Local Place Plan Update
Tearoom and Drop-In are Open
Tearoom is open on Wednesdays 2-4pm and the Drop-In is on Tuesdays 2-4pm. We are looking forward to seeing you!
You can help WLET!
We are raising funds to move ahead with Phase 2 of the Old School renovation. If you would like to help, please visit our JustGiving page below where you can make a donation of any amount you want. Thanks!
Dates for your Diary
WLET thanks those who have been supporting us and those who have recently joined. It makes a big difference to us.
On Saturday 28th September, we were pleased to welcome parents and children for a 4th birthday celebration. A good time was had by all!
Yum yum
What a team!
Our whisky tasting evening was sold out and our thanks to Iain Sutherland for a very enjoyable evening. We are already looking forward to the next one - watch this space for details.
We’ve had such a busy summer (most of it without summer weather) that we’ve been a bit remiss about updating the website.
Our Wednesday tearoom offering continues to attract a goodly number of people (usually between 50 and 74), both local and visitors and we had a super visit from GAMS on Saturday 15th June. We all had a fantastic time as you can perhaps see from the photos!
Where to begin?
That was good!
Meanwhile the Board had begun to work with WLECC on the Local Place Plan which is being put together for us by Wester Ross Biosphere. Funding came from WLET and the CRF CLLD applied for on behalf of the 2 organisations by WLECC.
The Tuesday Morning Art Class run by Janet Harding continues as does the Tuesday afternoon ‘Drop In’ which has now been running for 10 years.
Ewe Brew has provided delicious pizza and beer from their mobile pizza wagon and oven throughout the summer. The first two or three evenings looked very promising weather-wise with people enjoying our outside seating and garden. Unfortunately, the weather in mid-summer wasn’t so kind but there was always the option of eating in The Old Schoolhouse Tearoom.
In August WLET held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) which was well-attended. We also welcomed a new Trustee, Helen Sharman, who lives in Poolewe and was voted on to the Board. Thank you all those members who participated and to the member of the public who came to the meeting and subsequently joined WLET.
Ewe Brew has some Tex-Mex evenings planned for The Old Schoolhouse Tearoom this autumn/winter beginning on 19th October 2024 as well as a Christmas Buffet on Saturday 21st December 2024. Contact Ewe Brew on 07494 310317.
But prior to that, The Old Schoolhouse Tearoom is hosting a Whisky Tasting event by The Bridge Cottage Art Cafe, Poolewe on Friday 27th September from 7.00 pm. Food is provided. To sign up for this, please contact Iain Sutherland on 07555 142638 or find him on Facebook.
The Board have just had a Wednesday evening/Thursday morning visit from Audrey Dunn of Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS). She came to meet us, see what we’ve done so far, and advise us as to future steps. Concurrently, the Board has been working with Wittets Architects of Skye and Fiona Begg (who oversaw our Phase 1 renovation and extension project) to further community aspirations for Phase 2 whilst looking at funding opportunities for this phase.
PS: We intend to be open all winter on Tuesdays for Art and the ‘Drop In’ and on Wednesdays The Old Schoolhouse Tearoom will provide a cosy space for delicious cakes, hot drinks, etc.
In May 2024 Wester Loch Ewe Community Council held a community ballot to select the community's preferred owner of Poolewe Village Green when it is transferred to community ownership. A total of 360 voting papers were issued and, with an excellent 59% turnout, Wester Loch Ewe Trust were the clear preference with 164 votes. After the result was announced, the Community Council wrote to the Macdonald Buchanan Estate's agents to inform them of the community's choice and to recommend that WLET be the new owners of the Village Green and any other land that is to be transferred to community ownership. The final choice in the matter of course rests with the Macdonald Buchanan Estate and we await their decision. WLET would like to express their thanks to all those of you who supported us in the vote and we look forward to working with the community to secure the future of Poolewe Village Green.
You may have heard that Poolewe Village Green is being transferred into community ownership. The WLET board decided to submit an expression of interest to
Wester Loch Ewe Community Council who are managing the transfer as we feel we are well placed to offer a stable long term home for this very important asset to the area. If we are successful, we intend to keep the Village Green running as at present, in the short term. So we don't see it impacting on our plans for the Old School. As part
of our expression of interest we were asked to submit a short statement about our intentions. Here it is:
WESTER LOCH EWE TRUST STATEMENT
WLET is a charitable body (SC045512) and a company limited by guarantee (SC 500698) that was formed in 2015 to manage community land and associated assets for the benefit of the Community and the public in general, advancing community development (including rural regeneration), and improving conditions of life of the Community. The Community referred to stretches from Poolewe (including the outlying settlements of Tournaig, Inveran and Croft) through the smaller communities of Naast, Inverasdale, Firemore, Stirkhill and Cove.
WLET is run by a board of 6 local residents, some of whom have been on the board since WLET was formed, so are well experienced in management and fund raising.
The current trust membership is over 100 local people drawn from the area from Poolewe to Cove. This number represents a substantial proportion of the total population
in the area covered. There are also a many associate members – mainly those who have lived in the area in the past.
The main focus of WLET's activities up until now has been on redeveloping the Old School in Inverasdale and we would be delighted to have an opportunity to help the wider community by providing long term, stable ownership and management of the Green and the other areas of land being donated to the community.
In line with earlier surveys of public opinion, our immediate plan for the Village Green would be to preserve it exactly as it is. These surveys were strongly against any redevelopment of the Village Green. Any proposals for future changes would have to come from the community. We would expect to work closely with the Community Council on all aspects of the management of the Green, and indeed all the other areas of land being transferred from the Macdonald Buchanan Estate.
Until we know the details of these other areas, we are unable to suggest how they could be used, but we would ensure they were managed in ways that benefit the
whole community, and were supported by the whole community.
We would, of course, work closely with the Community Council to ensure the future of the public toilets in whatever form the community would support.
Over the years since 2015, in all its activities WLET has made a point of consulting our community before making major decisions and we feel this approach has
resulted in the community being fully behind us as we move forward. We would want to continue to consult public opinion, both through the elected Community
Council and directly by public meetings, surveys and social media. This will be particularly important regarding the future of the additional areas of land which
may offer exciting possibilities for the benefit of us all.
March 2024
We celebrated the New Year with an informal party in The Old Schoolhouse Tearoom on the afternoon of 1st January when everyone came together to enjoy a convivial afternoon of conversation and songs from Hector, George and Willie.
Next Tex-Mex Evening 24th February
Ewebrew held another successful Tex-Mex evening on 13th January. Another full house and lots of socialising. We look forward to having Jo and James provide another Tex-Mex evening in The Old Schoolhouse on Saturday 24th February. Sit-down meals are already fully booked but takeaway meals available by pre-order - 07494 310 317 for collection between 5 pm and 6 pm.
After a very successful TexMex evening in November, WLET is delighted to welcome back Jo and James of Ewebrew to the Old Schoolhouse for a Christmas buffet and beer evening on 22nd December. To book please call 07903 145 166.
If you prefer, you can contact Liz (07967 115317) directly rather than Eventbrite. Places are limited. Refreshments will be served. The event is free but donations to Wester Loch Ewe Trust will be most welcome.
We are delighted to welcome back Jo and James of Ewebrew for another TWO evenings of tex-mex food and beer, on 4th November and 22nd December. Table bookings for 4th are now sold out but we are open between 5-6pm for collection of pre-ordered takeaways (please order before 4pm). To order, and to book for 22nd December, please call 07903 145 166.
A really enjoyable evening was had by all. We had all tables occupied, some customers for takeaways, and some brave people ate on the outside picnic benches! We can't wait to do it again. Thank you Jo and James.
A very successful and enjoyable afternoon. We'll do it again soon!
On Friday 3rd February we held our first community pizza evening and it was a fantastic success. Vincent and Bryony of Roaster's cooked and served well over 40 delicious pizzas! Things were so busy we didn't get a chance to take pictures of folk eating but we do have some pictures of the Old Schoohouse Tearoom set up ready for the evening, have a look in the Gallery. Many thanks to Vincent and Bryony and we hope to see you again in the future.
On the afternoon of the 31st a few of our regulars (and a few new faces) met up in the Old Schoolhouse Tearoom. Everyone brought some eats and drinks and a good time was had by all. It was so successful we hope we will be able to do something more formal in the future to celebrate the New Year.
We previously said that we hoped to run some regular events for the community and we were delighted to host the first of these on Thursday 27th October. Tony and Jackie Dee who will be well-known to many in the community as professional chef and cook, volunteered to make a lunch for some of our older members in The Old Schoolhouse Tearoom.
As you can see from the photograph, those attending enjoyed the delicious cock-a-leekie soup, crumble with custard and home bakes with tea or coffee in our cosy surroundings. Attendance was by invitation due to the limitation on numbers in the Tearoom. Thanks to those who volunteered to set up the tearoom, serve and clear up afterwards and to those who baked.
Tony and Jackie were just so helpful and said they enjoyed working in our fabulous kitchen. We cannot thank them enough for being so accommodating. If anyone with the appropriate skills and the time available would like to help WLET with the next community meal, and try out our wonderful kitchen, please get in touch by email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or ring 07967 115317 to have a chat about it.
Time for a chat after lunch
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