A mobile signal for Seil

[Gavin Rae]

What a great article in this weeks OT !!!!

Haven't we done well !

Can't see the 100 sigs not being reached

Snoman

[DonnieC]

Well done to all - we made the 100!!

[Beetlejuice]

Yo!!

How many more can we get??

500 residents on Seil + another 40-odd on Easdale. Must be more out there to sign up. Let's go for 200!!

[NickB]

.
I've had an email from Michael Russell which includes a copy of his letter to George Osbourne specifically mentioning this petition.

Great article in the Oban Times (just read it). I suggest someone forwards the whole stramash to Vodaphone, O2, Tesco Mobile etc. If people want this to get anywhere then they need to put some pressure on. I am very busy with work right now, so can only make suggestions or help with IT-related stuff.

I would have thought 200 sigs would be a relatively easy target for the online petition. After that, now we have some momentum, a mention in the Seilachan and a paper petition via books in the shop, pubs, hall and perhaps church? One of you retired types must have time to organise that surely?

[Beetlejuice]

I see the petition's been put up on Easdale People:
http://www.easdalepeople.org.uk/
I can do petitions in the Oyster, Easdale Village Shop and Heritage Centre.
Volunteers for Balvicar Stores, T'n'T ... and anywhere else ???

[Gavin Rae]

OK - the petition is (slowly) gaining support (200 would be great)

BUT

I think we need to keep the profile on this as (high agenda ) or possibly it will
be forgotten about (again) !!

The company that has been awarded the £150 k contract is ARQIVA

Perhaps as well as the petition forum members who feel strongly about this issue might like to contact this company personally by e- mail outlining our issues

I have sent an e mail with a link to our petition but clearly more input to this company might also be beneficial ! (ie 100 e mails )

What do you think ?

The contact is : enquiries@arqiva.com

Snoman.

[NickB]

OK - the petition is (slowly) gaining support (200 would be great)

BUT

I think we need to keep the profile on this as (high agenda ) or possibly it will
be forgotten about (again) !!

The company that has been awarded the £150 k contract is ARQIVA

Perhaps as well as the petition forum members who feel strongly about this issue might like to contact this company personally by e- mail outlining our issues

I have sent an e mail with a link to our petition but clearly more input to this company might also be beneficial ! (ie 100 e mails )

What do you think ?

The contact is : enquiries@arqiva.com

Snoman.

I've sent this:

Dear Sirs,

Lack of a reliable mobile phone signal in our community of Seil Island (population 500+ permanent residents) is damaging local businesses such as ours, damaging the tourist trade and putting the lives of an ever-increasing number of visiting water sports participants at risk by hampering communications with the emergency services.

The UK government recently made £150 million available for the provision of improved mobile covereage; we want to see some of that spent on Seil. I understand that your company has been awarded the contract and am seeing some assurance that our community is somewhere near the top of your list of priorities.

Best regards,

--
Nick Bowles

Webcraft UK Ltd
http://www.webcraft.co.uk
'surfing made simple'

telephone: 01852 300755

I will let you know if I get any reply. Has anyone else emailed them? Has anyone done anything about paper petitions yet? I haven't seen one in the pub or shop. Surely someone has the time to put one together? Or has interest in the subject waned again?

[NickB]

.
Alright, I've done it as no-one else has. There is now a paper petition in the shop as well. Get all your guests and internet-avoiding friends to sign it there (but no point in signing twice if you have already signed the online version).

Alan Reid will be on the island on Weds 21st August, so perhaps we could present him with a copy of the petition then.

His movements are advertised as follows:

Balvicar: 10am - 10.30am

Easdale Island: 11.30am - 12.30am

Ellenabeich: 1pm - 1.30pm

If you want to make an appointment phone 01369 704840

[Beetlejuice]

I've put paper petitions in the OB, Seafari/Village Shop, Heritage Centre and braved my life to put one in the Alcatraz ferryshed. Will collect these up prior to Alan Reid's visit ready for presentation.

How's the on-line petition going? (Can't access it due to issues that my laptop won't reveal ...)

Good letter Nick.

[NickB]

The online petition has stalled at 133 sigs . . . Might be worth people sharing it again with their Facebook contacts - especially if you haven't already done so.

[NickB]

I've put paper petitions in the OB, Seafari/Village Shop, Heritage Centre and braved my life to put one in the Alcatraz ferryshed. Will collect these up prior to Alan Reid's visit ready for presentation.

Excellent. I suggest separate presentations at all three places our Westminster MP is appearing - might keep it in his mind a little longer.

Let's make sure we keep hard copies of the paper petition though.

EDIT 13.00
Just been in the shop - 20 sigs already.

[spiderman]

Surely this petition should also be passed to Mike MacKenzie? A local MSP who personally and intimately understands the place and the problem should be especially motivated and in a great position to press the right political buttons.

[spiderman]

Furthermore, wouldn't it be a good idea to pass the petition through the Community Council for its consideration, support and then action through the relevant political and commercial channels?

[NickB]

If we correlate all the petition sources - online and paper - before presenting them to Alan Reid then copies can be made and distributed to wherever it is considered they might do some good.

Spiderman, are you up for this? Beetlejuice? Anyone?

[spiderman]

Nick, the petition's in your name so it's surely logical that you pass it on? And very worthwhile it will be. Many thanks.

[NickB]

Nick, the petition's in your name so it's surely logical that you pass it on? And very worthwhile it will be. Many thanks.

The petition is in all of our names . . . and I guess you were the real instigator, Spiderman . . . I regard myself as a facilitator of the public will rather than a representative of any sort.

However, if you really want me to then I will find the time to round up the various copies on Tuesday next week, copy them then put them back in place to gather more sigs. I may not manage to get the ferry shed copy however . . . . perhaps someone could bring that over and leave it in the OB or the Seafari shop.

I'll then put together a document that includes all sigs to date - online or paper - and make sure Alan Reid gets a copy on Wednesday and that a copy is delivered to the Community Council.

OK ?

[spiderman]

Brilliant! I'm sure that all the petition's signatories and, ultimately and hopefully, virtually all residents and visitors to Seil will benefit from your coordination of this process. It will also perhaps be the most positive and worthwhile product of this chat site which you provide for the community. So well done and thanks. I apologise for not helping out at this stage - I'm more of a solo action hero than a community desk wallah and, if you've been following my recent activities, it has been tough and time-consuming preventing the spread of mutation serum around the universe. Kaapppoooow!

[Beetlejuice]

A quick check of paper petitions reveals:
Oyster Bar : 21 signatures
Seafari Village Shop : 12
Heritage Centre : 0 ('cos someone had hidden it behind the counter - now on show next to the visitors' book)
Alcatraz ferryshed : 0 ('cos ????)

I'll collect these up Nick, to save you dashing around, and drop them off at Balvicar Stores.

[NickB]

A quick check of paper petitions reveals:
Oyster Bar : 21 signatures
Seafari Village Shop : 12
Heritage Centre : 0 ('cos someone had hidden it behind the counter - now on show next to the visitors' book)
Alcatraz ferryshed : 0 ('cos ????)

I'll collect these up Nick, to save you dashing around, and drop them off at Balvicar Stores.

Thanks BJ - lets leave them over the weekend if we can, Tuesday at the shop would be good.

[Beetlejuice]

Petitions collected and delivered to Balvicar Stores, Nick.