Local Residents Wanted To Help Manage Community Fund

3rd July 2012

Residents living in three Community Council areas south and west of Wick are being recruited to be part of a local community panel to decide on how a £150,000 community fund should be distributed.

Nominations are invited from residents of Latheron, Lybster and Clyth; Tannach and District; and Watten Community Council areas to represent their community on the E.ON Camster Community Fund panel when funds become available for community projects next year.

The Scottish Community Foundation (SCF) has been appointed by the wind farm operator, E.ON, to manage the community fund. The Foundation will work with communities to help them decide how funds should be allocated, using its grant-making expertise to ensure positive long lasting impact.

Representatives of the three Community Councils have been working with the Scottish Community Foundation to establish the fund and to recruit a panel to take the work forward.

The 12 member panel will consist of four representatives from each of the three Community Council areas. Members will include one Community Councillor and three members of the public who are over 18 and living in the area. Interested individuals can nominate themselves via the nomination form for their Community Council area.

Residents can find out more about the fund and about becoming a panel member by:
Visiting the E.ON Camster Community Benefit Fund stand at the Latheron Show from 1pm to 3.30pm on Saturday 14 July;
Dropping in for a morning cuppa and a chat in the Watten Hall on Saturday 14 July from 9.30am to 11am;
Dropping in to the Smiddy, Thrumster on Tuesday 17 July between 6.30pm and 8.30pm.

Latheron, Lybster and Clyth CC area:
The nomination period for the 3 places available to residents runs from Monday 6 August to Thursday 30 August. Completed nomination forms should be returned by post to the Scottish Community Foundation office in Inverness by noon on Monday 20 August or should be brought to a public meeting being held on Thursday 30 August at 7.30pm in the Lybster Bowling Club where nominations will be accepted. The meeting will appoint representatives and hold an election if more than 3 nominations are received. Everyone on the electoral role for the CC area is eligible to vote.

Nomination forms for the Latheron, Lybster and Clyth CC area are available from:
Any of the information events list above
Lybster Post Office
Community Council Members
From www.scottishcf.org/camster

Tannach and District CC area
The nomination period for the 3 places available to residents runs from Monday 6 August to noon on Monday 20 August. Completed nomination forms should be returned by post to the Scottish Community Foundation office in Inverness by noon on Monday 20 August. An open Community Council meeting will be held at 7pm on Tuesday 28 August in the Old School, Tannach, to appoint representatives and hold an election if more than 3 nominations are received. Everyone on the electoral role for the CC area is eligible to vote.

Nomination forms for the Tannach and District CC area are available from:
Any of the information events list above
Community Council Members
From www.scottishcf.org/camster
From www.tannachanddistrict.org

Watten CC area:
The nomination period for the 3 places available to residents runs from Monday 6 August to Tuesday 28 August. Completed nomination forms should be returned by post to the Scottish Community Foundation office in Inverness by noon on Monday 20 August or should be brought to the open Community Council meeting being held on Tuesday 28 August at 8pm in the Watten Hall where nominations will be accepted. The meeting will appoint representatives and hold an election if more than 3 nominations are received. Everyone on the electoral role for the CC area is eligible to vote.

Nomination forms for the Watten CC area are available from:
Any of the information events list above
At the Watten Hall on 14 July from 9.30am to 11am.
Watten Post Office
Community Council Members
From www.scottishcf.org/camster

The fund will support constituted community groups, not-for profit organisations and registered charities providing services and activities for the benefit of the community. The Foundation will receive and process the applications but the community panel will make the recommendations on how best the money should be spent within their community.

Panel members will serve between 2 - 4 years. Subsequent elections for representatives will be organised by each community council as necessary to fill panel places.

For more information residents should contact their Community Councillors or the local Scottish Community Foundation representative, Carol Elliot, on 07500 779 227.