Congratulations to Luing

[NickB]

.
. . . for attracting over three quarters of a million pounds of lottery funding to build The Atlantic Islands Centre in Cullipool.

The Isle of Luing Community Trust is to receive £754,910 from the Big Lottery Fund's Growing Community Assets programme to build a community space that will attract thousands of day visitors to the centre’s cafe restaurant, heritage gallery, art and crafts shop and exhibition space. Jobs will be created to staff the project, which forms part of a wider regeneration strategy for the island.

Alastair Fleming, Treasurer, Isle of Luing Community Trust, said: “What fantastic news - thank you Big Lottery Fund Scotland. The Isle of Luing Community Trust is thrilled by the award for our new Atlantic Islands Centre. This exciting development is critical for the long-term future of Luing.

“It will provide much needed facilities for residents, including a community hub and cafe, work and meeting spaces, and modern ICT facilities for learning and leisure. The Centre will also help us to welcome the many visitors to our beautiful and historic island.”

[Minimum]

And how are all the 'thousands' of visitors going to get there - and park?

[NickB]

And how are all the 'thousands' of visitors going to get there - and park?

Three thousand visitors (for example) is an average of just over eight visitors per day over a year.

[Minimum]

Super! Can't wait to visit.

[jimcee]

Just a thought - 8 visitors a day (average) is hardly likely to make for a vibrant or economic cafe/restaurant.
So they get nil on December 1st and 16 on July 1st - still not a very viable number.
With a bridge or tunnel it might be economic, but with Belnahua and Grey Dog they have a mountain to climb.
And this does not take into account of the increased number of convoys emanating from Cuan.
Maybe the Lottery Fund could also find a grant to make access roads reasaonable and fund advertising to attract potential customers to this new facility.
Lest it be thought that, I am anti anything that improves the area or it's attraction to visitors with a pound, euro or dollar to spend - this is not the case - we have a lot to offer, and anything to enhance the facilities,should be welcome, but surely tempered with economic viability.

[NickB]

Just a thought - 8 visitors a day (average) is hardly likely to make for a vibrant or economic cafe/restaurant.
So they get nil on December 1st and 16 on July 1st - still not a very viable number.
With a bridge or tunnel it might be economic, but with Belnahua and Grey Dog they have a mountain to climb.
And this does not take into account of the increased number of convoys emanating from Cuan.
Maybe the Lottery Fund could also find a grant to make access roads reasaonable and fund advertising to attract potential customers to this new facility.
Lest it be thought that, I am anti anything that improves the area or it's attraction to visitors with a pound, euro or dollar to spend - this is not the case - we have a lot to offer, and anything to enhance the facilities,should be welcome, but surely tempered with economic viability.

Oh for goodness sake!

I was just using 8 a day to point out to Minimum that the 'thousands' of visitors were not necessarily all going to turn up at once, with the ferry and parking problems he envisaged. The facility is as much for locals as visitors, and I am sure it will flourish. It would be nice if people on here could just for once be positive about something . . .

One question that this does raise though . . . both our island neighbours (Easdale and Luing) seem to be excellent at raising money for public facilities. Perhaps Seil could take a lesson?

[Foxglove]

I wonder how many of the residents, especially the 'old school' wanted this? don't want to sound like a wet blanket but I hope it's not going to be white elephant.

[NickB]

I wonder how many of the residents, especially the 'old school' wanted this? don't want to sound like a wet blanket but I hope it's not going to be white elephant.

I imagine that most of the residents will welcome it.

Alastair Fleming, Treasurer, Isle of Luing Community Trust, said:

“What fantastic news - thank you Big Lottery Fund Scotland. The Isle of Luing Community Trust is thrilled by the award for our new Atlantic Islands Centre. This exciting development is critical for the long-term future of Luing. It will provide much needed facilities for residents, including a community hub and cafe, work and meeting spaces, and modern ICT facilities for learning and leisure. The Centre will also help us to welcome the many visitors to our beautiful and historic island.”

What's not to like?

[longshanks]

It would be nice if people on here could just for once be positive about something . . .

One question that this does raise though . . . both our island neighbours (Easdale and Luing) seem to be excellent at raising money for public facilities. Perhaps Seil could take a lesson?

It may have been before you moved up here, NickB, but we on Seil raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the New Hall, and have a long history of raising money for public facilities (golf course being another example).......in the last month we have raised close to £2,000 for the community rowing boat.

We on Seil do not need to be told that we need to learn lessons about public spirited fund raising.

Long Arm (gives by choice)

[Minimum]

You seem to have missed out the bit from Alistair F that community had been divided. I wonder if it still will be.

I hope that the Luing Trust doesn't use the seemingly preferred method of community 'consultation' as that of Eilean Eisdeal. i.e. 10 people (including holiday home owners) attend an information event and are told what is going to happen. 6 agree with the proposal and the result is reported that the majority of the community supports the idea!

[NickB]

It may have been before you moved up here, NickB, but we on Seil raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the New Hall, and have a long history of raising money for public facilities (golf course being another example).......in the last month we have raised close to £2,000 for the community rowing boat.

We on Seil do not need to be told that we need to learn lessons about public spirited fund raising.

I was referring to the success of Luing and Easdale in tapping into publicly available funds (Lottery, Green Streets etc), and not to the generosity of the inhabitants of Seil - which is not in question. Sorry if I did not make that clear.

We moved here from Aberdeenshire long before the new hall; indeed, this website was instrumental in distributing information about the final fundraising. Looking back through correspondence from 2006 I see I had forgotten that in fact the new hall did receive £250,000 in lottery funding, so Seil has been successful to some extent in tapping into these funds. However, considering their relative populations Easdale and Luing could be considered to have been more successful in terms of money per head of population.

Glad to hear you are a supporter of the Skiff project, which I believe is a great community initiative. It is indeed to the community's credit that the money to purchase the kit was raised so quickly.

[NickB]

You seem to have missed out the bit from Alistair F that community had been divided. I wonder if it still will be.

I hope that the Luing Trust doesn't use the seemingly preferred method of community 'consultation' as that of Eilean Eisdeal. i.e. 10 people (including holiday home owners) attend an information event and are told what is going to happen. 6 agree with the proposal and the result is reported that the majority of the community supports the idea!

If people want their opinion to be considered then they have to make that opinion known and not just grumble invisibly.

According to a report on the ForArgyll site 37 residents wrote letters of support for the planning applications and only 17 objected, while at the planning committee hearing 7 residents spoke in favour and only 4 against.

You can't please all of the people all of the time. Let us hope that the finished centre promotes harmony rather than division.

[Minimum]

Agreed.

[MonaLott]

Well, everyone who likes it can buy a slate for a fiver! Go on!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlantic ... 5725647279

[Foxglove]

Think I'll give the slate a miss , can think of more deserving causes.

[MonaLott]

Aye, Foxie, you mean like supporting the skiff?

[Gavin Rae]

Just one skiff ! Think Big !!

I hope to see skiff racing in Balvicar Bay/Seil Sound and will be looking for support from Five Zero Olds Plus (Master/Veteran Class) to build and compete

Snoman

[Foxglove]

Now ya talking! off topic