Parents of young children in the Highlands, who currently have difficulty finding childcare provision to meet their needs, are being offered a more flexible service by Direct Childcare. The Inverness-based company, which currently serves much of the Highland area, is in the process of recruiting and training sitters who will take care of children outside of normal working hours within the child's home.
Companies go through to Scotland-wide final of VIBES awards next week The Highlands and Islands most environmentally-positive companies have been announced by judges of Scotland's leading environmental awards for businesses. Global provider of total subsea solutions, Wick-based Subsea 7, has won the Highlands and Islands large company category, salmon farming specialist Loch Duart, based in Scourie, has won the Highlands and Islands medium-sized company category while Shetland-based recycling project Enviroglass came top in the Highlands and Islands category for small companies.
The following are funds approved up to the last day of the month. Please note that the sums relate to approvals, not payments.
Overall, the number of people unemployed in Caithness and Sutherland fell from 745 last month to 742. The revised unemployment rates in the Sutherland, Wick and Thurso 'Travel to Work Areas' respectively are as follows (corresponding figures for last month are in brackets): 3.1% (3.3%), 4.4% (4.3%) and 2.5% (2.5%).
Overall, the number of people unemployed in Caithness and Sutherland fell from 755 last month to 745. The revised unemployment rates in the Sutherland, Wick and Thurso 'Travel to Work Areas' respectively are as follows (corresponding figures for last month are in brackets): 3.3% (3.4%), 4.3% (4.4%) and 2.5% (2.4%).
Overall, the number of people unemployed in Caithness and Sutherland fell from 808 last month to 755. The revised unemployment rates in the Sutherland, Wick and Thurso 'Travel to Work Areas' respectively are as follows (corresponding figures for last month are in brackets): 3.4% (3.7%), 4.4% (4.4%) and 2.4% (2.8%).
A Brora man has started a quirky new business which aims to capitalise on people's sense of smell for nostalgia - and the idea could have come from a famous cartoon character! Aimed at the thousands of tourists who visit Scotland every year in search of their ancestors, Sandy Crawford's business - Peat Reek Limited - manufactures and sells small cones made from local peat, which people can burn in their homes to remind them of their Scottish connections. Sandy is also selling cones with a distinctive Scots Pine aroma.
The Caithness Area Committee of the Highland Council has nominated Cllr Bill Fernie as their representative on the Board of Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE). Bill represents the West Wick ward and is the Area Committee's chairman of Housing and Social Work.
A Sutherland-man with a passion for All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) has come up with a novel way to help estate workers tackle out of control hill fires. Richard Munro has converted an ATV into a fire control unit, which can access blazes on rough and difficult terrain.
A project offering employers practical help on all aspects of recruitment is being extended. Funding has been secured to allow Recruit Sutherland to continue until December 2004.
Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) has published its year-end results, following the release of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Network's results this morning. CASE performed well in all of the Network's themes of Strengthening Communities, Developing Skills, Making Global Connections and Growing Businesses.
DURNESS DEVELOPMENT GROUP LIMITED Sangomore Headland Durness Sutherland IV27 4PZ 01971 511346 E-mail ronnie@durness.org The idea has been initiated from the grass roots of the communities and a great deal of time has been dedicated to discussions with all the parties that can become involved and benefit from such an endeavour. The Mackay Country Scheme is a long-term project that can only succeed with the co-operation and commitment of individuals, groups and agencies that live, work and operate in the locality.
Recruit Sutherland has received confirmation that funding has been assured for 2 years from January 2003. As a result, businesses in Sutherland will have the opportunity to access assistance on all aspects of the recruitment process - financial subsidies, employment legislation, Health & Safety issues etc.
Breeding herons and the history of salmon netting are being brought closer to the people thanks to Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE). Through the Community Economic Development (CED) programme - administered by CASE - the development agency has awarded the Assynt Tourism Group £4,247.
After much jiggery pokery, we've added a search facility to the Sutherland Business Index. You'll find our new search engine at the bottom of every page on the site.
A young Highland businessman is branching out into the timber haulage industry with the help of his local enterprise company. Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) has approved a development grant of up to £10,700 for Gordon MacKenzie of Kinbrace Garage in north west Sutherland towards the purchase of an excavator and trailer plus ancillary equipment which will enable him to handle and haul timber extracted from nearby Rhimsdale Forest.
The biggest ever visitor survey in the Highlands - to find out what visitors really think of the area's tourist experience - is just getting underway. Almost 5,000 interviews are set to be carried out over the next twelve months with the results expected to give invaluable information to both tourism businesses and the industry's planners.
Thirteen hard-working dogs and handlers achieved the Kennel Club's Good Citizen Bronze and Silver awards on Saturday 27 April at the Pittentrail Community Hall in Rogart. The awards are won by the dogs carrying out various exercises, all of which have practical uses in everyday life such as walking nicely on the lead, coming back when called, staying in one place when instructed and various other accomplishments.
The day to day reality of running a community website - once the first flush of enthusiasm has passed - will be at the heart of discussions during a two-day conference in Inverness later this week (18/19 April 2002). As website technology becomes cheaper and easier, more and more communities are looking to publicise their activities and attract visitors through the internet, with sites springing up all the time.
Welcome to everyone, the Sutherland Business Index is now open for business. The first part of our new project in Sutherland is to get businesses listed in these pages and so, over the next 12 weeks, we will be contacting as many businesses as we can find to make sure we have the correct contact details for them.
