Butt to Barra District News 11.2.16

Hamper Raffle for Mod nan Eilean Siar 2016 - With the start of Mòd nan Eilean Siar 2016 just eight months away, the local organising committee are actively raising funds before the week-long event kicks-off on the 14th of October. A number of events are being held over the coming weeks and months, starting with a hamper raffle.

Tickets for the hamper are £1/strip and will be sold in the foyer area of the Western Isles Hospital between Tuesday 9th February and Friday 12th February. The draw will be made at 5pm on the 12th and the winner will receive a wonderful hamper which has been kindly donated by local business, ‘Delights’.

NORTH UIST

A ‘Cottage Pie Night’ - This event will be held in aid of the RNLI at Berneray Hall on Friday 4th March 2016 at 7pm.

The evening is being very generously supported by MacLean’s of Benbecula.

The meal will consist of Cottage Pie (vegetarian version available) with veg, and accompanied by salad and crusty bread, followed by Trifle or Cheese and Biscuits.

The price of ticket is £12.50 for adults and £6 for children and includes a glass of wine, beer or a soft drink. A musical medley will also be on the menu. Tickets are available from Barbara Jameson (01876 500849), Stella Evans (01876 500306) or from Ardmaree Stores, Berneray.

SHAWBOST

Light lunch - Clann an Latha an Dè will be hosting the first light lunch of this year on Saturday 20th February at Ionad na Seann Sgoil, Shawbost, 12.30 to 2pm.

There will be a choice of soups, delicious selection of puddings with tea/coffee and biscuits to follow.

Raffle tickets will also be on sale for the usual varied selection of prizes. Please come along, bring your friends, relax, and enjoy lunch and a good catch up . All welcome.

CARLOWAY

Big Breakfast - A reminder that Carloway Football Club is holding a Big Breakfast fundraiser in the Breasclete Community Centre, between 9am and 1pm on Saturday 13th February. Come out and support your local football club.

LEWIS

Museum trainees complete placements - A programme to address inequalities in educational and employment opportunities in the museum sector reached a major milestone as the men and women taking part in Scotland’s first museum traineeship programme for non-graduates completed their yearlong placements.

Up to now candidates for museum jobs usually required a university or post graduate degree but Museums Galleries Scotland’s trainee-ships programme, Heritage Horizons, offers an alternative entry route.

One year on since it started, the Heritage Lottery Fund Skills for the Future funded project has had a big impact on the trainees, the host museums and on the way the sector approaches workforce diversification.

Since January 2015 the Heritage Horizons trainees have worked alongside professionals in museums and galleries across Scotland to learn a wide range of core museum skills. The trainees have also worked to attain the new level three Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) in Museums and Galleries Practice.

Museums Galleries Scotland hopes that the combination of skills, experience and a vocational qualification will make the trainees attractive to future employers. Early indicators are positive and demonstrate that the trainees are being considered as serious candidates by the museum sector by already securing jobs and interviews for museum roles.

Anna Mackenzie and Maree Hoy have taken on the role of Exhibitions and Events Trainees with Isle of Lewis Council for the last year.

During their paid trainee-ships they have played an invaluable role in the Councils preparations for the new museum. They have also participated in a wide range of activities including conservation, archives, outreach and learning activities, customer services, monitoring and evaluation, enquiries and working with the Comainn Eachdraidh (the Historical societies) that will provide a solid base of skills and knowledge applicable to all areas of work in the heritage sector.

Anna Mackenzie said: “In doing the traineeship it has given me the confidence in working in an office and museum space. It was a great experience to be opportunity to be involved in the new museum.”

Maree Hoy said: “I was completely new to the heritage sector when I started my traineeship. The team at Museum & Tasglann nan Eilean team were very welcoming and assisted me greatly by providing me with the diverse skills, knowledge and expertise they each possess.”

Trish Botten, Principle Officer of Cultural and Information Services at Isle of Lewis Council said: “It was refreshing to get the opportunity to work with the Heritage Horizon trainees and to encourage them to use their previous skills in a new heritage context – it challenges the status quo and encourages everyone to re-assess ways of doing things and assumptions.

“Their progress was remarkable as they took on new skills, knowledge and experience – and applied this new knowledge to the new tasks in hand. “

ULLAPOOL

School children campaign to save red squirrels - Ullapool primary school children who put up posters asking drivers to slow down south of Ullapool so as to ‘SOS – Save Our Squirrels’ not only had Traffic Scotland agree to put up warning signs, but they were also welcomed aboard the Loch Seaforth Ullapool-Stornoway ferry.

Caledonian MacBrayne invited the children to put up some of their posters asking drivers disembarking at Ullapool to slow down when leaving the village as the red squirrels three miles south of Ullapool have sadly been getting hit by Leckmelm Gardens – two in one week in January alone.

Not only did they get to deliver their posters, but Captain Lewis Mackenzie took time out of his busy day to give them a personal tour of the boat, even showing them the bridge and explaining how he drives the ferry.

The red squirrels were relocated to the north west coast in an effort to save them from extinction due to non native grey squirrels and disease affecting them elsewhere in Scotland and the UK.

The Highlands are one of the few parts of the country where they are safe from invasive greys and hopes remain high that road signs, posters and perhaps even a rope bridge might be put in place to ensure the as yet small population are given a chance to establish and thrive in the area.

Pictured above is the Sgoil Lionacleit Pipe Band who are holding a fundraising bingo on Friday 26th February 2016 in Talla an Iochdair, South Uist.

The funds will be used to allow the band to travel to the Scottish Schools Competition in Edinburgh in March.

Anyone wishes to make a donation should contact Donald Ban MacDonald at Sgoil Lionacleit.