Butt to Barra district news

Car boot sale

Horshader Community Development at Raebhat House, Shawbost are holding a Car Boot Sale on May 20th starting at 10am, pitches or tables will be £5.00 each. Stall Holders can set up from 9am.Please bring your own table. Our shop and cafe will also be open for refreshments. Spaces will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, we would suggest booking a space now. Call us on 701225 or send a message to [email protected]

We have the facilities to hold the event indoors if needed if the weather is bad!

BERNERA

Opening Events

Café Opening – The Café at Bernera Community Centre opens for the summer on Monday 15th May, from 12 noon until 4pm, Monday to Friday.

The Community Association would like to thank all the volunteers who manned the café over the past few months, their help is greatly appreciated.

Bernera Iron Age House and Museum – the Comann Eachdraidh is participating in the Festival of Museums over the weekend of 19th and 20th of May, from 12 noon to 4pm. As we are not usually open at weekends this is a great opportunity for locals and visitors alike to visit the Iron Age house which has been featured during 2016 on several television programmes. For further information call 01851 612331 or email [email protected]. The Bernera cafe will also be open at these times for refreshments.

Finally the AGM of the Bernera Community Association will take place on Wednesday 7th June – 7.30pm in the Hall. All residents of Bernera and Tir Mor are invited and new members will be able to join on the night. Refreshments will be served once formalities are concluded.

HARRIS

Golf

The first major competition of the summer season was the ‘Roy Burgess Trophy’ competing for it were eleven golfers,three three ball matches in the morning and a two ball in the afternoon.There is always some ‘amusement’ in golf as was the case in the match that I played in, we started on the par three fourth hole, the first man duffed his ball and didn’t make the top of the ridge I skyed mine onto the ladies tee and the last man topped his twenty feet,we all went onto get a four, which we thought not too bad considering.

The morning matches finished with Big Chris in first place with a net 64 and Bill Cross in second with 67, however, the result of the two ball afternoon match put Captain Kenny in second place with a net 66.

The Easter eclectic which was played over three rounds was won by two people Captain Kenny with the lowest gross and big Chris with the lowest net

Submitted by David Hunt

Retirement

Calum MacKinnon, formerly of Hushinish, Harris reached his 65th birthday on Wednesday May 3rd.

Calum left Harris, to do an apprenticeship in construction in Ayrshire, about 49 years ago. Calum attained the Gold Award of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme in 1971, as well as attaining a number of college qualifications and university qualifications throughout the years, from design to engineering, as well as qualifying as a lecturer.

Calum graduated in October 2016, from The Open University, Edinburgh, with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree (Second Class) in Leadership and Management (comprising business and management). He says, “age is not a barrier to learning and studying, we can all adopt life long learning.”

Calum was employed for a considerable number of years in construction and engineering throughout the UK and overseas, being employed in a number of management positions inclusive of senior management roles with a number of companies.

Throughout the years he also had roles with voluntary organisations, including being a Commander with St. Andrews Ambulance Association and a Director with the Y.M.C.A. Dundee.

Calum was also a voluntary tutor and assessor/examiner for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme until 1992, prior to going overseas. Calum says, “Being active one way or another, brings about a positive stimulation to a person’s health and wellbeing.”

Throughout the years, Calum has also been an active blood donor, and has been given special recognition for donating for about 40 years and reaching a high number of donations. He says he intends to donate for as long as possible, at least for a number of years, or until he runs out of blood.

At present, Calum has a number of business interests he manages, as well as being an author of adult and children’s books. Calum is also engaged in design, having designed and invented a number of products.

Calum says, his birthday would not be anything special and he will not consider a retirement age, if he works to the age of 200, he may think about it then.

CARLOWAY

Strategic plan

Urras Oighreachd Chàrlabhaigh (Carloway Estate Trust) launched their strategic plan to members on May 5. The plan, entitled An t-Slighe air Adhart – The Way Forward, outlines the Trust’s ambitions for the next five years. It summarises the Trust’s background, purposes and management set-up including their new mission statement Developing Our Land, Our Assets and Our Community.

It outlines their main projects with three themes of Energy, Tourism and Innovation. The plan was produced following a consultation event last Autumn.

Sally Reynolds, Development Officer said: “Over the last number of months we have been carefully considering how we will develop the work of the Trust in the future. We had an excellent turnout at our last consultation event at the end time of our AGM and we are now in a position to share with members our plans for developing the work of the Trust.

To find out more about the plan see: www.carlowayestatetrust.co.uk.

WESTERN ISLES

School visits

Author, illustrator and graphic novelist, Laura Ellen Anderson is set to visit schools in the Western Isles between 15 – 19 May.This tour will see Laura lead a bespoke and interactive comic workshop for P4-7 and S1 pupils.