News & Events

We have three FREE exciting events on during September.  All can be booked throuhgh this link - or by emailing/calling as usual.

From 1st September the 'Dial-a-ride' service will be expanding:

• On Rousay, every Monday & Wednesday 9.30-15:00
• Trips to Orkney Mainland every 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month.
• Trips outside these days can be considered but not guaranteed.

• Call the office on 01856 821229
• Email info@rewdt.org
• Fill in an online form here.
• Please give as much notice as possible, and we obviously have only 3 seats so capacity is limited!

Our August newsletter is now available - view it here or click on the image

The latest Trust newsletter can be downloaded here.

Thanks to all who came along, both those taking part and those helping a=cheer people over the finish line.

Thanks to Scottish Water's Zoe Flaws for providing the water and Kaylegh Tipper for taking the photos, which can be found on the Around rousay Facebook page.  Other photos taken are on the REW DT Facebook page.

We are now planning the rousay Lap which will be on Saturday 26 August and we hope to see lots of you there.

The Board had identified that the previous development plan was out-dated and needed refreshing.  With funding from HIE we engaged with professional consultants to help collate a new Strategic Plan along with input from community consultations.

It is important to have a Development Plan, not only to provide a clear communication to the residents of the three islands of the path we are following, but also as an essential document required by external funders when it comes to grant funding.

A 'easy read' summary of the plan is here


The full version can be viewed here:

Feedback from those who have used the 'Dial-a-ride' service has been positive, so we are expanding it until the end of August.

For the remainder of June, bookings can be made for Wednesday afternoon trips to the post office and/or shop. For July and August we will be expanding that to include Wednesday mornings, so surgery visits can also be accommodated.

Two more mainland trips are also planned in July & August.
To book on, please email info@rewdt.org or call 821229.

This Saturday (20th) is our Annual General meeting, and we are also holding a 'Community Showcase' before and after the formal proceedings. Doors open at the School at 10am, formal AGM business will start at 11am (including voting) and there will be opportunity to speak to the showcase exhibitors after the formal business.

Attendees include Rousay Community Association SCIO The Crafthub Orkney Scam Action Group & Learning Link, Orkney Native Wildlife Project Warmworks Home-Start Orkney Heritage SCIO, Rousay Horticultural Society, Scottish Women's Institutes 1st Rousay Rainbows and Brownies, The Triangle Club

Come along and find out more about the services and news from each.

Our AGM is Saturday 20th May, and we have recieved two nominations for Directors.  Details can be found on this document

A reminder that if membners are unable to attend then they can appoint a proxy, but the form must be lodged with us by Thursday 18th May at 10am.  Details of how to appoint a proxy are here.

We have a need for volunteers to deliver on some events & projects throughout the year.

If you feel you could help - please fill out the form below.
 

From the feedback we received at the recent 'Roadshow' event, and previous consultations, we have introduced a few new changes to our Car Club vehicle initially for May & June.

• The car hire charges for Island based members will be removed.
• We are offering a Community Transport service with the car.

We now have our own 'JustGiving' page, where we can accept donations.  If you support our work, or are using the electric car and want to contribute - then this is the place to go!

https://www.justgiving.com/rewdt
 

We have launched a new monthly 'Newsletter' which will be emailed out to members (where we have email addresses.  Printed copies are available on request, and will be available when we have our new offices.

The first edition is viewable below (click to view)

We have the tenders back from two companies who will undertake the work, unfortunately build costs are far more than was originally planned for.  With the assistance of our consultants we are looking to source extra external funding before committing to the work.

In the meantime we are launching REWDT 'Homehunt', which is a new process for registering current and future interest in affordable rental housing on REW.



The simple online form asks for applicants details, as well as current/future housing requirements.  This will help us formulate a housing plan for the future.

More details on allocation policies and priority passes will follow once we begin building the two new houses.

The Trust has now become an accredited 'Living Wage' employer.  

This means that as a business we’ve made the conscious decision to ensure that our employees and contracted workers are paid a fair day’s wage. The real Living Wage is independently calculated on an annual basis and is based on the best available living standards in the UK.

The Living Wage accreditation is awarded by The Living Wage Foundation, which is an independent organisation that recognises UK businesses who demonstrate a commitment to ensuring their employees and contractors are paid a wage that provides a comfortable standard of living.

As a business, we’ve always wanted to reward the hard work and dedication shown from of our employees, and by making a commitment to join an established and recognised organisation such as The Living Wage Foundation we hope to encourage other businesses in the facilities management sector to make a similar promise to their employees.

For more details visit the Living Wage Foundation website.

Please support the REW DT by becoming a member.

For a membership form please click here

Being a member entitles you to:

• join our - membership base 
• receive an annual report of the Trust’s activities and projects;
• attend and vote at the Trust’s Annual General Meeting, including voting for directors;
• apply to become a director of the Trust, if you wish.

If you are interested in tendering for the contract to build the two houses planned for the land at the end of Johnstons Road, please contact the REW DT for information, either by phone 821229 or email info@rewdt.org

The tender deadline for submission is the 31 March 2023

We look forward to hearing from you.
 

The work by Casey’s has now been completed but there is still some work to do before we can have the official opening in the Spring 2023. The planters also need to be filled early in the new year for the opening - if you are interested in helping to do this, please let Peter or Helen know. 
 
In the meantime, if you do want to have a look at the boardwalk, please take care as it is not completely finished and you will therefore be accessing the boardwalk at your own risk. 

Photos of the boardwalk are on our Favebook page.
 

The project is progressing well, and Directors are continuing to work with the consultants to plan the building of the two x 2-bed bungalows, which will be built on the land at the end of Johnston’s Road. The majority of the funds for the project are expected to be provided from the Island & Rural Housing Fund. 

Our consultants have produced the final design for the builds (please view below), following the Housing Needs Survey conducted in our community earlier this year. Each property will have its own garden and parking. We are on track to commence building in 2023, and we will keep provide updates as the project progresses. 

We currently have 2 outside allotment plots available £20.00 each or the year and 3 poly tunnel plots available at £10 each for the year.

If you would like a plot, please contact either Helen on 821229 or helen@rewdt.org or phone Ian on 07879 496686

Happy Gardening.

Thank you to all those who came to the AGM on 28 May 2022.  Please find the draft minutes here.

The approved AGM minutes from the 27 February 2021 can be found here.

We look forward to seeing you all at next year's AGM

Following a number of recent incidents, and so that we can continue to keep the playpark open, we would like to remind parents and guardians about a couple of important rules!

* The playpark equipment is provided for the enjoyment of children up to 12 years of age only.

* As always, children using the facility should be supervised by a responsible adult at all times. Children should never be left unattended in the playpark. 

Please help us to keep the playpark clean and safe, as we really don't want to resort to closing the facility. 

We are very pleased to share with you that our project consultant will be visiting Rousay this month, to hold discussion group sessions with our community. The consultant will be holding multiple sessions on the weekend of Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th December. 

'The Pier' building was purchased by REWDT in January 2020, following a period of leasing the property. The first part of this post-purchase consultation phase was rolled out at the end of 2020, with a survey sent to every adult resident in our community. The feedback was collated by the independent consultants and published in the form of a report, which we shared with the community in February 2021. 

Although the survey gave us great insight into what people in our community are thinking about the future of The Pier site, this next phase will be in the form of small discussion groups, to enable us to focus in on the key points raised so far, and to narrow down the options for the site, ready for an Options Appraisal. There will be a short presentation about the project, followed by an open discussion between members of the community and an experienced, independent consultant. 

Some of you may feel like we have been here before, as we already produced a short survey on The Pier prior to purchase, but this consisted of a list of options, and there are a number of complex decisions to be made. In effect, what we have done since last year, is go back to the beginning of the consultation process, in order to ensure that we capture everything, with a thorough consideration of the suggestions put forward by the community, in order to make best use of the site and our resources, which the Board believes is better for the long-term success of the project. 

We intended for the next part of the consultation to commence promptly following the survey, but Covid-19 restrictions prevented us from being able to hold larger gatherings, including being unable to hire a suitable premises in our community. It was really important to us that the consultation is carried out here in the community rather than online, so that as many people as possible have the opportunity to take part. We have only recently been able to confirm hire of the School, and things have moved very quickly following this confirmation. 

Finally, The Pier site is still closed, for safety reasons, following an oil leak at the site last year and the ongoing assessment by the insurer. We realise it is incredibly frustrating to see the building closed and unused, especially now that things are beginning to open up again. It is clear that there is an array of opinions in the community about how best to use the building, but we are generally aligned on two things: firstly, that the building should be brought back into use for people in our community; and, secondly, that the site has an opportunity to make a positive contribution to our community, in whatever form the project takes. The scope and nature of the development at the site will be guided by this consultation process with our community.

Our Board hopes that as many people as possible will take part in the discussions with the consultant, whatever your views on the project or its progress to date, as we want to get a fair representation of the views in our community, and these contributions will have a direct impact on the future of the project.

To help us manage attendee numbers, pre-booking your attendance at the consultation sessions is essential. You can book online here (on Eventbrite), or please email us (info@rewdt.org) or telephone 01856 821229. We look forward to seeing you there! 

The Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust has teamed up with The UHI Archaeology Institute to support islanders during and beyond the Covid-19 Pandemic. Fieldwork activities on Rousay in 2020 (e.g. Skaill farm and Swandro) have been postponed. This project provides an opportunity to support residents (young and old) to discover, access and enjoy archaeology and heritage resources on the internet.

The digital resource pack is designed to provide islanders with a basic guide and links to online archaeology and heritage resources. This will support training sessions where participants can undertake their own research, or this pack can be used for general interest.

Go to the Heritage page for more information and a link to the resource pack.

To register an interest in the project contact Dan Lee on Daniel.Lee@uhi.ac.uk
 

For the REW DT Articles of Association please click here

The REW DT Directors and staff are thrilled to hear that they have been successful in their application and will received £260,000 for the purchase of land at Trumland estate.

The project will create two employment opportunities, a Project Office and a Ranger post. The project will create environmentally safe accessible walkways to allow access to the new viewing points and picnic areas, the provision of public toilets at Saviskaill beach and the possibility of using the land to enhance digital connectivity.

Ellie Roberts has been appointed as the Project Officer.  One of her main roles is to help facilitate the Trumland Land purchase and then to develop, and find funding for, the related projects as voted for in the last community survey.  The purchase process is extremely complex and is likely to take some months yet so, meantime, Rachael has been researching the possibilities for creating access paths to viewing points at the top of Kierfea and nearby the big community turbine at Kingarly.

The Ranger post will be advertised later in the year and will involve looking at the control of invasive species and the promotion of the land and everything it has to offer. 

The final version of the survey can be downloaded here for Adults, for Primary School children here and for Secondary School age here.  The first survey question was 'What would you especially like the trust to do for you?', the answers received have been collated as a 'Mind Map' and can be viewed here.  Hard copies will be placed around the three islands for people to read too.

The directors will use the report to improve services where possible and start projects linked to the report findings. There will be more updates on the DT's progress here and in future Reviews but we would like to hear from any individual or group regarding your ideas on how we can best serve our community and move forward the survey's findings.