Initiative at the Edge – North Isles Ltd

Minutes from the Directors Meeting held on Tuesday 9^th September 2008

In Unit2, Sellafirth Business Park at 6.45pm

Present:                                                                                                           In Attendance:

Roger Brimacombe (Chair)         Laurence Robertson                                              Michelle Morris

Ross Gazey                                Lesley Gray                                                          Jackie Smiles

Minnie Mouatt                           Robert Jamieson                                                  John Laughland

Andrew Nisbet                                                                                                      Fiona Stirling (HIE)    

(1)      Apologies

Martha Devine                           Paul Gill                                                            Robert Thomson (NICWO)

(2)      Minutes

Minutes for 29^th July 2008 were approved by Laurence Robertson and seconded by Ross Gazey.

(3)      Matters arising from minutes of last meeting                         

1. PROJECTS/DEVELOPMENT PLAN UPDATES

§      Housing Survey

Michelle currently collating information received. Replies to date: Fetlar - 10 out of 44, Unst – 75 out of 298, Yell – 86 out of 414. Michelle noted most of these had come from mainly older/retired households but need to hear from the younger folk/families who have real housing needs. Fiona suggested contacting Radio Shetland and Laurence Tulloch for his Shetland Times NI column to re-advertise for folk with real housing needs to contact I@tE NI.

§      Remote Working

Pathfinder – SIC folk came yesterday to assess unit and noted problem with building being in a dip in the hill for receiving Pathfinder signal. Will look into this further and hope to be active within 3 months. (Nordalea and Baltasound School live from this month).

    New Users – we now have one more regular users commuting from Unst (2 – 3 days weekly).

§      Recycling Leaflets for NI

Fetlar CC agreed to contribute to this project, funding now in place and Jackie sill start on this as soon as.

§      North Isles Trails

John now working towards getting NIT website online at the Community Portal.   One suggestions for future trails include ‘High Places’ which would centre around walking to a vantage point where you could see the complete coastline of each island, eg: Arisdale in Yell, Vallafield Ridge in Unst and Vord Hill in Fetlar. John noted various suggestions during further discussions and will contact Country Walking magazine for reviews/feedbacks on future trails.

2. SHETLAND ORGANIC WOOL PROJECT

    Pete Glanville will contact Michelle once all the Shetland Agricultural Shows are finished this year.

3. CLIMATE CHALLENG FUND EVENT – BARRA, 26^th AUGUST   

Michelle and Ross attended this conference and sent report sent to I@tE directors by email earlier this month. In summary the CCF is worth £18.8m over three years with £9m yet to be allocated before April 2009 and then £5m for each of the following two years. There was a good discussion on how this could be accessed for the NI including suggestions for wool washing facilities (could be tied in the organic wool project?). Ross encouraged all directors to think outside the box and pull together suggestions for energy savings/recycling projects that could bring income into the NI (need match funding). Ross noted CCF will fund: a Development Officer if enough development projects are in the pipeline; land if community allotments etc; development of Reduction of Carbon Action Plan. All directors asked to put their thinking caps on for projects and how match funding could be achieved.

4. TOURIST SEASON 2008

    VisitShetland report a downturn in visitors to Shetland as a whole this year and will forward final figures once collated (will include NI visitor centres). It was suggested to contact Ferry Ops for figures on travellers paying cash as opposed to discount tickets to give a percentage for visitors to NI.

(4)      AoB

1. Entrepreneur Trip to mainland

    This was paid up front to complete the Youth Enterprise Project for on a trip to the mainland to follow on as entrepreneurial training (for 16 folk including transport, lunch and entry to Scatness). After much discussion it was agreed this should be aimed at younger folk to help inspire entrepreneurial skills. Lesley and Michelle will work together on this and contact S3 and S4 teachers for more information. Now aimed for Easter 2009 as too late for this school term. 

2.      Business / Development Plan Update

Core funding for I@tE NI Ltd finished in Sept 2009 and Fiona confirmed that although HIE have only received their funding in principle they can confirm they will fund the I@tE NI last year. Fiona went on to explain the changes in HIE funding and I@tE would have to go onto become a social enterprise (or voluntary basis) for future financing. I@tE has covered a broad range of issues to date and could now start looking at specific projects to keep going (Tourism, energy efficiency, recycling, etc). Ross, Andrew and Roger agreed to meet with Michelle at Sellafirth on 7^th October to finalise updates for Development Plan. All directors to collate ideas/suggestions for updates by email before this meeting.

3. Singing Weekend Workshop

Andy Ross arranging workshop event from Fri 5^th – Sun 7^th December at Cullivoe Hall.  Michelle will organise a craft event for the Sunday (no cost to I@tE). Singers from Fair Isle and Shetland mainland will attend – final details to be confirmed. 

4. Cleaning of Unit 2

     Directors agreed to extra hours from budget for Michelle and Jackie to give the office a deep clean as now been in use for one year with more remote working users.

5. Dental Provision, Unst

      Minnie requested I@tE contact NHS Shetland regarding extra funding they have received which could help towards a regular dental service in Unst. Laurence noted Unst CC been on top of this and the GP in Unst is hoping to extend the surgery which could include a dental suite. All agreed to contact NHS Shetland and Unst GP for further details and showing support for this.

6. NI Welcome Pack for new residents

     Michelle noted this could be done on-line now with links to various contacts for what is available for folk moving to (and working in) the NI. Fiona spoken to Alistair Hamilton and been advised SIC are looking at similar. Michelle will contact Alistair Hamilton for more information.

(5)      Finance/Funding

1.       Accounts 2007/8 – Accountant calculated corporation tax due at £2,091 for last year. Jackie already queried and been advised that grant used to furnish office classed as capital expenditure. Ross suggested grants should be treated as a liability and query once again. Jackie contact Wendy Hand at SCVO for information on this. Accounts not signed off until this is settled.

2.       Review of remote working charges – Directors agreed to new charges from October 2008.

(6)      Date of next meeting

·      Tuesday 28^th October – Chair from Yell to be confirmed.

(7)      Action points