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Deirdre Forsyth
Here We Are, Cairndow
What will it look like in 25 years ?
Cairndow
Pretty isn’t it ? Look again…..
What is here, who is here and what goes on here??
The Issues Facing Cairndow in 1998 – when Here We Are was first thought of
• No opportunities for further education.• Lack of centre to encourage tourists to stop and
learn about Cairndow.• Lack of knowledge of local history.• Lack of access to IT skills.• Lack of affordable housing• Insufficient workers to fill jobs opportunities in
Cairndow.• Lack of access to Argyll an Bute Council
information and services.• Lack of awareness for community sustainability.• Lack of revenue for community sustainability.
Response
“by understanding where you’ve come from, you can better appreciate where you are now and, importantly, where you are
heading and what you can do to influence that”.
Christina Noble
Response
• The Here We Are Centre itself – as a resource
• Argyll College Learning Centre
• The film “To see ourselves as others see us”
• Establishment of Argyll and Bute Council Servicepoint
• Lobbying for new houses
• Our Houses: Their Stories
• The aquarium
Our Aquarium
Argyll College At work
Response
Renewable Energy
• Our Power – biomass wood chipping plant
• Audit of village houses and recommendations
• Information point with Alienergy
• Micro hydro plant
Shed Completed
Chipper in
action
Boiler Opening at Lakeland Smolts
Merk Burn Hydro Scheme
Gregor’s winning presentation
Merk Burn Hydro Scheme at Senscot, Dragons Den
Establish Favourable Conditions (maximising local resources)
Tap into Existing Networks (to deliver information via Community)
•invest in public space and infrastructure which, support opportunities for social interaction
•connect with local social entrepreneurs and ‘anchor organisations’
•value mutual trust and informal reciprocity (i.e. friendship)
•provide access to information and opportunities to influence decision making
Extend Existing & Build New Networks (for all the community’s communities)
•construct shared futures
•form new networks and sub-networks through collective activities
•facilitate bridging and linking to increase chances for successful change
A Social Capital Approach
Village Hall Launch
Our Houses: Their Stories project
Village Hall – Wedding exhibition
Social Capital:
Extended networks can extend well being.
Here We Are Successes• Built a quality community centre which engages the community and visitors and reached out to
over 100,000 visitors, giving them an insight into the lives of the Cairndow community
• Accessed over £1,000,000 investment into the community
• Impacted housing issues in Cairndow’s landownership and land use project raised in Leader funded film comparing Cairndow with Innishowen (Donegal, Ireland) entitled ‘To See Ourselves As Others See Us’
• Launched Scotland’s first community owned biomass plant, opened by Minister for Energy Jim Mather
• Created 14 jobs and sustained 5
• Campaigned successfully for a ‘ghost island’ on the road into the Centre
• Worked in collaboration with Argyll College to provide a learning centre within the HWA centre used so far by 80 students. 'Hard to Reach' students now have access to PCs, the internet and video conferencing.
Here We Are Successes
• Become a service point for Argyll & Bute Council
• Provided a meeting facility for hire at the rear of the centre
• Produced regular newsletters on news and events and provided a web based information service
• Engaged with the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University and the Royal Commission of Ancient and Historical Monuments
• Produced a map for ramblers with detailed local information
• Encouraged and supported a 3 month study visit by Margret Bjornsdottie and her daughters. Margret conducted a survey in 2007 about HWA and is currently setting up an HWA in Iceland
Monthly Staff meeting
HWA successes
The second HWA in the world opened April 2009 in Iceland
Scottish Government:
• Enterprising third sector action plan 2008-2011.
• Recognises importance of third sector in helping Scottish Government achieve sustainable economic growth.
• To help the creation of the right conditions in which an enterprising third sector, including social enterprise can thrive.
• Enabling the third sector to play full role in development, design and delivery of policy and services in Scotland.
• With the support of Argyll & Bute Council Here We Are is a prime example of this initiative and we wish to continue this and take it to the next level which will require funding support.
Key aim – Become self sustaining and support/grow/sustain Community
HWA Chair
John MacDonald
and our aquariumist
Dom Adams
Working at the
Tinkers Heart
Thank You