New funding opens the way for ‘Flight Path’ project to get off the ground

Friday 23rd August 2024

Lairg and District Learning Centre, along with 8 other centres throughout Scotland, are delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Scottish Government’s £272k Climate Engagement Fund (CEF).

The fund has been set up to increase Climate Change awareness and action in local communities through various activities such as community workshops, podcasts and green festivals, which will be supported from the latest round of Scottish Government funding.

We will use the funding from CEF to launch a new project which will raise awareness about the impact of climate change on the migratory patterns and behaviours of birds.
These will be held at the Lairg & District Learning Centre, as well as other local hubs arounds Sutherland. Participants will be able to explore the various ways in which changing environmental conditions, such as temperature shifts and habitat loss, are affecting the ability of birds to navigate their traditional migration routes.

Through a combination of creative writing workshops, lectures, immersive walks and various mediums of art, we hope that attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of how climate change is altering the behaviour and distribution of bird species worldwide. We also intend to run a few local side projects to encourage families and youngsters to take an interest in the feathered friends that surround us.

Lairg and District Learning Centre welcomed two new members of staff in April 2024

Photo - LDLC. Sarah Forrest (r), Heather Bruce (l) Sarah Forrest has joined as the new manager and Heather Bruce as Project Officer for the Highland Community Waste Partnership.

 

Sarah previously managed the Learning Centre’s Seasons of Change, a Keep Scotland Beautiful Climate Challenge funded project.  She has extensive experience in the arts and education with 20 years at the BBC as a researcher in the Arts and Science Central Research Unit and a role at Middlesex University on a BSc programme, looking after quality assurance, learning and the student experience. “I’m delighted to be returning to the Learning Centre and look forward to delivering interesting, new, and exciting classes and workshops, as well as continuing with currently funded projects. It’s a challenging time for charities, but with such a strong and passionate team I’m confident we can continue to provide fantastic learning  opportunities in the heart of our community”.

 

Heather was the founder of The Rusty Coo Gift & Eco Shop and the Lairg Community Markets in Lairg. Both were set up as a way of promoting local exchange and encouraging more traffic through our beautiful area. Having dedicated the last 5 years to these causes, she also sought to promote the use of eco-friendly products in the area, thus reducing waste and enabling locals to try eco products that may have been out of their reach previously. She also makes children’s clothing for a living, and has been teaching others to sew through the Learning Centre. “I’m very happy to have been given the opportunity to work for the Highland Community Waste Project, it is a project very close to my heart which I am delighted to be able to share with others.”