug of war, wheelbarrow races, egg & spoon, football and netball, bouncy castle, sumo suits and gladiators. On Saturday evening at Stornoway Golf Club fro m7pm there will be a hog roast and buffet with a 90s quiz and old school disco.

Book your tickets online at: www.the2016reunion.com

The 2016 reunion will be supporting charities SAMH and CLIC Sargent, and will also be supporting the Western Isles food bank, attendees are encouraged to bring food donations along on Saturday evening.

Crossroads Lewis Open Day - All Carers are invited to attend Crossroads Lewis Carers’ Open Day on Friday 18th March at the Grianan Centre, Westview Terrace, Stornoway from 11am to 2pm.

The Carers we support and those wishing to find out more about our service are encouraged to come along.

Homemade soup, sandwiches and home baking will be provided. Carers and those they care for are invited to attend.

It will be an informal afternoon which we hope will enable Crossroads Lewis to find out how we can best support them in practical terms as well as providing an opportunity for carers to come together. Information and advice from other organisation will be available if needed.

Those who require respite from Crossroads or transport to attend can let us know in advance by calling 01851 705422.

Gaelic event - The all Gaelic event Cèilidh na Gàidhlig at the Hut in Back included new Gaelic drama, Còisir Sgìre a’ Bhac, songs and traditional music. The next Cèilidh na Gàidhlig will be on Friday 29thApril in Grinneabhat, Bragar.

The event has several targets: to strengthen the use of Gaelic in the communities, to bring drama to a new audience and to enable Gaelic learners to be immersed in the language and island culture for an evening.

Local community arts group Cabraich www.cabraich.org organised the event with the support of Rachel Kennedy Iomairt Gàidhlig a Loch a Tuath.

Cabraich are grateful for the support of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Creative Scotland and CNES.

BALALLAN

Easter Fayre - The Balallan &District Recreation Association have organised an Easter Fayre to take place at Balallan Hall on Saturday, March 26th from 2pm.

There will be teas, coffees, raffles, sales tables, an Easter Egg hunt and face painting.

Entry is £3 for adults and £1 for children.

NORTH UIST

Cottage Pie Night - Thank you to all who helped make the ‘Cottage Pie Night’ on 4th March in Berneray Hall such a success.

The event was held in aid of the RNLI, and was organised by the North Uist ‘arm’ of the Leverburgh Lifeboat Station Fund-raising Branch.

The evening was very generously supported by MacLeans of Benbecula, and a total of £1,226 was raised (£875 in ticket sales, £281 on the Raffle and £70 from donations).

Talented local musicians John and Nollie on guitar and vocals, Peter and Loriana of ‘The Spring Chickens’ on keyboard and whistle, and Kenny on the accordion, played and sang for the diners during the evening, ably assisted by Iris on fiddle and Peter ‘Mac’ with a few songs.

Roddy Shaw was, as ever, the consummate M.C., keeping the evening moving seamlessly along, and entertaining all, not only with his witty commentary but also by playing his accordion.

Special thanks to: Ewen MacLean, the MacLean family and the excellent team from ‘Stepping Stone’ Restaurant, Benbecula for providing and serving the delicious food in Berneray Hall; Iris and Bob Steedman and the staff of Ardmaree Stores, Berneray, for selling so many tickets; Chrissie MacAskill and Anne Hughes for organising the Raffle; Ian MacKillop for helping set up the Hall and many other associated tasks undertaken so willingly; the Berneray Hall Committee for all their help; all those who so generously donated raffle prizes and money; and – last but not least – to everyone who came along and supported the evening, making it such a friendly and enjoyable occasion.

WESTERN ISLES

New funding - Local groups and organisations with great ideas to make their communities an even better place to live are now invited to apply for funding to turn their ideas into reality.

People’s Health Trust has just launched Active Communities in Aberdeenshire, Highland, Moray, Nah-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) Shetland and the Orkney Islands – a funding programme for local people wanting to create fairer places to grow, live, work and age.

Using money raised by HealthKind through The Health Lottery, People’s Health Trust is looking to invest in projects that support people living in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods of in Aberdeenshire, Highland, Moray, Nah-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) Shetland and the Orkney Islands.

Active Communities is a funding programme for not-for-profit groups with an income of less than £350,000 a year, or an average of £350,000 over two years, seeking investment of between £5,000 and £50,000 for projects lasting up to two years.

Projects could be almost anything that encourages strong connections between people, and that help people to make their communities or neighbourhoods even better places to grow, live, work and age.

We’re looking for small and local projects, genuinely designed and run by local people. By small, we mean just a small group of people on an estate, in a few streets or villages.

We’re also looking for great ideas from communities of interest.

By this we mean a group of people who have something in common and wish to come together to address something that is important to them. These ideas could be based in one neighbourhood, or cover a wider area.

John Hume, Chief Executive, People’s Health Trust, says: “We’re looking to support ideas designed and run by local people which help create even stronger links and ties within communities.

“Whether it’s a women’s volunteering group run by and for Bengali women; a computer skills support group run for and by older people; support for local people to become community organisers; or young people living with mental ill-health wishing to address access to work issues or discrimination, we’re interested to hear about it.

“Applying couldn’t be easier - it’s about local people telling us what would make their local community an even better place grow, live, work and age.”

The closing date for applications is 1pm on Wednesday 30 March 2016.

To apply for funding, visit: www.peopleshealthtrust.org.uk.