Highland Buses get in gear for return of schools

From Monday 10^th August, bus services across the Highlands will increase ahead of the return of school bus services. This will continue to play a part in connecting people with workplaces, the high street and other key services as they continue to re-open.

The frequency increase does not only affect school journeys but will also be seen in the communities of lifeline services such as the Inverness City network and key commuting services between the Black Isle and Inverness.

This timetable revision will help to maintain social distancing on board the network of almost 200 buses and coaches across the Highlands.

Stagecoach has a range of measures in place to help customers travel safely and easily. The “busy bus” indicator on the Stagecoach app uses data to provide information helping customers choose quieter bus services and maintain physical distancing. Face coverings continue to be mandatory when travelling on public transport.

David Beaton, Managing Director at Stagecoach Highland, said: “We have seen a slight increase in the number of people using our services as lockdown has eased and this timetable change will  continue to provide plenty space for those travelling by bus to socially distance on board. I have been proud of the way our team has worked together over the last 6 months and I know all of our customers will have a warm welcome on a clean bus as our team will continue with our new daily procedures providing safe bus connections right across the Highlands.”

The local bus operator has recommended that when travelling by bus you should use contactless payment for your journey, or alternatively purchase your ticket in advance using the Stagecoach mobile app.

A number of additional safety steps have also been taken by Stagecoach including:

• Continued enhanced cleaning which includes at least daily cleaning of all buses with a government-recommended sanitiser, with a particular focus on key touch points, and additional in service cleaning where possible.
• All buses will continue to have a protective screen to provide a physical barrier between the driver and passenger. In line with government advice, as drivers are behind a protective screen, they do not need to wear a face covering. However, should the driver need to leave their cab to assist a customer, they will wear a face covering.
• Physical distancing measures will be in place on all bus services, which means that each individual bus has around 50% of normal passenger capacity.

Printed timetable information in bus stop displays across the Highlands will be updated in due course.

New timetables are now available to download now.

COVID has shown how important it is to ensure you have a reliable connection and the flexibility to move to a remote solution if required.  With Openreach phasing out PSTN lines by 2025 and ISDN lines no longer available to purchase the world of VoIP will soon be the normality. Fibre 1 are urging all users to make the move to VoIP sooner rather than later.

Hosted VoIP is the future of telephony and comes with a range of benefits which can also help customers save money as the monthly costs include all local, national and mobile calls ensuring customers are not caught out by the addition of hefty call charges.  The VoIP system gives users greater control on how their calls are handled with a number of features as standard including caller display, hunt groups, voicemail (email alert can be sent to be played on any device with speakers), call redirect along with a number of others.

Fibre 1 can also offer the added benefit that we can fully integrate Microsoft Teams with our VoIP system allowing remote working to be available for employees.  Teams Integration will allow your users to make and receive calls wherever they are with the added collaboration benefits of: File Sharing, Screen Sharing, Video Calling and Instant Chat.  All that is required is an additional licence to enable Teams integration which complements our VoIP phones to provide users a physical desk phone whilst in the office and Teams softphone feature on a smartphone when out and about.

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 and are thrilled to welcome new members this month.

Caithness Osteopathic services started with one experienced Osteopath in 2004 and has grown into a six practitioner group. The team are all insured, qualified and registered practitioners dedicated to ensuring optimal physical and mental health for all of their patients and in order to achieve that they often combine knowledge and different skills.

The friendly team is dedicated to giving you the best possible care in a warm and relaxing environment. Practitioners will take the time to listen and discuss your condition, then fully assess and explain the best course of treatment tailor suited to you and your specific needs.

In order to achieve the best results, Caithness Osteopathic Services also like to work in conjunction with GP’s, Specialists and other Healthcare Providers. As a results-driven practice, Caithness Osteopathic Services ran an audit in 2018 in which patients expressed they were 92% highly satisfied with their treatment, with 95% experiencing good improvement and 80% feeling it was good value for money.

 

 

 

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. 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.

The North West Highlands Geopark Limited is a community company limited by guarantee and a Scottish registered charity . There is a subsidiary trading company, NWHG Trading Ltd, also attached to the charity. The Treasurer will sit on the Board of both Companies. The Treasurer will have two levels of responsibility: as a member of the Board, and additionally, as Treasurer.

The Board of Trustees are responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of the charity, North West Highlands Geopark Ltd, and the subsidiary trading Company, NWHG Trading Ltd, developing the organisation’s aims, objectives and goals in accordance with the governing document, legal and regulatory guidelines.

Main Responsibilities of Trustees:

• To ensure that the charity and its representatives function within the legal and regulatory framework of the sector and in line with the organisations’ governing document, continually striving for best practice in governance
• To uphold the fiduciary duty invested in the position, undertaking such duties in a way that adds to public confidence and trust in the charity
• To determine the overall direction and development of the charity through good governance and a clear strategy.

Main responsibilities of Treasurer:

• Oversee the financial affairs of the organisation and ensure they are legal, constitutional and in keeping with generally accepted accounting practice.
• Ensure proper records are kept and that effective financial procedures are in place.
• Monitor and report on the financial health of the organisation.
  Oversee the production of necessary financial reports/returns, accounts and audits.

Specifically

• Liaise with relevant staff, trustees, working groups and/or volunteers to ensure the financial viability of the organisation.
• Make fellow trustees aware of their financial obligations and take a lead in interpreting financial data to them.
• Regularly report the financial position at Board meetings (balance sheet, cash flow, and fundraising performance).
• Oversee the production of an annual budget.
• Oversee the Administrator ensuring posting and bookkeeping is kept up-to-date.
• Oversee regular reconciliations by the administrator.
• Appraising the financial viability of plans, proposals and feasibility studies.
• Lead on appointing and liaising with auditors/an independent examiner.

Qualities

• Knowledge and experience of current and fundraising finance practice relevant to voluntary and community organisations, particularly regarding restricted and unrestricted funds, and Gift Aid.
• Knowledge of bookkeeping and financial management (as necessary).
• Good financial analysis skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly.

Applications welcomed from suitably qualified professionals. It is anticipated that the role requires a commitment for approximately 10 hours per month. This is a voluntary position.

Please contact admin@nwhgeopark.com for an application form or any further questions.

AREG and OGUK have signed a reciprocal membership agreement to reflect the aligned goals of supporting the energy industry to achieve net zero emissions.

AREG, the membership body for renewable energy in the north east of Scotland and OGUK, the leading trade body for the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry, will work closely on low carbon project opportunities and promote the work of members within their organisations. The agreement demonstrates the close and enduring relationship between the oil and gas supply chain and the renewables sector.

Jean Morrison, chair of AREG, and Deirdre Michie, chief executive OGUK vowed to share resources and market intelligence to deliver a sustainable transition to a lower carbon future.

Jean Morrison, chair of AREG said: “There has been a longstanding connection between AREG and OGUK and I am pleased that we have been able to formalise this relationship to work closer together. The agreement will allow us to promote the energy transition in the north-east and highlight market opportunities. With decades of expertise in energy and engineering, Aberdeen and the north-east is well placed to deliver the energy transition.”

Deirdre Michie, chief executive OGUK said: “This agreement underlines OGUK’s commitment to an inclusive, fair, and sustainable transition to a lower carbon future. We look forward to continuing our work with AREG which will help ensure that communities realise their potential through the energy transition.”

Fibre 1 are pleased to announce that they can provide a VoIP telephony solution that can fully integrate with Microsoft Teams, allowing you to instantly have remote working enabled for your users.

As restrictions continue to be lifted across the country, Fibre 1 are on hand to ensure you are best equipped to adjust to what your new normal will be.  For some this may be returning to the office as before but for others you may be looking to continue to offer more flexibility in remote working.

During the last few months more and more information has been shared electronically via email, instant messaging and video chat.  Moving forward these means of communication could replace the more traditional ones we have always used.  Microsoft Teams is a great tool to enhance easy remote working.

Teams Integration will allow your users to make and receive calls wherever they are with the added collaboration benefits of: File Sharing, Screen Sharing, Video Calling and Instant Chat.  No extra software or hardware is required to get you up and running on teams and includes your existing bundled minutes.  All that is required is an additional licence to enable Teams integration which compliments your VoIP phones to provide users a physical desk phone whilst in the office and Teams for calls when out of office.

Give Fibre 1 a call for more information on how the integration of Teams could help you and your employees.

As things progress and our tourism members are busy preparing to open and welcome people once more we thought we’d celebrate them all as members of the week and give a brief update on their status so here goes…

• Above & Beyond Tours – Tailor made walking tours – get in touch direct to discuss booking or to purchase a gift voucher.
• Castletown Hotel – no date set for reopening at present. They’re busy refurbishing the bar area ahead of reopening!
• Caithness Business Serviced Apartments. Closed for bookings with entry dates from now until August.
• The Holborn Hotel has been very busy preparing a new outdoor seating area to serve customers food & drinks. You can book your table now and can even purchase a blanket if the sunshine disappears before you’re finished your meal!
• Mackays Hotel have been super busy throughout lockdown donating meals to the members of the Royal British Legion Wick, Canisbay and Latheron Branch and offering take away options for their popular dishes. They hope to open the restaurant very soon.
• The Norseman Hotel can’t wait to welcome customers back to from Wednesday 15^th July with some tasty new items on their menu! Their website is accepting room bookings too.
• Northcoast watersports are excited to be back in the water offering lessons. They’ve also recently become qualified to offer sessions in Stand Up Paddleboarding!
• Northern Sands Hotel have created an outdoor space where they can serve meals and drinks and are accepting room bookings via their website.
• Pentland Lodge have certified that they’re Good To Go and look forward to welcoming guests again shortly. Although they’ve been closed to external guests, they’ve offered Key workers a place to stay throughout the pandemic. They’ve set out their preparations for the safe return of guests in a word document on their facebook page.
• The Royal Marine Hotel Brora are also Good To Go certified and are opening on Wednesday 22^nd July with some incredible special offers.
• The Seaview Hotel are able to offer a sit in or takeaway meal service and can serve drinks in their outdoor beer garden area.
• NorthLink Ferries has opened bookings for all passengers to allow travel to Orkney & Shetland.
• The Brown Trout Hotel can offer a takeaway service.
• The Highland Haven welcomed their first guests on 11^th July. All guests receive exclusive use of the Highland Haven as standard. This will be reviewed in 2021. They’ve also registered with the Good to Go scheme.
• The Lighthouse Keepers Cottage is not accepting bookings just yet but will be reopening in 2021. Since lockdown, they’ve welcomed NHS Key Workers to the cottage instead of the usual holiday makers.
• The Pentland Hotel are gearing up to welcome guests back from Wednesday 15^th July and like their sister hotel, they’ve got some new treats on the menu!
• The Castle & Gardens of Mey & The Granary Lodge will remain closed for the remainder of July.
• Thurso Bay Holidays are open once more and accepting bookings.
• Timespan remains closed for the time being but has been offering lots of digital activity via their facebook page and website
• Together Travel are accepting bookings for their John O’Groats apartments and have some additional safety precautions in place which you can read on their website.
• The Ulbster Arms hotel are offering an outdoor area where they can serve food and drinks. They’re also taking a small number of reservations too.
• Venture North hope to support tourism businesses as best they can and have a special offer of 6 months free membership available, read more on their website.
• VisitScotland marketing campaigns are available to view here.
• The Wick Society & Strathnaver Museum have decided to remain closed for this season and will open again in 2021. There are many ways to celebrate our history and learn from these museums on their facebook pages and websites.

Stagecoach Highlands has welcomed the first of their new-look vehicles to Inverness.

In January Stagecoach unveiled a brand new look for its buses, shaped by the needs of customers it proudly serves across the UK, every day.

The new look is part of a wider commitment from Stagecoach to simplify, modernise and enhance its customer experience, whilst reaffirming the customer-first approach that runs through everything it does – from its drivers and buses, to its customer service and technology solutions.

The new look is being rolled out across the fleet of 200 buses and coaches in the Highlands over a three-year period, with customers seeing the first buses on the road in the Highlands this week.

Stagecoach’s instantly recognisable ‘roundel’ icon, a familiar sight on the British road for two decades, has been rejuvenated, modernised and simplified and will be universally adopted across everything that the bus operator offers, representing the three different types of journey. These include:

• Local buses – these are everyday community buses with strong local connections that take people to work, education, hospitals, leisure activities with friends and family and life’s important moments.
• Longer distance – buses with added comfort and value for customers that need to take a bus beyond the place they live.
• Specialist – these are specialist services built for purpose – for drivers who need to park their car outside of town and use park and ride services, university students who need a lift to class and tourists who want to go sightseeing around the country

Three buses in the new ‘longer distance’ paintwork joined the Highlands fleet in early March and will initially be operating on the X99 route between Inverness and Caithness.

The previous coaches that have operated on the route for almost 2 years remain in the Caithness fleet.

David Beaton, managing director at Stagecoach Highlands said: “The last few months have been an extremely challenging time within the business. We are pleased to have been in a position to be able to increase bus services in the Highlands from Monday 29^th June as well as get these coaches out on the road. In line with social distancing implemented on board our buses and coaches, we have made a series of changes to the routes our vehicles operate on to provide the highest capacity where there is the highest demand. We hope as lockdown continues to ease we will start to welcome more customers on board all of our services across the Highlands once again.”

Trudy Morris, Chief Executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce said: “As we begin to move out of lockdown, bus services will play a key role in connecting our communities and providing us with links to opportunities and services in Inverness and beyond.

“We are delighted to see Stagecoach investing in their fleet in the area, and we very much welcome the introduction of these new vehicles to key routes in the North Highlands.  This is a clear demonstration of Stagecoach’s ongoing commitment to the region.”

Passenger journeys have fallen by over 80% on service X99 since lockdown began on 23 March.

The capacity on board an X99 coach is now 14 customers (full capacity is 59 plus one wheelchair user) and customers are reminded that they can book their seat in advance at citylink.co.uk. If unable to book in advance, customers can also check how busy the bus is using the Stagecoach mobile app using the new busy bus indicator. More information is available at stagecoachbus.com.

The local bus operator is also reminding customers to follow the latest government advice regarding mandatory face coverings on public transport as well as the restrictions on travel distance, to protect others against coronavirus.

More information on staying safe travelling by bus is available here – https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/travelling-safely-in-scotland