Projects Funded
Viewfield Garden Collective (VGC)
The VGC are currently focusing on rebuilding and stabilising their paths, as well as widening them to make them all wheelchair and mobility aide friendly so that elderly and disabled visitors to the garden can benefit more, and explore the whole garden.
A large number of VGC visitors and volunteers are above retirement age, so accessibility in the garden is a vital part of providing their therapy services to elderly members and volunteers.
The VGC applied for help from the Budhmor Fund and this was granted.
The Viewfield Garden Collective receiving the Budhmor Fund cheque
The Staffin Lunch Club
A meeting of the Staffin Lunch Club
Help from the Budhmor Fund was given to the Staffin Lunch Club for running costs and subsidising a Christmas lunch for members.The Lunch Club runs on the first Wednesday of every month and provides a warm, friendly social event for the older members of the community to come together. The Club has 30 members from within a scattered rural community and the monthly lunches for many are a valuable way of tackling loneliness.
Growing Minginish – A’ Fàs Minginish
The Growing Minginish committee received their cheque from Jessie MacKinnon of the Budhmor Fund Committee.
Growing Minginish or A’ Fàs Minginish is a community garden to be located at the local Community Hall. The main area is a polytunnel which is wheelchair accessible with raised beds suitable for all ages and abilities.
The Budhmor Fund has agreed to help with the second part of the project which is to create a sensory garden in a part of the hall grounds that is currently derelict. Paths are to be restored to allow seating against the south facing wall and make it connect with the disabled parking. There will be raised beds close to the seating which will be planted for scent, smell and touch.
While the garden will be used by all the community, investment will be made with people with walking difficulties or wheelchairs in mind.
Currently the Alzheimer’s Group, and the Community Café (lunch club alternative) meet regularly at the Hall. This area would provide accessible outdoor space for those groups to use and enjoy.
Friends of Portree Hospital
Friends of Portree Hospital have gathered a group of volunteers who are interested in running activities for the Hospital’s elderly patients to help stave loneliness and engage them in social activities to help increase their mental and physical well-being. With the Budhmor Fund award the Friends will purchase equipment for these activities which will include arts and crafts materials, games, resistance bands for gentle chair exercises, small speaker to play music, and similar items for an array of activities.
The image on the right shows Committee member, Marion Carson handing over a cheques to Dr Crichton of the Friends of Portree Hospital.
Skye and Lochalsh Citizens’ Advice Bureau
The Fund was able to help with the Skye and Lochalsh Citizens’ Advice Bureau’s “Pension Credit Awareness Project. This is to involve a specialist adviser visiting venues throughout Skye and Lochalsh with a view to better informing people approaching the national pension age and those already having reached that milestone about benefits to which they are entitled.
In the image on the right hand side Chrisanne MacDonald of the Budhmor Fund Committee is handing a cheque to SLCAB's Morag Hannah.
Bread Basket Community Lunch
The weekly Bread Basket Community Lunch at St Columba’s Episcopal Church is a service cherished by many of the area’s older people and the Budhmor Fund committee was pleased to provide it with some financial support.
Janet Lamont, a Budhmor Fund committee member is shown handing cheque to Judith and Archie who are involved with the Bread Basket service.
