Plans to redevelop former school and community centre progress

Carloway Community Association is pressing ahead with its plans to redevelop the former Carloway school and Carloway Community Centre on Lewis.

An invitation to tender for the construction phase of the project was recently posted on the Scottish Contracts Portal with returns due back mid-February.

Mairi Steele, chairwoman of Carloway Community Association, explained: ‘We started our fundraising activities in earnest just a few months before the outbreak of Covid-19 and there can be no doubt that has had an impact on our fundraising efforts. As a result, we had to re-evaluate our plans to make cost savings.

‘By the end of 2020 we had received support from the Scottish Government Regeneration Fund, HIE, the Scottish Landfill Community

Fund and The Robertson Trust. Just recently we were delighted to receive £32,000 from the CnES Crown Estate Fund which has been a huge boost.

‘We have raised our own contribution towards the project of around £15,000 and last Friday launched a Crowdfunding campaign with the hope of raising an extra £10,000. We have been overwhelmed with support so far with more than a third of our target secured already.’

The plans for

Carloway

The former Carloway school site on Lewis.

include a community shop, a commercial kitchen adjacent to a refurbished hall, an office and meeting space and a permanent home for Comann Eachdraidh Chàrlabhaigh.

Ms Steele added: ‘All the elements of the project have been identified as priorities by the community in a series of consultations and are supported by a comprehensive business plan. All donations towards our project mean so much to us and take us another step closer to making our aspirations a reality.’