New agreement for the Royal National M�d in the Highlands

14th April 2010

Members of the Highland Council's Gaelic Committee have approved a draft Service Delivery Contract between An Comunn G�idhealach and The Highland Council in relation to the delivery of Royal National M�ds in the Highlands.

The agreement is to set out the partnership between the Council and An Comunn in the provision of services by An Comunn associated with the Royal National M�d within The Highland Council area.

The purpose of the agreement is to identify clearly the services offered by An Comunn and the quality and costs of the Service provision.

The length of the draft agreement will cover the period from 1st April 2010 to 31st December 2020 and will be formally reviewed after each Royal National M�d that takes place in The Highland Council area in 2010, 2014, 2017 and 2020.

The full agreement can be found on the Highland Council web site under the Gaelic Committee at -
http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/committees/strategiccommittees/gaeliccommittee-english/2010-04-15-gc-ag.htm

The locations of the M�d in Highland will be agreed by the Council and An Comunn.

Councillor Hamish Fraser, Chairman of The Highland Council's Gaelic Committee said: "We are delighted that this agreement has been reached with An Comunn G�idhealach which confirms both organisations' commitment to the celebration and development of the Gaelic language. This premiere event will continue to provide the Gaidhealtachd with the opportunity to participate in many diverse competitions from performances to the creative arts. We welcome the acknowledgement of the Highlands as an important hub in the Royal National M�d event circuit and we are delighted that the M�d will be hosted in Highland towns every 3rd year until 2020."

John MacLeod, President of An Comunn G�idhealach said: "An Comunn are delighted to acknowledge the continued support from The Highland Council towards hosting the Royal National M�d. The agreement running until 2020 provides stability and certainty in a difficult economic climate."