Advisory / Counseling Services News
As 2019 draws to an end, the staff and volunteers at HI-Scot credit union are reflecting on a successful year for the organisation. "We are pleased to report that 2019 was another twelve months of growth for HI-Scot," said Margaret Ann MacLeod, Chair of the Board of Directors, "This is good news not only for the credit union, but for our members and the communities we serve across the Highlands and Islands." At the recent HI-Scot AGM, the members attending approved a 0.5% dividend.
Christmas came early across the Highlands and Islands for members of HI-Scot credit union. Canny savers received their Christmas savings in November, leaving plenty of time to get their Christmas shopping done.
Social enterprises are a critical part of the rural economy contributing £250m in the Highlands and Islands and South of Scotland areas. This is according to new figures released by HIE and South of Scotland Economic Partnership (SoSEP).
The number thirteen might be unlucky for some, but not HI-Scot credit union who are celebrating thirteen years of serving their members across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. From humble beginnings as an idea conceived by hard-working volunteers determined to bring an ethical, community-minded option for saving and borrowing to the islands, Western Isles credit union (HI-Scot's original incarnation) opened its doors in 2006.
As part of the nuclear sector deal, to foster ever-stronger links between the British and Japanese nuclear industry, Councillor Struan Mackie who represents Thurso and North West Caithness on Highland Council (Deputy-Chair of the Dounreay Stakeholder Group) undertook a five day Japanese visit to discuss the impact of nuclear decommissioning on local communities with stakeholders in Tsuruga City, Fukui prefecture. The whistle-stop visit included two days in Tsuruga on , the home of the Japanese Atomic Energy Agencies fast reactor ‘Monju', is generally regarded to be a ‘partner plant' to Dounreay's PFR in Caithness.
Dounreay's latest supplier information day, hosted jointly with companies appointed to its decommissioning services framework, has proved popular with companies from around the UK. Around 200 people packed into a venue in Wick, Caithness to hear about plans for future work to decommission the site.
Half of the last remaining radioactive fuel elements jammed for decades inside the iconic Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR) have now been removed. DFR with its famous dome once led the world in fast breeder technology.
Wellness Tourism is worth over £500bn worldwide, and has grown more than twice as fast as tourism overall. Join us for the latest series of ‘TUNE INTO TOURISM', and explore how you can capitalise on this growing trend.
Employers can help their staff to save very easily by offering payroll deductions each month with a credit union. Credit unions are financial co-operatives owned and controlled by their members.
In October HI-Scot, the credit union for the Highlands and Islands, will take part in a worldwide celebration of credit unions. Thursday 17th October is International Credit Union Day 2019, a day which highlights the history and achievements of the movement, as well as raising the profile of the work of credit unions in local communities, reflected in this year's theme: 'Local Service, Global Reach.' "HI-Scot has been working across the Highlands and Islands for thirteen years and, in 2019, we have over three thousand members," said HI-Scot General Manager, David Mackay, "In that time we have approved over four thousand loans.
Businesses in the Highlands and Islands looking to develop their use of digital technology and innovation are set to benefit from a new £465,000 support programme. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) announced the investment on Monday 30 September 2019 at a digital collaboration event to launch the refreshed #hellodigital facility in An Lochran, Inverness.
Fourteen delegates from organisations across Europe that are tackling socio-economic challenges will visit the Highlands this week. The visit is part of the next project meeting of the Support Network for Social Entrepreneurs (SuNSE) and will take place during 1-3 October in Inverness and Sutherland.
Seven community projects are to benefit from over £80k of funding following the Caithness & North Sutherland Fund's latest grant awards. CNSFund Chairperson David Glass said "Our latest funding includes improvements to youth activities, community and recreational facilities as well as progressing an ambitious project to establish a major visitor attraction in Caithness.
The latest Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Business Panel Survey published today (10 September) shows that 89% of companies across the region are offering benefits such as competitive levels of pay, training and skills development, flexible working and paying the living wage. Over a thousand businesses across the region took part in the latest survey conducted between 10 June and 8 July.
Plans to create a spaceport that will launch communications satellites into orbit from the Moine peninsula in Sutherland are set to be unveiled for discussion at public meetings over the next two months. Development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which is backing the £17.3m project to design and build Space Hub Sutherland, has today (Wednesday 4 September) lodged a proposal of application notice with the Highland Council.
Seven Dounreay apprentices have received their indenture certificates at a special event to mark the successful conclusion of their 4-year training programme. The latest group ‘graduating' joined the company in 2015 - the 60th year apprentices had been part of the workforce at Dounreay and the first time in more than a decade that design office apprentices had been recruited.
Pentland Housing Association has decided to transfer to Cairn Housing Association following a strategic review. Tenants, staff and board members were all involved in the review which was set up to plan for the future of the Association and how it provides homes and services to tenants and other customers.
The first concrete pour has taken place on a new waste store at Dounreay that will be needed for the closure of the site. Dounreay awarded the contract to construct the new intermediate level waste store to GRAHAM Construction Ltd.
People with a business idea that will benefit their local community or environment will soon have access to a new programme of support, being launched across the Highlands and Islands. Known as the Social Start-Up School, the innovative programme will be delivering four locally focused initiatives.
Don't Lose Out On Potential Contracts In Coming Months. Help for contractors in Caithness and Sutherland with registration on the Public Contracts Scotland portal and their completion of the Highland Council's Trade Services Framework Agreement.