FIOS COLUMN – 9 May 2017

We are working in partnership with Tighean Innse Gall and Urras Oighreachd Chàrlabhaigh to deliver a project to reduce householder’s carbon emissions, which in turn will help reduce energy bills and tackle fuel poverty. This will be carried out through energy homes visits, providing advice to householders, which will could then lead to a referral for insulation measures or entitlement checks. A core element of the project will involve the replacement of inefficient old high wattage bulbs with more cost efficient LED Lightbulbs. We have commenced work on the project and the project team hope to have a launch event of the service in June and home visits will follow shortly afterwards. In this first phase of the project we will be prioritising homes with someone aged 75+ in the household.

In addition to this project we have continued to explore “Elderly Care” as one of our key priorities as outlined in the Strategic Plan. We have had various meetings and discussions with the Integration Joint Board and the Comhairle to try and map out care provision and to align our own ambitions alongside those of the various partners. It is a good starting point and there is much enthusiasm around working together, but we need to be realistic as there is a long road yet to travel.

We say goodbye to Amy Kapherr-Diament this week, who leaves us after four years employment with the Urras. Amy came to the Urras on a graduate placement and was latterly employed under the CAM initiative as a Local Development Officer. Amy is leaving us, but we’re very pleased to say she has been employed by TIG and will be working on the LED Communities project (mentioned above) so we will be working with her in a different capacity. We wish Amy all the very best in her new role.

We are working on a community celebration event which will take place in June, as well as various other activities associated with the 10th anniversary of the community buy-out which are set to take place in June.