Public Consultation - The Shieling
GALE held a public consultation on 27th February at both The GALE Centre and The Shieling. The date had been advertised in the Gairloch & District Times on 10th and 24th February as well as being on social media and our website. Everyone who asked to attend was accommodated and it was great to see representation from a wide range of groups as well as individual members of the general public.
The brief presentation below was delivered by Cory Jones, Chair of the GALE Board of Directors. Everyone was given the opportunity to ask questions. The common questions on the process and procedures of the purchase are captured in the Q& A below.
We invite you to review the presentation, in particular the second last slide which lists the ideas for how the space at The Shieling could be used as a Community Hub. You can send your thoughts on these or any other ideas you may have by completing the form at the bottom of this post.
The Presentation
Q & A
Why is GALE closing a well established business?
GALE is seeking to purchase the building known as The Shieling through accessing funds available from the Scottish Land Fund (SLF). The owner of the business wishes to retire and needs to dispose of this asset to make that happen. He is happy to sell the building to GALE. The business remains on the open market for interested parties.
What benefit does GALE bring to people living outwith the village of Gairloch?
- 57% of our cafe bakers are based outwith Gairloch – in Poolewe and Aultbea
- 46% of our staff team live in Poolewe and Aultbea
- 35% of our art and craft suppliers are based in Poolewe, Aultbea and Kinlochewe
- 49% of our advertisers (holiday accommodation, activity providers etc) are based in Poolewe, Aultbea and Kinlochewe
- 60% of our volunteers are from Poolewe and Aultbea.
Why does GALE not use its funds to support local business?
Through a local first approach to goods and services, GALE adds to the finances of local businesses. In 2022 we paid £27,431 pounds to 52 local producers and suppliers. Milk and bread purchased for the Community Café made The Pier Shop our second largest supplier. The Perfume Studio’s luxury handmade soaps helped the Studio top the local suppliers charts in 2022. We have only highlighted two of the local businesses here but we are grateful that all 52 choose to partner with GALE.
Charities like GALE cannot make donations to a business – it is not permitted and would not fit with their charitable purposes. The Scottish Charities Register (OSCR) outlines appropriate charitable purposes on their website. GALE’s main charitable purpose is the advancement of citizenship and community development.
Is it appropriate to use public money to buy The Shieling?
Yes, the Scottish Land Fund is backed by the Scottish Government to bring land and land assets into community ownership. The Scottish Land Fund is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. It offers grants of up to £1 million to help communities take ownership of the land and buildings that matter to them, as well as practical support to develop projects.
Why was the meeting not held in the community hall to allow more people to attend?
Hosting the majority of the meeting at The Shieling allowed everyone, whether familiar with space or not, to visualise how the area could be used as a multi-purpose community resource. Everyone who advised us of their attendance, and those who did not, were accommodated during the day. Group sizes were arranged as close as would permit to allow for a less formal setting which encouraged open debate and discussion.
Your Managing Director is on the board of both GALE and the SLF. How is the conflict of interest being managed?
The application to the Scottish Land Fund is being completed and submitted by Cory Jones (Chair, GALE Board of Directors). GALE’s Managing Director is not involved in our SLF application and will not be involved in any decision making relating to the project. Any conflict of interest has therefore been managed by removing our Managing Director from both sides of the application process.
Who will make the final decision on which of the suggested projects will end up in the Stage two submission?
GALE is asking for input from our community. Before the stage one application we had engaged with over 500 local residents. The above presentation was given to over 75 people who gave both verbal and written feedback at the public consultation held on 27th February. We want to hear from more of you and ask that you complete the contact form below.
All the information gathered will be used by the Board to pull out the best and most popular ideas that can work together for a sustainable Community Hub located within The Shieling. The final application and business plan will be completed and submitted by our Chair, Cory Jones.
How could the space be used?
We’ve been running The GALE Centre for over 10 years and it has become a hugely successful social and economic hub for the whole Gairloch and Loch Ewe area. It is now bursting at the seams and operating at full capacity.
Buying the Shieling would allow us to grow and expand our activity, benefitting more people and developing new community projects and services.
Suggestions already received regarding how the space could be used include:
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Office accommodation and meeting space – Our meeting space in the GALE Centre is well used by lots of different community groups as well as individuals needing a hot desk. We also have 25 staff of our own to accommodate.
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Kitchen facilities – our community café is in full swing all year round and we could make use of additional kitchen prep and storage space. The Shieling has a lovely walk in freezer and chill that we could use immediately to support our community café.
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Growing space – our raised beds at the GALE Centre are productive. They supply our community café and support a range of learning and volunteering opportunities. Owning The Shieling would allow us to create more growing space. We would particularly love to have a poly tunnel to let us extend the growing season and give our volunteers some indoor space to garden.
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Housing – we are all aware of the huge housing need in our community and the impact this has had on local businesses being able to get staff. We would like to look at the feasibility of using part of The Shieling to create accommodation for local workers, people who have secured a job in our community but can’t take it up because they have no accommodation.
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Jobs – GALE already employs 25 local people and provides income to a further 75. Owning the Shieling would enable us to create more year round jobs.
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Community Pub – we’ve had lots of suggestions from people wanting a community pub and even a cocktail bar. It’s something we’re happy to look into if there is enough local interest and demand.
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Library of things – this idea has come up as part of our community consultation work over the last 12 months. It’s a place you can come to borrow a range of things from tools to tents and anything in between.
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Second Hand Shop – another idea that came out of our community consultation work. We used to have a successful second hand shop in Gairloch that helped reduce waste but also raised funds for local good causes. Many folk have said they would love to see a similar shop opened again in the area and the Shieling may be just the place to house it.
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Refillery – A place to bring along your empty containers and fill them up with all kinds of everyday essentials from washing liquid to lentils. It’s a great way to reduce packaging and waste while also reducing costs.
We want to hear your thoughts.
Fill in your name and postcode. There is space for comments or other suggestions.
To indicate that you would be in favour of any of the ideas just tick the appropriate box.
Remember to click SEND when you are finished.
Over the past 12 months GALE has brought the following benefits to local people in the Gairloch and Loch Ewe area. The benefit to the local economy is over £340K per annum. The purchase of The Shieling will allow us to do more.
