2000
In 1999 the GDO (Gairloch and District Outreach) set up a youth committee to look at services for young people in the area. Janet Miles was employed as the Local Development Worker for LEAF at the time. Derek Morrison, chair of the GDO, approached Janet for help, particularly around start up funding and governance for getting the group set up.
By early 2000 we started discussing the idea of setting up a Youth Cafe in the area with other like minded individuals and groups. At the time LEAF only covered the Wester Loch Ewe area and so the idea was raised with Wester Loch Ewe Community Council (WLECC) initially. Robbie Russell, chair of WLECC, was also employed by Highland Council in their Community Education department where youth work was part of his remit – so making the suggestion at the WLECC was a sensible first step.
Having secured support from Highland Council and WLECC we (LEAF and GDO) carried out a survey of every child in Gairloch High School in September 2000. We also invited respondents to volunteer to join a steering group. LEAF designed, printed and distributed this questionnaire and produced a report on the findings which we shared with all involved.
We then set up a steering group which included LEAF staff, Directors and members, WLECC members, Robbie Russell/Highland Council, GDO, Gairloch High School pupils and parents. The minutes of the first meeting can be read below.
It was agreed early on that the Youth Cafe should cover the whole Gairloch and Loch Ewe area and not just Wester Loch Ewe. This was one of the factors leading to the extension of LEAF’s operating area to cover Gairloch. The Youth Cafe acted as a catalyst for LEAF becoming GALE and so it became an integral part of GALE’s history.
Once the Steering Group was established we negotiated with Gairloch Hall to see if we could use the rifle range as the premises. This was secured after some negotiation with the rifle club and the hall committee. We continued to lobby Highland Council for support and they eventually offered us a Youth Worker late in 2001 – the first we’d had in the area, so we saw this as a major result. Susan MacLean got the job and within that role she was asked to lead the Steering Group and roll out the project. The great work continued with Susan and culminated in the opening of The Den.