£4.25m investment approved by HIE in the Outer Hebrides in 2022

Between 1 January and 31 December, Salar Smokehouse Limited was awarded £72,685 towards its refit project at its new premises in Benbecula. Stòras Uibhist Ltd received funding totalling £106,319 to employ a Lochboisdale regeneration officer and to help the organisation to transform the Ludag Waiting Room into a valuable community asset.

Northton Heritage Trust was awarded £20,000 for the Seallam Visitor Centre in Harris. Wee Studio in North Lewis received £58,000 to support the upgrade of a music studio and new equipment.

Several businesses and community groups in the Outer Hebrides were supported to develop their use of technology and to enhance their digital capabilities. These included Comann Eachdraidh Eirisgeidh (Eriskay Historical Society), which received £4,125; MacAulay Askernish was awarded £22,042; Stornoway Port Authority was awarded £12,000; and £5,325 was approved for Barra’s Herring Girl Collection.

North Uist Distillery was awarded £250,000 to help transform Nunton Steadings into a distillery, community hub and visitor centre. The business received a further £93,000 the HIE’s Young Business Capital Investment Grant (YBCIG) for the development of a bottling plant.

Another company that received support to develop a bottling plant through YBCIG is family-run Isle of Barra Distillers, which got more than £67,000. Stornoway-based Sandwick Bay Candles received £9,171 and £4,670 was awarded to the town’s Hebridean Charcuterie from Croft No 9. More than £395,000 in total was awarded to firms in 2022 through the second round of YBCIG, which supports young businesses and social enterprises looking to increase productivity, innovation and employment.

More than £2m was approved by HIE to develop seven new business units at Eabhal Business Park in Benbecula following a high level of interest from local firms.

Other community support approvals included £100,000 for Urras nan Tursachan (Calanais Visitor Centre) and Carthannas Nis was awarded £8,000 for new laundrette equipment, which is used by local people and visitors to the area. Urras Sgìre Oighreachd Bharabhais (Barvas Estate Trust) received £9,300 for its proposed campsite project on the Barvas Estate.

Activities to improve the islands’ appeal to young people, meanwhile, included the delivery of the popular graduate placement programme, which has helped businesses to bring new, eager graduates into their teams. More than £83,000 was invested in the delivery of the programme in the Outer Hebrides.  

Joanna Peteranna, HIE area manager for Outer Hebrides, said:

“Our role in providing pandemic related support over the past couple of years gave us the opportunity to build new relationships and extend our reach in a way that is already proving valuable. As a result, we’ve enhanced our support for smaller companies across the Outer Hebrides, in partnership with Business Gateway and others.

“We want to maintain that broader engagement and are reaching out to other businesses, social enterprises and community organisations looking to expand their activities, reach new markets and employ more people. I look forward to working with partners and clients to continue to grow the region’s economy in the years ahead.”

Tasgadh de £4.25m air aontachadh le HIE do Innse Gall ann an 2022

Tha figearan a chaidh fhoillseachadh le Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd ’s nan Eilean (HIE) a’ nochdadh gun do dh’aontaich am buidheann ri tasgadh de £4,156,922 ann an Innse Gall ann an 2022.

Eadar 1 Faoilleach agus 31 Dùbhlachd, chaidh  £72,685 a bhuileachadh air Taigh-smocaidh Salar a dh’ionnsaigh ath-uidheamachadh air an togalach ùr aca ann am Beinn na Faoghla. Fhuair Stòras Uibhist Earranta maoineachadh de £106,319 gu h-iomlan, gus oifigear ath-nuadhachaidh fhastadh do Loch Baghasadail agus gus am buidheann a chuideachadh le cruth-atharrachadh a thoirt air Seòmar Feitheimh na Lùdaige gu bhith na sho-mhaoin coimhearsnachd luachmhor.

Chaidh maoineachadh de £20,000 a thoirt do dh’Urras Dualchais an Taoibh Tuath airson Ionad Luchd-tadhail Seallam anns na Hearadh. Fhuair an Wee Studio ann an ceann a tuath Leòdhais £58,000 gus taic a chur ris an ath-ùrachadh air an stiuidio ciùil agus uidheamachd ùr.

Thugadh taic do dh’àireamh de ghnothachsan agus do bhuidhnean coimhearsnachd ann an Innse Gall gus an cleachdadh air teicneòlas a leasachadh agus an comasachdan didseatach a neartachadh. Nam measg sin, bha Comann Eachdraidh Èirisgeigh a fhuair £4,125; chaidh £22,042 gu MacAmhlaigh Àisgearnais; fhuair Urras Caladh Steòrnabhaigh £12,000; agus chaidh £5,325 aontachadh do Chruinneachadh Herring Girl Bharraigh.

Fhuair Taigh-staile Uibhist a Tuath £250,000 gus cuideachadh le Tuathanas Bhaile nan Cailleach a chruth-atharrachadh gu taigh-staile, mòr-ionad coimhearsnachd agus ionad tadhail. Fhuair an gnothachas £93,000 eile a dh’ionnsaigh Tabhartas Tasgaidh Chalpa Ghnothachasan Òga (YBCIG) aig HIE airson leasachadh air an fhactaraidh bhotalaidh.

Is e Staileadairean Eilean Bharraigh air a ruith leis an aon teaghlach, an companaidh eile a fhuair taic de chòrr air £67,000 airson factaraidh botalaidh a leasachadh tro YBCIG. Fhuair Coinnlean Bàgh Shanndabhaig ann an Steòrnabhagh £9,171 agus chaidh £4,670 a bhuileachadh air Charcuterie Innse Gall bho Chroit Àir. 9. Thugadh còrr air £395,000 gu h-iomlan do chompanaidhean ann an 2022 tron dàrna cuairt de YBCIG, a bhios a’ cur taic ri gnothachasan òga agus iomairtean sòisealta a tha a’ coimhead ri tarbhachd, ùr-ghnàthachadh agus cosnadh a mheudachadh.

Dh’aontaich am buidheann ri £2m a bharrachd airson seachd aonadan gnothachais ùr a leasachadh ann am Pàirc Gnothachais Eabhal ann am Beinn na Faoghla, a’ leantainn air ìre àrd de dh’ùidh a bhith ga nochdadh bho chompanaidhean ionadail.    

Am measg aontaidhean taic coimhearsnachd eile bha £100,000 do dh’Urras nan Tursachan agus fhuair Carthannas Nis £8,000 airson uidheam ùr don ionad-nigheadaireachd, a tha ga chleachdadh le muinntir na coimhearsnachd agus luchd-tadhail don sgìre. Chaidh £9,300 a thoirt do dh’Urras Sgìre Oighreachd Bharabhais airson a’ phròiseict làrach-campachaidh a tha san amharc aca air Oighreachd Bharabhais.

Am measg ghnìomhachdan gus na h-eileanan a dhèanamh nas tarraingiche do dhaoine òga san eadar-ama, bha lìbhrigeadh air a’ phrògram mheasail greis-gnìomhachais cheumnaichean a tha air gnothachasan a chuideachadh gu ceumnaichean òga dealasach a thàladh a-steach do na sgiobaidhean aca. Chaidh còrr air £83,000 a thasgadh ann an lìbhrigeadh a’ phrògraim ann an Innse Gall.  

Thuirt Joanna Peteranna, manaidsear sgìreil HIE ann an Innse Gall:

“Thug an dreuchd againn a thaobh solarachadh taic co-cheangailte ris a’ phandamaig thar an dà bhliadhna a chaidh seachad, cothrom air dàimhean ùra a thogail agus ar ruigsinneachd a leudachadh ann an dòigh a tha a’ dearbhadh a bhith luachmhor. Mar thoradh air sin, tha sinn air ar taic do chompanaidhean nas lugha air feadh Innse Gall a mheudachadh, ann an com-pàirteachas le Business Gateway agus feadhainn eile.

“Tha sinn airson an conaltradh nas fharsainge sin a chumail suas agus tha sinn a’ sìneadh a-mach gu gnothachasan eile, iomairtean sòisealta agus buidhnean coimhearsnachd, a tha a’ coimhead ri an gnìomhachdan a leudachadh, margaidean ùra a ruighinn agus barrachd dhaoine fhastadh. Tha mi a’ coimhead air adhart ri bhith ag obair le com-pàirtichean agus luchd-dèiligidh gus leanatainn air adhart a’ fàs eaconamaidh na sgìre sna bliadhnaichean a tha ri teachd.”