We are currently working on a number of projects within the trust which is keeping everyone very busy.
The Fountain Road Hall
We have been successful in the community buyout of the Fountain Road Hall, with the assistance of
grants and with pledges from members of the public. This is a fantastic facility and a great venue for
special events, weddings, funerals, private parties and a number of health and fitness sessions to
name but a few. Full details and booking information are available on the Fountain Road Hall section of the website.
The YMCA building
Go Golspie have now taken over the lease for the YMCA building on the Main Street and with the
assistance of grant funding, work is already well underway with a new roof on the rear of the
building over the Youth Club. We hope we can open this facility up to local youths by the end of
2021, early 2022. We would also hope to use this part of the building as a drop-in centre where
local residents can pop in, say hello and have a chat. Our Go Golspie office will also be located in this
part of the building when the relevant work has been completed. The cost and availability of
building materials may have some impact on the progress of this project.
Play Parks
There are currently two play parks in Golspie, one on Ross Street and the other, The King George V
Park, which is located on the south side of the main road (A9) as you approach from the south.
Funding has been secured to allow for old unsuitable equipment to be removed and for new play
equipment to be purchased and installed, including equipment which is suitable for disabled
children. Further funding is still required and more information is available at Fundraiser by Golspie
Parks: Golspie Play Parks.
Tourism
A short life working group was established after which a tourism strategy was completed and
published in conjunction with SKS Scotland Golspie-2030-Tourism-Strategy-FINAL.pdf
(gogolspie.co.uk) showing that a number of points were required to improve, support and encourage
tourism within Golspie. This included the acquisition of new tourist information signs which we now
have taken possession of and hope to have erected in the very near future. Keep looking out for
these new signs in the village.
The Breakwater Project
A £300,000 breakwater project designed to combat coastal flooding at Golspie was first suggested
by shore front residents Ian Melville and Bert Gibson, who formed a flood action group in 2015. Go
Golspie and Golspie Community Council, as well as the flood group will progress this project which
will be managed and overseen by our development manager. The village has been officially
identified as one of 42 “potentially vulnerable” areas for flooding in Scotland. Golspie Community
Council is committing its share of funding amounting to around £120,000 from a Gordonbush Wind
Farm funding application over the next five years and more funding is still being sought for
completion of this project.
The Highland Council have also submitted a bid to the Scottish Government for £1.3 million funding
to raise the seawall at Golspie by 900mm to cope with expected rising tides.
Transport
Following community consultation, transport was identified as a massive issue in the Sutherland
area and Golspie was no exception. As a result of the findings, we now have a community minibus
which is available for hire and also an electric car which is solely for the purpose of taking local
residents to and from appointments at the doctor, dentist, chemist, opticians, foot care and to
appointments at Raigmore hospital, Inverness, Caithness General hospital and to any other
appointments as required. These vehicles have provided a massive boost to the community and
further details can be found on the Community Car and Bus section of the website.
Community Resilience
Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic and lockdown many people have been very isolated with
some not leaving their homes or having anyone to talk to with the local lunch club stopping. Every
Friday during lockdown, we delivered hot meals to between 30 – 55 local residents, which were
kindly provided at a subsidised price by The Trawler Restaurant in Golspie. Each week we had three
young volunteers who helped us deliver the meals and provided a happy smiling face and a chat for
the recipients. When lockdown first eased in autumn 2020, we commenced “Magical Mystery
Tours” where we took 4 elderly residents for a tour in the minibus every week and there stopped to
provide them with a nice lunch. As we went back into lockdown at Christmas 2020, we then
returned to delivering hot meals every Friday until the end of July 21, when we recommenced the
Magical Mystery Tours from summer into October 2020, although funding for this project is running
out.
On Friday 8th October we recommenced the lunch club where our elderly residents can now get
together for a hot meal and aa catch up, which is very important for their mental health and
wellbeing.