And yet another casualty of the undersea cable fault debacle

The Hebrides Alpha Project, providing supported accommodation for individuals recovering from substance misuse, has been serving the Western Isles since 2011.

The abstinence-based project has helped more than 90 individuals over this time, supporting them in recovery, and the rebuilding of their lives after having suffered serious addiction issues.
Following the failure of the power cable link between Skye and the Isle of Harris, it became clear that this incident was going to have far reaching implications for the islands.

The Hebrides Alpha Project has been informed by Point and Sandwick Trust that due to the cable break, the project would not be receiving its expected funding of £30,000 due this month.

A spokesman siad: “The trust informed us that it may be at least a year before the cable is replaced. The board and management of the Hebrides Alpha Project, would like to thank Point and Sandwick Trust for their generous financial support over the years.

“As a result of this loss, the Hebrides Alpha Project finds itself facing a serious financial shortfall in the months to come and we are exploring other funding avenues with some urgency. Due to the impact of Covid-19 we recognise that many charities cannot fundraise in traditional ways. This is an added burden on what was already a difficult year in the charitable sector.

“These are uncertain times and we seek help to continue what is often life saving work.

“Our hope is that external funding can be secured in order to enable us to continue to provide this essential service in our community for years to come.” 

Calum Macdonald, of Point and Sandwick Trust’s wind farm at Beinn Ghrideag, said: “We haven’t been able to produce any output since the cable went down and it now looks like we won’t be able to for up to 12 months, according to SSE.

“That means we will not be earning any income over these 12 months.

“That obviously has serious consequences for the money we give out to the various projects that we support, so we will need to work out the best way forward during this difficult period, but there is little doubt that good causes will suffer.”