YOUTH SERVICES
In the local area there are various community run opportunities for young people to be involved; ATC; Radio Waves/the Zone; The Den youth café; various community run sport clubs and church run activities.
There is currently one part time Youth Development officer and one sessional youth worker based at Gairloch High School. The Gairloch ILC has strong community support and a generous number of volunteers given the population for developing opportunities for young people. The youth team in the area have been proactive in supporting these community groups and assisting where required to gain funding; to share good practice; give general advice and developing further opportunities.
The youth team are in the process of rolling out the Youth achievement awards starting at the local youth café offering drop-in sessions and the local ILC forum.
The youth team provide one-to-one support as well as small group work sessions i.e. outdoor court working group, local youth forum and supporting young persons not in full time education.
The Youth worker works on a Friday evening in the Den Youth café and gives additional support to the YDO with additional activities such as workshops and one to one support to individuals. Art, Dance and Drama workshops have or are in the process of being delivered in the Aultbea, Poolewe and Kinlochewe area.
The Youth Development Officer co-ordinates the Local youth forum and assists in the local area forum as part of the area youth team.
The youth team work closely with members of staff within ECS to develop services for young people. Examples of this include a trip organised in cooperation with the school for young people to go curling at Inverness ice rink. Another example: working with Gairloch leisure centre to open on a Saturday evening on a trial basis to try to engage with more young people to use the facility.
Given the rurality and distance covering the ILC it is very difficult to deliver services in each location. Transportation is currently being provided by Highland Council and external funding sources via the local youth café from the Aultbea/Laide area on a weekly basis, Kinlochewe on a weekly basis and Lochcarron, Shieldaig, Torridon & Kinlochewe on a monthly basis. Workshops provided via external funding incorporated transportation for every young person in the ILC if they wished to attend.
Current development work includes setting up a youth group in Kinlochewe and investigating issues in the Shieldaig/Torridon area.
COMMUNITY LEARNING
Adult Learning – There is no dedicated facility for adult learning provision in the Gairloch ILC area. There is currently no outreach work provided by colleges or further education facilities apart from Aberdeen University who deliver two public talks a year in Gairloch.
The Business community can access various one-day courses organised by the local enterprise company. SNH and NTS also run educational activities in the area for visitors and the local community usually on the basis of family learning experiences. Common interest groups exist throughout the area such as Wildlife groups for example which contributes to Adult learning in the local area. A local shop coordinates training days for people to obtain their Health and Hygiene certificates. There are various private/tourist facilities available, riding school; fishing trips; perfumery; museum; potteries for example.
Currently the Youth Development Officer for the Gairloch ILC is doing additional hours to cover Adult Learning provision for the local area with provision of a variety of evening classes on offer such as art, felt making, Spanish, German, woodwork & boat safety. Previous to reorganisation there was a local learning centre. Currently one member of staff co-ordinates classes and activities throughout the ILC using Gairloch High; Inverasdale Primary school; Poolewe village hall; Aultbea village hall and Gairloch Community Hall. Classes were demand led and subject to tutor availability and budget constraints. Due to staff vacancies and local reorganisation the future of the centre and provision for the local area has not been resolved. It is hoped that once the Community Learning Officer is appointed that these issues can be improved.
