News Archive - October 2017

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31 October 2017

Your Cash Your Caithness - Another Chance For Funds
Caithness Members of The Highland Council have set aside £15,000.00 from their Ward Discretionary Budgets to let the local community once again decide for themselves which projects are needed in their area. Whether you want to organise a dance for young people, a healthy living project, a crime prevention idea, a lunch club for older residents, a community art project, the only limit is your imagination. To apply for up to £1,500.00 you must submit an application before 5.00pm on Sunday 3 December 2017. If your idea fits, the community will get to vote for the best ideas at an event to be held on Saturday 27 January 2018 in Thurso. At the event you will be required to talk about your idea to the community. Those in attendance will then vote on all the applications and a decision will be made on the day.

SSE Sustainable Development Fund - Now Open for Applications
The criteria for the fund is as follows and more information is available on the fund guidelines and application form documents which are included below: Creating opportunities - increased opportunities for education and employment Empowering communities - build resilience and protect vulnerable residents Building sustainable places - stimulate meaningful community regeneration Completed applications should be sent to Marianne Townsley by 12 Noon on Wednesday 31 January 2018.

27 October 2017

Demonstations On Saturday 28th At Dunbar Hospital, Thurso and Town and County, Wick
Dunbar Hospital       Town and County







Everything is set for the demonstrations organised by CHAT in support of the health care services in Caithness ahead of another review by NHS Highland.

Demonstration times are -

Dunbar Hospital, Thurso  - Gathering 10.00am for press  photos calls etc - 10.15am march to Thurso High 
10.30am - Polticians from 4 parties to give their view on what is happening to health services in Caithness.

Town and County Hospital, Wick - Gathering 2.00pm for press and photos etc - 2.15pm march to Assembly Rooms.
2.30pm Politicians from 4 parties to give their view on what is happening to health servicesin Caithness.

CHAT Facebook

23 October 2017

Town and County Hospital - A Lovely Facility in Caithness But What Is Its Future?







The Town and County Hospital is shortly to be part of a review of health services in Caithness by NHS Highland.  In coming weeks a list of options wil be put up for public consultation.  A family have organised a candle lit vigil to show support for the hospital and its staff in memory of a relative cared for at the hospital. The vigil will start at 6.30pm on Thursday 26th October and is in advance of the rallies at Town and County Hospital and Dunbar Hospital in Thurso on Satruday 28th October.  The Caithness community has contributed many things to the hospital over the years and much work has been done on the gardens - it is a much loved and appreciated facility for Caithness.

YOUR CASH YOUR CAITHNESS - How would you change Caithness?
Do you have an idea that will make Caithness a better place for everyone? Do you need up to £1,500.00 to put your idea into action? If your answer is YES then ‘YOUR CASH YOUR CAITHNESS' is the opportunity for you to make your project happen. Deadline for applications is Sunday 3rd December 2017.

21 October 2017

Health and Wellbeing Day At Pulteney Centre
A few photos of some of the stalls and participants at the Health and well being day held in Pulteney Centre, Wick.  A few links with our photos to web sites for information if you did not manage along to pick up leaflets etc.  Most of the organisations there have web sites or phone numbers and there is a huge amount of help around if you know where to find it.

19 October 2017

New Beginnings Care Course - FREE







JUST ENTERPRISE/FIRSTPORT - 2 FREE WORKSHOPS IN WICK
Monday 23 October - Telford House, Williamson Street, Wick Planning & Delivery 10.30am - 12.30pm Branding & Marketing 1pm - 3pm

18 October 2017

Basic Food Hygiene Course For Voluntary Groups
Caithness Voluntary Group. Basic Food Hygiene Course, Telford House, Wick.
Tuesday 21st November, 10.30am - 12.30pm.
This is a two hour free course suitable for voluntary groups that may organise fundraising activities such as coffee mornings, food stalls or village hall events and need to know about food hygiene and food safety. The training is delivered by a NHS Community Food and Health Practitioner.


Do You Know Anything About This Go-Cart?
It is a long shot but someone is looking for this Go-cart sold 10 years ago.  Is it still aroundin Caithness?





Caithness Access Disabled Panel Questionnaire For Businesses
The above panel have been working over the last few years to build a website which would benefit people living in and visiting Caithness, in relation to visiting/using "accessible" services for people with disabilities.

JOSEPH KENNETH 'KEN' BUTLER- Obituary
Born 14.05.1939 at Warrington- Died 05.10.2017 at Thurso Caithness . Physicist & Botanist ; Assistant Director at the Dounreay Nuclear Power Establishment & published botanical author. The death of physicist J. Kenneth 'Ken' Butler at the age of 79 after a three-year battle with cancer, brings to an end a direct link with the earliest days of the Dounreay Nuclear Power Establishment, just ten miles from his home at Thurso, Scotland's only North coast town.

14 October 2017

Caithness Heart Support Group handed over equipment to Wick GP surgeries
Caithness Heart Support Group handed over the latest equipment it has funded, to the medical practices at Wick GP surgeries.

 

12 October 2017

Wick event to focus on health and wellbeing services
THE county's second Health and Wellbeing Market is taking place at the Pulteney Centre in Wick on Saturday, 21st October 2017. There will be 23 stalls offering information on health and wellbeing services that can be accessed in Caithness. The event is being organised by Caithness Health Improvement Forum with Caithness Voluntary Group (CVG), Pulteneytown People's Project (PPP) and the NHS, and will run from 11am to 3pm. It follows on from the first Health and Wellbeing Market which was held at the same venue in April 2016 and attended by around 170 people. The aim is to showcase the wide range of opportunities available locally to benefit general health as well as mental, spiritual, emotional and social wellbeing.     Community Index

Living Better With a Long Term Condition - Check Out The Boccia Group In Wick







Wick Swimming Pool - opening times for School Holidays
More public swimming time during school holidays as no swimming lessons.

Thurso Swimming Pool - opening times for School Holidays
Plenty time for swimming right now.


CHAT 100 Mile Helper Kits READY TO GO
Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT) have now put the 100 Mile Helper Kits together and wil shortly be distrubuting them to Hositals and GP practices. The 100 Mile Helper kits are good to go! First batches going to hospitals today. CHAT said "Thank you so much for all the donations that made these possible."
     
      CHAT new web site launched                  CHAT Facebook

Caithness Soup - Local Crowd Funding (with soup)

9 October 2017

St Fergus Bowling Club Donates £300 to Laurandy Day Care Centre
St Fergus Bowling club in Wick recently donated £300 to the Laurandy Day Care Centre in Wick. St Fergus Bowling Club Chairman Malky Mackay handed over a cheque for £300 to Laurandy Centre chairman Bill Fernie.  Bill Fernie thanked the St. Fergus club for their generous donation and said,"I continue to be amazed at the giving by groups and individuals in Wick towards out centre that recently took over care for the Alzheimer's group that closed. We need to fund raise continually to maintain the services we provide. The staff and volunteers at Laurandy do wonderful job for the elderly in our community and I know from speaking to many people that the service is highly valued."

Parents from far north 'let down' by Raigmore Hospital - Inverness Courier
A NEW mum whose baby was born prematurely put a plea on Facebook for a spare room after she felt let down by the family hospital accommodation at Raigmore Hospital. Demi Mitchell, from Helmsdale, was given a room in the special unit so she could be close to her baby, who has been kept in the hospital’s special baby care unit after being born weighing just 2lbs and 13ozs. But she was left "heartbroken" after a strict ‘no children’ rule at the hospital’s free accommodation block forced her to be parted from her two-year-old daughter, who was left pining at home nearly 70 miles away.

Wedding Dresses Display Cash Handed Over To CHAT
Rev. John Nugent the minister at St Fergus Church handed over £794 from the Wedding Dresses display by the ladies at St Fergus Church, Wick. Bill Fernie, chairman of Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT) thanked the ladies who organised the display and accepted the money on behalf of CHAT. Bill said,"The generosity of Caithness people has been truly amazing and they are rallying round the campaign to fight cuts to health services in the north." Bill spent the day at the display in St Fergus church and spoke to many of the people who attended to see the dresses and look at the many wedding photos.

Wedding Dresses Display At St Fergus Church, Wick in aid of CHAT Funds
The ladies of St Fergus church rallied round to help Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT) with yet another fund raiser.  Each year they choose a cause to support either abroad or local  This year they decide to help CHAT in their efforts to stop continued reduction in local health services by NHS Highland.  Some of the ladies who visited the display were in their 80's and 90's determined to show their support and spoke about the many times they or their families had used health services locally and in particular maternity services in Caithness.

6 October 2017

Wedding Memorabilia Display in aid of CHAT
at St Fergus Church, Wick Saturday 7th October 10.30am - 3.30pm
Call in to see the display and support CHAT.

Final Leg Of Tesco Lands End to John O'Groats Walk
TESCO walkers had to brave wind and rain on the last, Caithness lap of their end-to-end charity walk bit got a champagne reception at John O' Groats. This was the final year of the National Charity Partnership with Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation.

3 October 2017

Praise for B876 Killimster Moss road refurbishment
A stretch of the Caithness Wick to Thurso road at Killimster Moss was refurbished over a four week programme of improvement and reopened on Friday 29 September. This in-house project by The Highland Council saw Development and Infrastructure staff design the road refurbishment and Community Services staff carry out the works. The Council teams received loud praise from local Wick and East Caithness Councillor Willie Mackay.


The men who worked on the road with Councillor Mackay
Caithness Civic leader Cllr Willie Mackay (centre) cuts the tape at the opening of the newly refurbished half mile Killimster Moss stretch of the B876 Wick to Thurso road. Looking on are some of the Highland council workers praised for the project which was done on time and within budget. From left Kevin Mackay Community works officer, Colin Smith, Ian Rainford, Donald Cormack and Alastair Mackenzie.

2 October 2017

Thurso volunteers planning BIG clean up of Riverside area  - You Can Help
The Pay it Forward Thurso collective have been very busy in recent weeks cleaning up various areas of Thurso. They have worked to weed along Victoria Walk and the Esplanade area. The activity by the group has encouraged residents of Thurso to go out and clean up their own areas of the town. Two young brothers Kian and Jayden Mackay completed a litter pick around their home in Harold Drive and a weeding mission was completed by the residents of Bower Court on the pathways surrounding their homes. Keeping the momentum going and keen to make the most of the autumnal weather before winter sets in Pay it Forward Thurso in conjunction with Thurso Town Improvements Association are preparing for the BIG Riverside clean this weekend Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th October from 10am - 4pm.   You can contribute time or a small donation to help.

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