What we want to do - Lorn and Oban Reuse Initiative (LORI) is our long-standing furniture reuse project based in Oban, serving communities for over 15 years. The project, which aims to achieve a Zero Waste society, diverts furniture, household goods and electricals etc. into reuse and before [these] unwanted items enter the waste hierarchy. In the last 12 months, LORI has supported over 11500 customers including businesses, individuals and families. Those in poverty and personal crisis, those displaced by war in Ukraine and communities challenged by the ongoing cost of living crisis. “Such a fantastic way to reduce wasting perfectly good products. Furniture is top quality and the staff I met were friendly, welcoming and incredibly helpful.” CustomerThis is an exciting period for our charity, as we are planning a major expansion of our work to enable us to better support the growing number of people who come to us for help. Our plans are well advanced including planning consent and building warrant for the proposed improvements and renewals to increase available floor space to meet the growing demand for reuse goods. GRAB has set aside reserves to contribute to the cost of these improvements.Under this grant we propose to move forward rapidly with the project. Available match funding already secured will support project management and admin resources and back LORI during any disruption to trade while improvements take place. Under this grant, captal funds will be deployed to prepare groundworks and the foundations to accommodate new modular buildings, the purchase of new buildings to replace derelict and delapidated units and much-needed welfare facilities. And extensive refurbishment to an existing building.    Why the project is needed - In Argyll and Bute, landfill accounts for around half of the Council’s annual production of Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2e). (Source: Argyll and Bute Council Decarbonisation Plan 2021). Positive changes will the project bring about - Planet – Tackling the climate emergency, LORI reduces landfill; 45% of greenhouse gases come from products we use and purchase. Saving valuable resources from landfill, LORI reduces the communities’ carbon footprint and cuts emissions.  In Oban and Lorn approx. 858 tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste is produced each year.  Currently just over 10% or 86 tonnes is diverted through reuse by The GRAB Trust.  People – supporting local people and creating jobs, LORI supports communities to utilise existing resources, LORI has steadily increased volumes diverted from landfill each year; diverting over 450 tonnes from landfill in the last 8 years. The initiative sustains 7 jobs and 12 regular volunteers.  Pounds – Strengthening the circular economy we offer low cost, high quality furniture and homewares to everyone as a sustainable, low cost alternative to buying new.  LORI supports the Circular Economy by keeping existing resources in use for longer and our not-for-profit community enterprise now recirculates over £120,000 in our communities annually. Reducing the tax burden, LORI decreases landfill tax, saving local taxpayers over £8,000 annually. Place – engaging and empowering communities LORI is a place where ideas flourish. We support community groups and partners in the third sector. We help businesses like cafes, hotels and Air B&B furnish their premises.  We help communities to share and to learn new skills; reusing and repairing is a creative way to try new things, gain useful skills, appreciate what we already have and find new uses to make the most of it.  GRAB is part of Circular Communities Scotland Share and Repair Network and LORI is a source for tools for makers and craftsmen - keeping traditions alive.Our renewals project at LORI will ensure communities are supported for years to come - increase available floorspace by 80%, introduce welfare facilities for staff and volunteers and extend product lines – the new provision of running water at the site will open up the possibility of testing white goods (washing machines & dishwashers) for example. With increased floorspace LORI will better serve the growing demand for reuse, further reduce landfill and offer increased support to the circular economy in Oban and Lorn.   

What we want to do - 

Phase 1 involves replacing the hall disabled access and the provision of a generator to enhance community resilience. 

Phase 2 re-configuring the toilet block and the provision of hot water in the ladies toilets.

Phase 3 - installing a decking, and two patio doors to enhance provision for events. Also creation of more storage. 

Why our project is needed. 

The hall is used by the local primary school for provision of sports facilities and other activities. The Parent Council arranges parties and other communal events - such as an annual car wash and wreath-making at Christmas. The hall provides many family events, shows, films and talks - to keep the local community informed and entertained. A seperate gym club runs on a wednesday. The multi-sport court provides for sporting activities such as hockey and tennis, and the playing field is used for football and field sports. 

Many tourists use the hall's facilities especially for events such as "Gala day", and tourism is an important industry in Scotland. The hall was instrumental in the creation of Tayvallich Initiative which aims to provide low-cost housing in the village for essential workers and implements "rural burdens" which help ensure community survival longer-term. The annual Kayak Symposium run by local firm "Argyll Kayaks", brings dozens to the village for a weekend, centered around the hall, which benefits the whole community including the community shop and the Inn. 

"Resilience Planning" is a recent aim of the Community Hall. A few months back there was a power outage for 4 days - many were caught out by it. Apart from losing heating and cooking, many have private water supplies (pumped) and so had no water either. The hall did its best as a "resilience hub" but had no electric itself - simply brewing hot drinks on a gas stove - it could not offer shelter/heating/lighting/hot food. Resilience planning involves a back-up generator to better serve the community in such future events. 

The hall provides many services to the local community. Yoga on a monday and thursday; table tennis on a monday; bowls on a thursday; "Pickle ball" on a tuesday; "stretch and tone" on a tuesday; Fencing on a wednesday; Lunch Club every month - providing for the retired members of our community. The hall also hosts First Aid classes which benefit the local community and beyond. 

The hall is also a popular venue for weddings (and funerals). There are regular Coffee Mornings in aid of a range of charities - Beatson cancer charity; the Lochgilphead Snowdrop Centre; and the Taynish run in aid of McMillan cancer care. The annual flower show is also a popular event. In addition, the hall hosts events such as Films and Talks - often being full to capacity. Friday and saturday evenings often see the hall host Bands and Ceilidhs which attract visitors from further afield. It encourages and supports local artists and musicians. 

The project will bring about many positive changes.

It is essential that the hall can continue to act as a community hub. Phase 1 - the generator - will ensure it can run as a resilience hub too. Phase 1 also includes better disabled access which is essential. Provision of better toilet facilities is also essential (Phase 2), given the hall's popularity. Phase 3 will increase the capacity of the hall - even more community activities will be encouraged and supported. 

The hall is a vital community resource and needs to be supported and protected. The success of the community hall helps kindle social cohesion - it is a vital part of village life.

The project will start in July 2025 and take 6 months to complete.  

In 2021 and 2022, IKDT secured funding to construst 1.79KM of brand new road connecting the North and South of the island. This project has been in the pipeline for many decades and has connected up the two different communities and is allowing our island to thrive as one. Just after we have secured the funding for the 2nd stage of the project, the tar topping, war broke out in Ukraine. Apart from the obvious humanitarian crisis, this had an instant impact on the price of all the raw materials required for surfacing. It meant we had to scale stage 2 back and make do with tarring the new built section of the road with a single layer of tar and leave approx 500 metres of road in an unbound, farm track state. Our plan for stage 2 had been to deliver 2 layers of tar over the new road (1.79km) and the 500m of existing road when we could petition the council to adopt the road as it connects up the existing council road to several council tax paying households. As it stands, while the road is in use and is hugely beneficial to life on the island however the maintenance burden on IKDT is not ideal. The council will not consider adoption until the road is brought up to the standard we had planned for stage 2 so we are hoping to complete the job. Adoption is key to the long term future of the road and indeed to whole community as it will allow unfettered access to all including vital services, emergency vehicles and access to the lifeline ferry service. The surfacing could be delivered in one week but the effects would be felt for generations to come. We would hope to continue the excellent working relationship with A&B Roads department to help deliver the best value for money possible.

MACPool Activity Hub is a local community hub settled within the rural area of Lochgilphead. We currently service the area of Mid Argyll, where the population is approximately 6,000 people. On an average week, we will provide services such as specialised swimming sessions, fitness classes and Learn to Swim lessons, where over 500 regular participants will attend the Activity Hub.

MACPool Activity Hub works closely with rural school with promoting Water Safety Sessions and scheduled blocks of weekly lessons to pupils. The main Learn to Swim program caters to more than 220 participants from a 25 mile radius on a weekly basis, with ages ranging from 4-75 years old.

We offer a range of programs designed to specialise in different needs such as our Toddler Time sessions to classes such as HyrdoMobility, a senior exercise class, focusing on water-based exercises to strengthen the core and increase stability.

In collaboration with RMFitness and the NHS Living Well Program, MACPool Activity Hub has been assisting with the rehabilitation within the senior community, providing a bespoke area to re-build confidence, both in and out of the water. 

We also host Additional Support Needs (ASN) and Young Carer sessions in partnership with the Mid Argyll Youth Development Services (MAYDS), providing a safe space for those in the community who may not otherwise have access to such spaces. 

In accordance with our sustainability principles, MACPool Activity Hub is a part of the Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI) scheme. Therefore, the Hub uses a biomass boiler that is fuelled by woodchips to produce the necessary heating for the swimming pool and hot water systems. MACPool Activity Hub is also a part of the Feed In Tariff (FIT) scheme and have over 100 solar panels, which generate renewable electricity.

During previous winters, however, the quality of the fuel source has declined, causing our boilers to malfunction. It is essential that our boilers remain fully operational to comply with regulations concerning water and air temperatures. When we do not meet these regulations, we are forced to close the pool, cancelling valuable swimming lessons, fitness classes and pre-programmed sessions, thus losing credibility and revenue.

Our vision is to expand on the foundations of what we have created so far, improving integral community bonds, while seeking other connections to become a cornerstone of the community. To sustain our efforts, we aim to secure funding for a secondary heating source and to upgrade the storage silo, to allow us to change over from woodchips to wood pellets. This will enable us to remain in the RHI scheme while continuing to develop our programs and timetable, while also fostering partnerships that align with the needs of the community. 

1  We need to repoint the external stonework and do work on the chimneys and roof of the 4 lighthouse cottages.  No maintenance work has been done for many years and there has been major issues with damp and water damage in these 4 properties.  There is a critical housing shortage on Tiree and in particular affordable housing.  We have now 2 of the cottages on long term lease to locals and would like to make the other 2 habitable for long term lease.  We would also like to use this opportunity to encourage young people on Tiree to consider construction and in particular stonemasonry as a possible career.  The team we would use, have experience of running training programmes for school pupils to come and work on the site and learn some of the basic skills of maintainting heritage buildings.  This added value to the project would bring a very useful experience to our local children who are disadvantaged at present from these type of careers activities.  We would also offer to design a long term training programme for a local person so that we could have local skills to maintain the A listed heritage buildings on our site.

2  We funded work late last year on two of the chimneys by a stonemason specialising in these kind of listed buildings.  He has advised that all the external walls, chimneys and roof require work done to preserve these wonderful buildings. The work he did was enough to sort the immediate issues of dampness coming from the chimneys.  There is still some damp coming through the walls/windows.  Also the other chimneys that we did not repair mean that two of the cottages are not fit for long term lease at the moment.  Funding has been recieved by Argyll and Bute Council to allow us to the internal upgrading but we require major funding for all the external works so that we an offer 4 good quality upgraded affordable homes for locals.  One of the issues has been lack of maintenance of all the A listed buildings on our site.  There has been some repair work done but it has exaccerbated the problems due to lack of knowledge.  These buildilng require specialist skills.  If we can train up someone locally to do the basic ongoing maintenance through this project this would be of huge long term benefit to the Hynish Trust.  

3  When we advertised the last cottage for lease we got 5 applicants.  They were all local people wanting to come to live at Hynish.  Our vision is to create a clachan type village at the Skerrryvore Shore Station in Hynish for people to live, play, learn and enjoy.  The demand is there amongst the community for long term affordable housing and this is a relatively quick win to maintain the two leases we have and create another two.  But more importantly to ensure the buildings are presrved for the long term future.  So the refurbishment of the externals of these buildings would be transformational for the Hynish Trust.  It would ensure that these buildings will be fit for purpose for the future.  It also addresses the critical housing situation.  Providing an opportunity for local children to experience somehting different as a possible career opportunity would be welcomed by the school and the community.  If we can also get a local person trained up to be able to maintain all our buildings externally this would be a long term benefit to the community and create much needed local employment.

4  The project would start in March 26 and run to September 26.

Who are we?

An Tobar and Mull Theatre (AT&MT) is a vibrant multi-arts centre on the Isle of Mull and the only producing theatre in the Hebrides. As a hub for artistic excellence, cultural expression, and community connection, we play a vital role in our island's creative and social ecology. We aspire to be an island voice holding space for island experience in global culture at a time when the voices of rural communities are drowned out. Through our wide-ranging programme of theatre, visual arts, creative learning, and music, we serve: 

• Local and visiting artists, providing space, time, and collaborative opportunities to experiment and grow. 
• All school-age children on Mull, providing arts engagement and curriculum enrichment. 
• Young people, creating pathways in the creative industries and amplifying youth voice through the arts. 
• Older adults, including those living with dementia and other long-term conditions, supporting wellbeing and inclusion.

AT&MT has been recognised as a leader in community-based arts practice by the Federation of Scottish Theatre and as an essential part of local infrastructure by the Mull and Iona Community Trust.  The value of our community outreach, arts provision, and advocacy for rural communities is reflected in the thoughtful feedback we continue to receive from our local community:

“Engaging directly with one’s local community and peers is a valuable experience as it provides opportunity to share ideas and experiences and reinforces connectivity across our islands. I feel that this type of outreach work [AT&MT’s community outreach programme] is fundamental to a thriving cultural ecology on Mull and Iona” – Studio Cèilidh participant

“Because of Mull’s geography and lack of public transport many youngsters have difficulty accessing creative activities [...] The work has been taken to them through schools and location theatre. This ensures equality of access.” – Long-term Community Members

What do we want to do and why?

To secure our future and deepen our impact, we are launching an ambitious development project that responds directly to the needs of our island community. At the heart of this project is the purchase of the land beneath Mull Theatre and extension of the building to include dedicated creative workshop spaces for artists and visiting practitioners and an on-site crèche and early years facility to support families and broaden access to the arts. 

This project is essential to: 

• Protect the future of Mull's only professional theatre and the only producing theatre in the Hebrides. Currently operating under a lease, securing ownership of our site will give us long-term stability and the confidence to plan boldly.
• Address a critical shortage in early years childcare. Mull faces a well-documented lack of affordable and accessible childcare. This project offers a creative, community-centred solution that support parents and caregivers to participate fully in island life and the creative sector. 
• Nurture the next generation of artists and islanders. The crèche and workshop spaces will be designed with care, learning, discovery, and cultural enrichment at their heart. 
• Grow the island's creative ecology and promote the artistic excellence of Argyll and Bute on a national and international level. New workshop spaces will allow us to host more artists-in-residence and facilitate peer exchange. It will also offer affordable rehearsal and creation space for local and visiting artists, and extend our ability to deliver training, workshops, and events that connect Mull and Argyll and Bute to the wider cultural landscape of Scotland and beyond. 
• Strengthen community wellbeing. As we emerge from the social and economic challenges of recent years, this development supports community recovery through creativity, care, and collaboration.

Who are our partners?  

We will work in partnership with: 

• Local early years creative learning practitioners and educators, ensuring the crèche is child-centred, safe, and rooted in best practice. 
• Forestry and Land Scotland, to navigate our land purchase and ensure the building extension is designed with care and attention to our beautiful natural surroundings. 
• Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT), to ensure the facility is bespoke and meets the needs of our island community.
• Our Community Advisory Group, to ensure that local voices and lived experience remains at the heart of the project. 

We believe that access to the arts, like access to care, should not depend on geography. This project is about more than bricks and mortar, it's about building a future where creativity, care, and community thrive side-by-side. With the support of our partners and funders, we're excited to take this next step in our journey, ensuring that AT&MT remains a place where island voices are heard, nurtured, and celebrated for generations to come. 

Operating under the governance of the Dunoon Community Development Trust and in partnership with Argyll and Bute Council, the Save the Pier working group has been actively seeking funding and carrying out further research to progress the necessary technical studies needed to inform these types of developments.

The initial goal of the working group is to develop a robust, evidence-based feasibility study, providing a clear case for the pier’s redevelopment and its potential role within the future of the town’s wider marine infrastructure. Longer-term they hope to begin the process of the pier’s renovation.

The wider team —comprising volunteers with expertise in public sector infrastructure, finance, heritage preservation, project development and community engagement —has been engaging with stakeholders in the public and private sector, having discussions with potential funders, and laying the groundwork to ensure any future redevelopment is viable and sustainable.

Our Progress So Far

The project has involved extensive positive collaboration with Argyll and Bute Council, alongside wider stakeholder consultations, a public petition, and collaboration with advisors in major infrastructure, heritage conservation, and funding options.

Community Involvement

Community engagement will be essential to shaping the pier’s future. There has consistently been a lot of interest on social media and in the newspaper with large numbers of people getting behind the idea of Dunoon Pier being regenerated. It is clear that there is good community support for the idea and the working group welcomes the input of local residents, businesses, and local organisations as the project evolves.

At this stage, the focus is on gathering the necessary technical and financial evidence to determine what is achievable.

Next Steps

Funding is currently being secured to complete a feasibility study, which will provide a comprehensive assessment of the pier’s future potential. This study will form the foundation for securing funding to progress any future redevelopment. However, given the scale of the project, careful planning and a phased approach is required. We aim to complete this initial phase and be in a position to share the feasibility study by Summer 2025.

Looking Ahead

Public infrastructure projects of this scale take time, but the dedication of the team working with the support of the local authority and Dunoon Community Development Trust means that there is a good chance that this project will progress positively. The Dunoon Pier working group is committed to communicating on their progress and will provide regular updates via Dunoon Community Development Trust and partners as the project moves forward.

1. First and foremost, we want to keep our children safe while they enjoy being outdoors. The A83 runs the entire length of West Kintyre and as all the villages are spurs from this extremely fast and dangerous road, there is just nowhere safe for children to ride their bikes. To address this, we wish to install a pump track at Tayinloan

2. We feel it is needed because the main A83 is getting busier, and is one of the most dangerous roads in Scotland. Children and adults of all ages are now taking up more and more physical exercise and cycling has become very popular indeed.  We wish to offer a safe enclosed area where they can learn and ride in safety.

3. The project could bring many positive benefits.  Pump track riding not only provides a physical workout, but also promotes good mental well-being. It’s not just about the physical challenge – although that’s definitely a big part of the appeal. Spending time outdoors, surrounded by nature, has a way of melting away stress and lifting spirits. Pump track riding can actually help sharpen the mind and improve cognitive function. It is a way to encourage youngsters to leave their screens for a while and enjoy outdoor activities and social interaction.

These are just some of the positive changes for those participating in the sport. However there are many others, such as helping with social isolation which has become a big problem in these post Covid times.

At the pump track, generations come together, no matter their age! From little ones with their parents or grandparents to teenagers and young adults, everyone can enjoy fun and friendship, making it a true community hub. The little ones learn how to ride and gain confidence, while the more experienced riders practice their skills. Parents can have a great time too, as they watch their children gain confidence and make friends

4. Once the planning has been approved (hopefully within 6 months of application) and the funding secured, the pump track can be installed in 6 weeks.

We will work with Velosolutions, who are world leaders in this technology.

We will also liaise with schools and youth clubs.

We will work with Argyll and Bute Councillors

SKDT already operates the gateway garden (under licence from ACHA), as well as the putting green and herb garden (under licence from ABC) and the Robert Black Memorial Helipad (owner operator).

SKDT has well developed plans in place for these areas, which we would obviously like to see being well used by the community.

The creation of the Gateway Garden over the last 18 months has provided opportunities for food growing, education and intergenerational activity which are identified actions in the Campbeltown Community Action Plan (2022 – 2027). The Growing Project will also go some way towards developing local resilience and food security.

The initial redevelopment of the Gateway Garden, which is in a prominent location at the entrance to the town, has given impetus to other volunteers and potential gardeners to come forward.

Unfortunately, the limited size of the current garden area has restricted the number of growing plots available. The Growing Project would allow us to identify other suitable growing areas which we can develop in a gradual and progressive way, The, now ceased, Campbeltown Community Garden has donated their remaining plant and equipment to SKDT, now in storage, which will give us a head start in developing new growing spaces.

We also have a large selection of lawnmowers, gardening tools, hoses and other items which we can use for this project. However we will still need to acquire additional equipment and sundries (gloves, boots, compost, fertiliser etc) to allow us to proceed.

We will look to access additional funding to develop the project further via local funding through e.g. Common Good Fund, MACC and Campbeltown Community Windfarm Fund.

The main focus of this expansive project will be to attract, retain and train volunteers to get their hands dirty and get digging, weeding and planting.

As well as our own volunteers, there is another group of volunteers who have been looking after the bus terminal area. We will work alongside and support both of these groups. We will access additional training and advice from a network of community gardens throughout Scotland.

We would also continue and expand our work with the local schools on developing their own gardens and teaching kids the benefits of growing your own food. This would also allow for some important intergenerational activities which improve the lives of young and old.

We will also support and lobby for the provision of allotments for people to grow their own produce.