We are holding some whole community meetings to discuss where we should go next with the CAP, what are the priorities, etc.

We are especially keen to hear the voices of the community groups, yourselves as members and the wider community.

Below are some details.

Today SDC has published the Community Action Plan (CAP) for Strathnairn.

We have updated the Community Action Plan webpage with more information, including links to the CAP documents. You can also head directly to our documents page where the CAP summary and the whole CAP are listed for downloading.

There are no plans to provide copies of the full CAP to each household. However, if you are a resident of Strathnairn and would like a copy please get in touch.

We have produced a poster to be shared on social media announcing the publication of the CAP. Please share with other residents, particularly those who do not use social media.

Thank you to all those residents who have completed a community survey questionnaire already.

Our page on the Community Action Plan has been updated.

Due to a rising response rate, we have decided to extend the community survey period by two weeks, until the end of the 10th October 2021. This should ensure that all residents who intend to respond have sufficient time to do so.

This should also ensure that residents who tried to complete the survey online but had difficulties when using a device that another resident had already used will have access.

We have produced new poster to be shared on social media encouraging residents to complete the community survey questionnaire as soon as possible, and before the 10th October 2021. Please share with other residents, particularly those who do not use social media.

Strathnairn Development Company (SDC) has engaged consultants, Impact Hub Inverness (IHI), to conduct a Community Action Plan (CAP) for Strathnairn. SDC is grateful to SCBF for funding this project.

A CAP is a framework for implementing activities that are decided by the community itself. This is a great opportunity to have a say on ideas for improving life in Strathnairn. What do you think would make this a better place to live and work and enhance your experience of community life? The action plan developed by the community, with help from the consultants, will identify challenges, seek solutions and give us direction for future projects that will help our community, now and in the future.

A CAP is an expression of how a community wishes to develop, and a critical component is a survey of the community, led by the community. With the help of Strathnairn’s community groups, IHI has created a questionnaire for a community survey. SDC invites all Strathnairn residents, aged 11 years and older, to submit a response. Responses to the survey will be sent directly to the consultants, who will, with the help of Strathnairn’s community groups, use them to prepare the CAP.

Questionnaires can be completed online, downloaded from SDC’s website, or collected from Inverarnie Stores. Questionnaires are also included in each copy of Strathnairn News. The preamble to the questionnaire includes instructions on completing it. 

The questionnaire will need a little time to complete. Please discuss with other family members and friends, and persuade them to submit a response too.

Responses must be submitted by 26th September 2021.

Thanks for your time and help with this important consultation.

Our post on COVID19 briefings last week proved very popular with the community so we will continue with them until further notice.

We are passing on a resilience briefing from the Highland Council.

In addition, NHS Highland issued a press release on 3rd September 2021. And provided a briefing on the situation with respect to COVID19.

Can we also draw attention to Strathnairn’s Community Action Plan? The community survey has begun today, and continues for 3 weeks. The community survey is the best opportunity for you to say what direction you want the community to go in post-COVID. More details on the CAP (and its associated community survey) are available on our website.

The Community Survey is finally here! The responses to this community survey feed are an important input into the ongoing Community Action Plan (CAP.) Would all residents please complete the survey.

More information about the CAP (and the survey) is given elsewhere on our website.

Below is a copy of an online version of a poster to be shared on social media encouraging residents to complete a community survey questionnaire as soon as possible, and before the 26th September 2021. Please share with other residents, particularly those who do not use social media.

SDC has been asked by the Highland Council to pass on information with regard to the current situation with respect to COVID-19 across the community.

The Highland Council has made a press statement in partnership with NHS Highland about the pandemic.

In addition, the Highland Council has passed a briefing to SDC that contains important information. SDC has also been asked to share a statement from NHS Highland.

Parents, their children and those running community groups should probably read these documents.

Strathnairn’s Community Action Plan is starting to take shape.

Below is a copy of an online version of a poster to be shared on social media encouraging residents to complete a community survey questionnaire when it is issued. Please share with other residents, particularly those who do not use social media.

We are pleased to be able to announce that consultants, Impact Hub Inverness, have been appointed to carry out a Community Action Plan (CAP) for Strathnairn. An application to Strathnairn Community Benefit Fund (SCBF), which distributes community benefit payments from local renewable energy installations, for full funding has been successful. SDC is very grateful that full funding has been possible. The consultants are to begin work at the end of June, and finish at the end of October.

Below we have provided answers to some questions members of the community may have about the CAP.

What is a CAP?

A CAP establishes a framework for the community to express its needs as perceived by the community, and plan how and when these activities will occur. Focus is more on the process of understanding and overcoming problems in order to meet community needs than just physical development. The community is the main actor in preparing its own CAP.

The process of creating a CAP is not simply a means by which residents can tell existing community groups what they need to do. Issues might include :- existing community groups may not have access to the resources to implement what the community decides it needs; they may not have the capacity in terms of finance, volunteers or training; and there may be legal obstacles. On the other hand, community groups need to recognise the importance of knowing what their community wants, the advantages of planning for the future together. 

An effective CAP is created with a partnership of residents and community groups working together to identify, plan and implement the future shape of our community. CAPs also need be flexible – it needs to be easily adjustable to account for unexpected events – for example to cope with a global pandemic. Our CAP will cover the next 10 years. The latter 5 years will be a bit sketchy, and some updating will be needed in about 5 years time.

Doesn’t Strathnairn already have a CAP?

This is a common misconception. Strathnairn has never had a CAP. A community survey was carried out in 2013, with the intention of producing a CAP from it, but this was not done. Even if a CAP had been done it would be almost 8 years old by now and in need of serious updating.

Why can’t Strathnairn do its own CAP? Why does it need a consultant?

Creating a CAP with the help of a consultant means the CAP is created with the benefit of latest techniques and ideas. Only experienced consultants were asked to tender for the CAP. In addition having consultants from outside Strathnairn involved reduces the tendency for unintentional bias that might otherwise creep in. Also respondents to the community survey can be more open about their opinions as respondents will remain anonymous.

Developing our community will rely on funds from outside Strathnairn. But to secure funding from organisations other than SCBF will require a good quality CAP which can only be produced by an experienced independent consultant.

But how does the community get involved?

Community involvement is still under discussion with input from the consultants. There will be a community survey with input from community groups. We shall provide more information when we have it.