Stage 5, build stage, of a new, fully accessible community asset, maximising our sustainability options, to help secure the future of the Young Carers service and support other community groups.
Estimated Cost
£2,000,000
Our aim is to help secure the future of the Skye and Lochalsh Young Carers service by creating a sustainably built, fully accessible venue in Portree which will also be available for use to other community groups. Having successfully raised funds for stage 4, building warrant and tendering, we are now at the stage of raising funds for the build stage. The Young Carers Service is a well established, well loved and supported community organisation in Skye and Lochalsh. With over 25 years of experience it has become a standard for best practice in supporting young people with caring responsibilities. The service, partly funded by the Highland Council, fulfils a number of Highland Council statutory requirements via an annually renewed contract which aims to increase confidence, resilience and social integration of the young service users. The project will support our Area Place Plan by contributing to the strengthening of our community by securing the Young Carers service and allowing productive partnerships with other organisations, including social care and arts and heritage organisations. In addition, our approach to sustainability within the project will aim to maximise opportunities for sustainability and energy efficiency in the new building.
As well as securing the future of the Young Carers service in terms of physical location, it will allow the service to grow in line with our ethos and vision for service provision. Careful expansion of the service provision, engaging other organisations with related or complementary needs and experiences will foster mutually beneficial relationships which not only enhance the experience for the young service users but also create further opportunities for the wider community.
Having successfully raised funds for the first four stages of the project, culminating in the granting of full planning permission, we have submitted for warrant approval, which we expect within the next month, after which we will start the tendering process. Assuming successful warrant approval and a successful tendering process we expect the build stage to commence during 2027. We have engaged a quantity surveyor for the project and upon receipt of warrant approval we will update our estimated cost, which we expect to be in the region of £2million.
In the early stages of the project we have conducted a relatively low key stakeholder engagement process covering several community representatives, including local councillors, education representatives, the Access Panel, young carers and their families, local media outlets, other young carer organisations, Skye based community trusts, our major funders, local business and local funders and friends of the forum. We have received positive response and support, and as we move forward, we will raise the profile of the project, engaging the above and the broader community in more public activity in support of the project.
We will also press forward with our applications to other funders, and have ongoing active conversations with SSEN Transmission, other Highland Council funds, The Clothworkers Foundation, SPIFOX, Isle of Skye Renewables Cooperative.
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