We would like to install a dedicated cabin for children, young people, and families, as activities currently take place in a busy shared multipurpose room at The School House.
Estimated Cost
£19,143
At the moment our activities for children, young people and famliies take place in our shared multipurpose room, which is also used for everything from adult art classes, sewing sessions and Gaelic lessons to digital inclusion support, meetings, and community groups. While we make it work, it means constantly setting up and packing away, with very little opportunity for children and young people to properly settle into the space or build on projects from week to week. The cabin would create a permanent space designed specifically around children, young people, and families. We would use it for regular workshops, after school activities, arts and crafts, practical learning, family sessions, outdoor activities linked to our school garden and polytunnel, and youth activities and events throughout the year. We would also like the space to support more informal drop in style activities, particularly for older young people who often tell us there is very little locally for them to do outside school.
The new cabin would sit alongside our Woodwork Cabin, which is not suitable for these activities due to the equipment; saws, hammers, drills and a pottery kiln. It's used more or less full-time.
Over the past few years, we have seen a steady increase in the number of families taking part in activities and asking for more opportunities locally. Families regularly tell us there is very little available nearby that is affordable, welcoming, and easy to access, particularly in a rural area where transport can be a barrier.
A lot of what we hear locally is reflected in both the Lairg Local Place Plan and the wider Sutherland Area Place Plan, especially around the lack of activities and spaces for young people, the importance of community hubs, rural isolation, transport barriers, and the need for opportunities that support wellbeing and help people feel connected to their community. As a rural learning centre, we see these challenges regularly through our day to day work with families, young people, and the wider community.
Having a dedicated cabin would make a real difference. It would create a space that feels familiar, creative, and welcoming, somewhere children and young people can return to each week and feel comfortable in. Instead of clearing everything away at the end of every session, projects could stay out, ideas could grow over time, and young people could feel a sense of ownership over the space and the activities taking place there.
We expect the project to have a positive impact on confidence, wellbeing, creativity, and community connection. In a rural area, having somewhere local and consistent to go each week can make a real difference, especially for children and young people who may otherwise have very limited opportunities outside school. We also hope the space will help strengthen relationships between families and reduce some of the isolation that can come with living in a remote rural area.
The cabin would allow us to build on activities we already know work well locally, including practical and creative workshops, family learning, seasonal activities, outdoor projects, digital activities, and opportunities for young people to try new things in a relaxed and supportive environment. We are particularly keen to create activities that feel informal, welcoming, and community led, rather than overly structured or school based. We envisage activities happening side by side, with parents/carers taking part in workshops our woodwork cabin or room one (multipurpose) and children and young people in a dedicated space near by.
The project would also strengthen our organisation longer term by reducing our reliance on hall hire and giving us a more practical and sustainable base for delivery. For example, some of our cooking activities currently take place in the community centre, where we have to pay ongoing room hire costs. Having a dedicated space would allow us to plan activities more consistently and make better use of our own site and resources.
So far, we have already delivered a wide range of activities for children, young people, and families through previous funding support, and have gathered strong feedback from families who would like to see this type of provision continue and grow. We have researched cabin suppliers, obtained quotes, started exploring practical requirements and costs, and looked into planning guidance. The proposal appears to fall within permitted development guidance. We have also submitted an Expression of Interest to the CLLD Fund.
If funding is secured, we hope to begin groundwork and installation in July 2026, with the aim of having the cabin fully operational and activities running by December 2026.
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