The Brief, from Harper Macleod aims to keep individuals and families up to date with issues that could be important to them.
From the very first moment of lockdown, Harper Macleod’s focus has been on the health and wellbeing of everyone they know, be they colleagues, clients, contacts or simply the communities in which they work. As we approach the latter part of the year that hasn’t changed, but we have all become accustomed to a different way of doing things, whether that’s wearing a mask while shopping or continuing to limit contact with those around us.
As you’d expect, this edition of The Brief is heavily influenced by what has been going on, and looks at what the ‘new normal’ might mean for some aspects of you and your family’s lives – from employment to inheritance tax.
On top of all that, there are updates from the Harper Macleod team and firm. They hope you find this edition of The Brief a valuable read.
New electrical waste collection containers in Highland will aim to collect 24,000 unwanted small electrical items providing 1,200 of refurbished affordable electricals for local residents.
Householders in Highland will be able to easily declutter their unwanted small electricals via a new service providing 10 new collection containers funded by Material Focus to support ILM Highland and help save the environment. ILM Highland has been operating across Highland for over 26 years, providing Electrical Waste Recycling and Reuse services, refurbished retail and funded home improvement support for the vulnerable.
The service aims to collect 24,000 unwanted electricals of which 1,200 will be refurbished and sold at affordable prices to local residents. The project will help to reduce electrical waste, boost the local economy by providing a new dedicated Recycling Operative job and help combat climate change by saving 6,888 kg CO2 too.
Recent research, by the new not for profit Material Focus, has found that UK householders are hoarding 527 million small electrical items, an average of nearly 20 per household. And the problem is set to get worse as waste electricals are one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world and the UK. Instead, the majority of electricals can either be re-used or the materials contained in them recycled by being turned into anything from life-saving equipment to children’s playgrounds.*
In a concerted effort to tackle this growing challenge, Material Focus have funded ILM Highland to set up the new collection scheme, as part of the Recycle Your Electricals Campaign. The scheme will collect all items of small electrical waste including kettles, toasters, phones, techno gadgets, electrical toys, hair dryers, DIY power tools, electrical garden equipment – anything small with a plug, battery, or cable can be reused or recycled. The new Small Electrical Waste containers are to be sited in 10 key locations to encourage greater responsible disposal of small electrical waste instead of discarding these items in the green bin. The new container locations currently include Fortrose, Muir of Ord, Conon Bridge, Dingwall, Alness, Invergordon, Bonar Bridge and Dornoch.
Martin Macleod, CEO at ILM Highland, said: “We were keen to get behind the Recycle Your Electricals campaign and make it easier for Highland residents to de-clutter, donate to a local good cause and do their bit to save the planet. It’s estimated that every household in the UK has around £620 worth of electronics sitting unused. These could provide a lifeline for someone unable to buy new, and for those who are looking to buy second hand to protect our environment. Even broken items can be utilised in unexpected ways, with components being recycled in various ways.”
Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus, said: “This project is vital to ensuring that we make good use of our old electricals. Whether they are re-used or recycled – these items contain valuable materials that will otherwise be lost forever. Our research has shown that in the UK we are hoarding over 527 million small electrical items, an average of 20 per household, which is why we have recently launched our Recycle Your Electricals campaign. We are delighted to be working with ILM Highland, who is one of a number of new re-use projects that we are funding in the UK. So whether you are at home or work, please hunt out your old electricals and donate them to benefit your community.”
The scheme will ensure that all items are safe, with ILM Highland securely collecting discarded small electrical waste items from the containers, cleaning and testing equipment before making it available in their shop for locals to purchase. Householders can be completely reassured that all data-bearing devices will be securely wiped by ILM Highland – who offer a complete and secure hard drive data destruction service. Other electrical goods not suitable for reuse will be recycled. The profits from the sale of the refurbished electricals will support the provision of ILM’s Handyperson and Home Improvement services to the elderly and disabled including veterans across the Ross-shire and Sutherland community.
The Highland Council is today (17 November 2020) launching a consultation giving the community until 12 March 2021 to comment on the proposed contents of the Common Good Fund Asset Register for Wick.
The Highland Council does not currently hold a Common Good Fund for the former Royal Burgh of Wick. However, following an unrelated title examination, property was identified that should have been correctly categorised as Common Good.
As a result, a full and detailed investigation has been undertaken into other property titles that may also be Common Good in Wick and a list of potential Common Good property has been developed.
Section 102 Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 states that before establishing a Common Good Asset Register the Council must first conduct a public consultation on a list of property (buildings, land, artwork, regalia and funds) it is proposing to include. The statutory consultation should run for a period of 12 weeks however, the Council is extending this to 16 weeks due to the current Covid restrictions.
The Council is keen to involve the community in this process to ensure that all Wick Common Good property is identified and included. The Community Council and community bodies will be notified and invited to make representations.
However, the list will be widely publicised and available for public representations to be made. The Council must investigate and respond to any representations received. Representations, responses and any final decision will be published on the Council website. Local authorities must also have in place a process for regular review of the Asset Register once published.
The list of property proposed to be included in the Common Good Asset Register for Wick.
Further information on the process required to establish and review the Common Good Asset Register can be found here on the Council website.
Please submit written responses either by email to commongood@highland.gov.uk or by post to Sara Murdoch, The Highland Council HQ, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX.
Please see below an update from HiTrans regarding G0-Hi.
“You may already be aware of our pioneering new transport project, Go-HI, which is set to launch in March 2021. However, as a brief update our team are trialling a new app (Go-HI), which will make it easier for residents and tourists, within the HiTrans region, to access the information they need to make greater use of public transport.
Funded by the Scottish Government’s MaaS Investment Fund, the Go-HI App will provide a multi-modal integrated journey planning solution to increase accessibility of integrated end-to-end travel. We are currently still at the build stage for the App and to ensure we go to market with the most viable and user-friendly end product, we will be hosting a series of focus groups and research sessions to determine what updates and changes our end users require.
This is where we need your help!
We need participants for our focus groups and research sessions and would be grateful if you were able to work with us to help us source these. We are aware your contacts and staff will have an interest in our product and we feel there is great value in gaining their input at this stage within our development. We would very much welcome the opportunity for them to engage with us to help shape the App prior to us launching the finished product.”
If you think you can be of help please get in touch with Marelise Hamar – Marelise.Hamar@hitrans.org.uk for further information.
Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) is high on the agenda for 2021, offering the highest internet transfer speed among all contended services its availability across the UK is expanding at a fast rate. With more and more area’s having FTTP rolled out it is a good time to look at your current connection to see if or how this can be improved. Having a reliable fast connection can only be a positive for any business.
Lines of communication have never been more important than they are now. No one knows how long this is going to continue for or when we will get back to normal working life but one thing, we do know is that we are all in this together and we will get through it. Try and turn this unknown time in to a time of positivity, a time where businesses took the chance to look at their strategies and services, looking at options out there which can help improve business and continued success going forward.
The Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme will provide funding of up to £5,000 to help homes and businesses not in the range of either Reaching 100% (R100) contracts or planned business investments to obtain superfast broadband where providers may not typically go. The scheme will help to ensure everyone in Scotland will have access to superfast broadband by the end of 2021.
Temporary vouchers of up to £400 are also being made available for premises where superfast broadband is planned for after the end of 2021 – with an additional £250 for those in the hardest-to-reach areas.
An online postcode checker has been launched to give homes and businesses information on superfast roll-out in their area as well as providing information on voucher scheme eligibility. For more information or to check eligibility contact Chamber member, Fibre 1 by email: info@fibre1.uk or call 0800 989 0052.
We’re thrilled to welcome new members this month:
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| Superclean of Thurso is a family run business which has been running for over 30 years.
They provide professional commercial and domestic cleans, hard floor restoration, car valeting, ceramic coating and also specialise in industrial high powered carpet cleaning systems. Superclean strive to be at the forefront of the cleaning industry. |
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| Westfield Timber Supplies process and supply kiln dried firewood, sawdust and garden mulch as well as raw timber, all of which is sourced from local forests. The team can also cut timber to customers specifications. |
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| Portfolio Group specialise in 3 main areas:
maxxCare – Focussed on providing businesses with sanitising and ppe solutions to suit their needs, utilising own branded ViraPro anti-bacterial range. WeAreBrandHub – Offering a tailored and bespoke branding facility for all. Also offering merchandise and souvenirs, both bespoke and licensed. Stationery wholesale – Portfolio Group offer a large range of stationery for sale to retailers. Including the excellent Milan and Jovi. All stationery comes with a price match guarantee. |
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| The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) but works with many Government Departments.
DASA finds and funds innovative ideas that might benefit the Armed Forces and National Security. DASA runs themed competitions and the Open Call for Innovation. They provide 100% funding and respect Suppliers’ IP and equity. Dr Debra Carr is the DASA Innovation Partner in Scotland and is available to discuss Suppliers’ ideas with them and to advise on possible DASA applications. At the time of writing, DASA has funded 55 projects in Scotland in the last almost 3-years to a tune of £8M. Read more about how to get involved here |
To learn about how Chamber membership could benefit your business, see the Membership benefits page or get in touch with Fiona Levack, Business Development Manager to arrange an informal chat. You can email fiona here: Fiona@caithnesschamber.com The Chamber offers advice and support to businesses of all sizes, at all stages and in all sectors and we would be thrilled to hear from you.
In addition to chamber membership, many of our funded projects offer support and guidance to businesses in a range of ways. See the list of options, here.
Did you know that we offer a membership referral scheme? If you refer a business who joins the chamber, you could benefit from £50 off your next renewal. Read more here.
Following a motion put forward by the Caithness Committee, today Highland Councillors have given their commitment to continue to work to secure the sustainability of Wick John O’Groats Airport and to press for Public Service Obligation (PSO) status as a matter of urgency.
Wick has had commercial services from its airport since the 1970s, with services connecting to Edinburgh and Aberdeen. In its 50 years of operation the Airport has been instrumental in supporting the economic growth of the north, first through Dounreay and the oil and gas industry, and latterly to the decommissioning journey and the positioning of Caithness at the forefront of onshore and offshore wind, wave and tidal energy. It also plays a role in the wider business and tourism sectors.
In her speech, Chair of the Caithness Committee Cllr Nicola Sinclair highlighted the work done to prepare a strong business case and stressed that to be truly focused on socio-economic recovery it is vital that the doors of the Airport remain open.
She said: “Caithness Chamber of Commerce and other local stakeholders took early action and commissioned a detailed, independent feasibility study in 2019 which was then worked up into a full business case. This asks the Scottish Government to consider a dual-route public service obligation to protect our services to Edinburgh and Aberdeen which we believe is a sustainable model.
“A PSO would require an annual subsidy of £3m over four years, but it’s projected to deliver £5.2m in economic benefit and up to 46,000 passengers per year by year four. The Airport is a catalyst for 400-600 local jobs as well as 60 directly employed at the Airport. It’s therefore critical to the economic prosperity of the region that we secure the investment from the Scottish Government for a PSO.”
Transport Scotland has made it clear that any PSO would need to be supported by Highland Council and other stakeholders. For this reason, members of the Caithness Committee today called on Highland Council to identify financial support for the Airport.
Cllr Sinclair explained: “We are asking the Council to continue with its efforts in exploring the resource implications of a successful PSO bid. Any support from the Council would need to go through the usual process of scrutiny and democratic approval with a full business case being presented to a future Highland Council meeting.
“Today we asked for that process to begin in earnest and to reflect the urgency of the situation. In the motion to Caithness Area Committee I made the point that socio-economic recovery and reversing population decline are key priorities for our county, and that cannot be achieved without a show of confidence in Caithness and positive decisive action.
She added: “I am delighted that today we got unanimous support and we can now send a clear a message to the Scottish Government that we are united in our support for Wick John O’Groats Airport and the ongoing prosperity of Caithness and Sutherland.”
Caithness Councillor Struan Mackie who joined Cllr Sinclair in signing the motion presented to full council added: “Over the last number of months it has been refreshing to be part of a cross community campaign, with stakeholders, businesses groups and individuals all seeking a solution in resuming flights from Wick.
“After years of progressive market failure in providing regular and convenient services from the airport, it is clear that the public service obligation is the only option left on the table. The support given by Councillors today is a step forward in seeing this come to fruition.”
It’s been another strange month, not just for us but for all our members and businesses nationwide. We continue to do our very best for our members as things progress in these unprecedented times. We’re thrilled to welcome new members this month, Belzona, teclan & North Coast Distillers.
Belzona are a global designer and manufacturer of repair composite materials and industrial protective coatings. Since the company was founded in 1952, the team have made it their mission to exceed customers’ needs and expectations by providing long-lasting, quality repair and maintenance solutions.
Belzona technology can provide the answer to an extensive cross-section of repair areas, from full turnkey systems to simple in-situ repairs. They are committed to providing bespoke solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of each and every client. Their approach to refurbishment and protection avoids the need for replacement, reducing repair and maintenance costs, and above all, downtime.
teclan are a Digital Marketing agency specialising in web design and development, SEO, PPC, Social media and email marketing. They also offer additional services such as PR, design and brand development. teclan have designed a special offer exclusively for fellow Chamber members.
Do you know how to easily reach your new and existing customers, wherever they inhabit online, whether that’s local or national news brands, Facebook, local radio, Youtube, TikTok, Twittter and many more?
The offer is a minimum of 100,000 adverts served online across a four-week period – the teclan team can help design the ad and they’ll provide a comprehensive report afterwards. The cost of this to Caithness Chamber members is only £250 plus VAT, a saving of £50 plus VAT.
North Coast Distillers creates premium small batch and sustainable spirits from their North Coast Distillery site in Forss, West Caithness. Their website is set to launch this week, you can head over and sign up to the mailing list to be kept in the loop here. You’ll also find them on various social media platforms. Facebook, Instagram & Linkedin. We can’t wait to see the range of spirits which which will be on offer, it’s always brilliant to see new business in the North Highlands.
To learn about how Chamber membership could benefit your business, see the Membership benefits page or get in touch with Fiona Levack, Business Development Manager to arrange an informal chat. You can email fiona here: Fiona@caithnesschamber.com The Chamber offers advice and support to businesses of all sizes, at all stages and in all sectors and we would be thrilled to hear from you.
In addition to chamber membership, many of our funded projects offer support and guidance to businesses in a range of ways. See the list of options, here.
On 29th October 2020 we’re hosting a Maximise Your Membership event which will allow chamber members to learn more about the benefits of their membership. The interactive session will allow members to ask questions and remind themselves of the opportunities chamber membership offers. Learn more about it and register to attend here.
Did you know that we offer a membership referral scheme? If you refer a business who joins the chamber, you could benefit from £50 off your next renewal. Read more here.
Young people at school are the winners as a result of discussions between High Life Highland and The Highland Council that will see the Charity’s staff phased back into schools after the October break.
Speaking about the arrangement, High Life Highland Chairman, Ian Ross said, “I am delighted that once again our partnership working arrangements with colleagues in The Highland Council mean that High Life Highland staff will be able to recommence their work with young people during the school day and within school buildings.
“High Life Highland has always fully supported and accepted that the Council’s priorities were the safety of pupils and getting them back into full-time education. However, this new agreement will see some of our music instructors, youth workers and active school coordinators returning to school buildings where they will working with the pupils and support Head Teachers and other school staff.
The Charity Chair continued, “In order to fully comply with Scottish Government guidelines, there will still be some restrictions in terms of the types of instruments that can be used during music tuition, as well as the ‘coming and going’ of HLH staff from school grounds. However, there is no doubt this is a move in the right direction and will see our staff being able to re-engage with pupils and young people.”
Highland Councillor, John Finlayson, Chair of the Education Committee commented, “It is great to see the positive outcomes that can be reached by partnership working.
“I understand that HLH staff re-accessing schools will see the phased return of active school coordinators; music instructors; school library staff and youth workers.
“The current pandemic can be challenging for everyone in our communities, not just adults. It is vitally important, now more than ever, that our children and young people in schools are supported through these times.
“Getting school pupils back to face-to-face music tuition with the instructors; participating in outdoor activities organised by the active school’s team or receiving personal pastoral support and advice by the HLH youth team can only enhance the experiences already being offered by Head Teachers and their staff.
“I am extremely pleased that we have been able to put measures in place that will see the see Highland pupils’ school-day experience, outside of the classroom take another step towards some level of normality.”
Ian Ross, Chairman of the Highland Charity concluded, “We will continue to work with the Elected Members and Officials of Highland Council to build on the existing arrangements and move towards the reintroduction of the full range of HLH services across school and community facilities.
“We are extremely proud of the work we undertake with children and young people across the Highlands. Thanks to the arrangements being put in place by The Highland Council after the October break, HLH can resume its role in supporting young people in schools and communities across the Highlands at a time when it is most needed.”
The partnership arrangement will see HLH and The Highland Council working towards the next phase of introducing other wind instruments, singing tuition and community libraries to schools, in line with the Scottish Government guidelines.