Cash for Communities
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The Highland Council’s Magazine Summer 2016 Highpoints Issue 5 Sàr Phuingean Cash for communities Rock Challenge in Caithness, Sutherland, Alness Academy win Scottish Final Inverness, Skye and Raasay of UK Rock Challenge 3 Highland Pipe Bands’ success Pupils plant for the future PupilsP from Kinmylies Primary School are learning about treesreees www.highland.gov.uk Contents 3 Freedom of Grantown on Spey and Lochaber 4 Success for Highland youth pipe bands 4 Highland Young Musician of the Year 5 Rock Challenge 6 BLAS Festival 6 Student teachers graduate Welcome 7 Leugh is Seinn le Linda Welcome to the summer edition We are working hard to improve 8 Lundavra Primary School of our magazine Highpoints connectivity for the region and I 8 Pupils get bus-savvy (Sàr Phuingean). am delighted that we now have 9 Royal opening for refurbished improved air access through the footbridge It has been a busy few months new Heathrow and Amsterdam 10 Big Clean Up Day for the Highland Council, with links. 11 Improvements to Slattadale the Scottish Parliament Elections, 11 Jetpatcher EU Referendum and the setting The city of Inverness will soon 12 Cash for community projects up of the Redesign Board. Work reap the benefi t of an additional is progressing well on major tourist attraction in the opening 14 West Link commences projects such as the West Link of the North Tower later this year 15 Pupils plant for the future Road and the new Council offi ces and exciting plans for the castle 16 Torvean Golf Course in Fort William and Kingussie. We are now within sight. 16 Making maths count have also got many events going 17 Tower with a view The start of the West Link road on throughout the Highland area. 17 Call for new powers also heralds a brighter, cleaner There has never been a better future for the city in the reduced 18 Mountain Bike World Cup time to come to the Highlands for congestion and better transport 19 Inverness Highland Games leisure or business. connections that this will bring. 20 Reach Out: loneliness campaign As a key partner in the Seven 20 New north coast marine plan We have had the opportunity to Scottish Cities Alliance, we will 21 Former school gets new lease of life showcase our stunning scenery be seeking a stronger voice for 21 Kingussie Council Offi ces and our new Global Geopark Inverness and the region. 21 New homes in Fort William status, our history, culture and the many other attractions that make Localism and community 22 Global Geopark status the Highlands such a tremendous participation continue to feature 23 National Award for 12 Highland beaches place to visit. in this issue as we report back 23 Corran Ferry on the peoples’ votes from 24 Listed building restored We have enjoyed an infl ux of the successful participatory 25 Double football success visitors to the Scottish Open, the Mountain Bike World budgeting events that took place Championships, the Blas Festival in recent months. Contact us and the various summer Highland I hope you enjoy reading this issue Write to: Games across the area. of Highpoints as much as I have. Corporate Communications The Highland Council HQ Glenurquhart Road Inverness IV3 5NX Email: corporate.communications @highland.gov.uk Phone: 01463 702020 Highpoints will be published online and some hard copies will be made available in service points and libraries. The magazine is produced in-house by our Corporate Communications Team and printing costs are sponsored by advertising. Isobel McCallum Highland Council Convener Listening ~ Open ~ Valuing ~ Improving ~ Supporting ~ Partnering ~ Delivering Page 2 Local sporting twins receive Freedom of Grantown on Spey Twins Suzanne Grant and Shelley Cowie (nee Grant) have been presented with the Freedom of Grantown on Spey in recognition of their contribution to the sport of football, and to their local community. The twins have represented their sport at the highest level with both having played for the Scottish Women’s National Football team. Shelley has now stepped back from the professional game to concentrate on family, however Suzanne Photo L-R: Area Committee Chair for Badenoch & Strathspey Cllr Bill Lobban, Shelley Cowie, Convener Isobel McCallum, Suzanne Grant and Councillor Jaci Douglas continues to play, currently with Motherwell Ladies, and has now achieved 104 caps for her country. The presentation was made by The Highland Council Convener, Freedom of Lochaber Councillor Isobel McCallum at a ceremony in Grantown Courthouse for over 40 years’ service on Saturday 9th July. She congratulated Suzanne and Shelly The prestigious honour and who were awarded the honour in title of ‘Freeman’ is rarely recognition of their achievement and presented by The Highland dedication to the sport of Women’s Football. Council to Highland residents, The awarding of this prestigious however, the Freedom honour of the Freedom, which of Lochaber was recently is rarely presented, has been bestowed upon Mr Colin granted by The Highland Council Neilson for over 40 years’ of in recognition of services to sport and was strongly supported by the outstanding service to the community and by the Badenoch community. and Strathspey Ward Councillors. Presenting the Freedom at a small © Iain Ferguson, Write Image Write © Iain Ferguson, Councillor Jaci Douglas described ceremony of family and friends, the twin’s early lives in Grantown on Lochaber Area Leader Councillor and sport in the Lochaber area and Spey saying: Thomas MacLennan paid tribute to beyond. Not many people can claim Mr Neilson saying: to have served their community Suzanne and Shelly have for over forty years, and it is in played an inspirational role in the Colin is a well-known and recognition of this service that The community for many youngsters respected Fort William resident Highland Council is pleased and looking to develop their own who has carried out a signifi cant honoured to confer the Freedom of sporting aspirations. number of roles in local government, Lochaber to Colin Neilson. health and sport sectors, on local, national and international stages. There have been just 12 previous His unstinting enthusiasm and recipients of the Freedom of dedication have contributed greatly Lochaber since 1947. to local government, healthcare Page 3 Cover Story Success for Highland youth pipe bands Three Highland school Pipe Bands achieved success in the European Pipe Band Championships in June in Forres. Lochalsh Junior Pipe Band was placed 2nd in Novice B; Ross and Cromarty Pipes and Drums School (RACPADS) pipe band were 5th in Novice A; and City of Inverness Youth Pipe Band 9th in Novice B. Cover photo: Lochalsh Junior Pipe Band These three bands are run as an extension to The Council’s Music Development Offi cer, Norman the work of The Highland Council’s Instrumental Bolton, says: Tuition Service. Piping in Highland schools is well supported in addition to the many other Competing at this level is a great instruments available to pupils. Many other experience for the band members and their Highland pupils were also competing in community successes are certainly well deserved. bands at the Championships. Highland tuba player blows judges away Antony Hook, tuba player weekend and presented music City Music School, Dyce received and pupil at Lochaber to the judging panel at a prelim the runner-up prize. High School, was awarded round of the competition. The judges then invited fi ve of Highland Young Musician of the musicians to perform their the Year 2016 at a competition complete 15 minute programme held in Inverness on 19th June. at the evening’s public fi nal. Eight competitors representing The fi ve fi nalists were: Antony a wide range of instruments, Hook (Lochaber High School); worked over the course of the Zoe Hodi; Neavan Lobban (Music School of Douglas Academy); Rosie Clark (Lochaber High School) and Rhona Mackintosh. In addition to Antony being awarded the winners accolade and the Richardson Trophy for Musical Excellence, Rhona Mackintosh (violin), also from Lochaber High School, took the Highland Young Musician of the Year, ‘most promising talent’ award. Anthony Hook from Lochaber High School, Zoe Hodi (violin) from Aberdeen Weatherspoon Ewen pictured with his trophy © Page 4 © Ewen Weatherspoon Alness Academy WINNERS comes top of Rock Challenge Five Highland schools won awards in the Scottish Final of UK Rock Challenge at Dundee’s Pupils from Alness Academy received the Scottish Champions th 2016 award at Caird Hall Dundee in the UK Rock Challenge with Caird Hall on 17 June, with Alness Academy Bill Alexander, Highland Council Director of Care & Learning winning fi rst place and becoming the Nick Scott Scottish Champions for 2016. © Another Ross-shire school, Dingwall Academy, also scored highly, coming fourth. All of the Highland schools won awards on the night, recognising excellence in various aspects of the competition, such as community participation and inclusion. Two of the fi ve Highland teams were the winners from the heats held at Eden Court in Inverness in April - Alness Academy and Invergordon Academy. Three other teams qualifi ed with ‘wild Dingwall Academy performing at UK Rock Challenge Scottish Finals cards’ from the heats, as the judges Nick Scott © identifi ed them as being amongst the strongest performing from across win marked Alness Academy’s Scotland – Thurso High, Dingwall sustained success in the Nick Scott Academy and Millburn Academy. competition. © The UK Rock Challenge is the Head Teacher, Laura Gordon said: British arm of the Global Rock I’m very proud of our young Challenge. The Rock Challenge people and staff . We must is an anti-drug and crime- recognise the immense work put prevention celebration that takes in by our staff , youth team and the form of a dance and drama others over the years.