Making a difference

Brothers Brian and Duncan Swinbanks recently won the Local Hero award at the Scottish Rural Awards for their community work on Mull

How did you first get involved in community work? Brian

I came to Mull in 1974, got married and started a charter boat business, taking people out fishing. The islanders were so welcoming and there was a real sense of community. It was a revelation to be part of a community where people helped each other. In the 1980s, we had a huge fight to save Tobermory pier. Caledonian MacBrayne wanted to close it down but the community fought back, and out of that we formed a harbour association.

I was asked if I wanted to be the secretary of the yacht club. I didn’t sail but I said yes. I just enjoyed helping. From there, I began to get involved in other things.

Duncan Tell us about the main projects you’ve been involved with Brian

As chairman of the Tobermory Harbour Association, it didn’t take me long to realise that writing letters to the authorities gets you nowhere. It was up to the community to do it itself. If a few people led, the others would get behind you. The harbour needed parking and new piers and pontoons, so we started a series of projects and got all these things built and delivered. We’ve done all we said we would. The community has driven it forward, people like me and Duncan have driven things forward, but others have helped and been tremendously supportive.

Duncan I’ve been involved in a couple of projects, one of which was starting the rugby club. We had keen interest on the island but we didn’t have any facilities. Flat land is scarce on Mull, so the first pitch was set up on the airfield. But we had to abandon the games all the time – whenever a plane came in to land, we’d have to stop for half an hour. It was ridiculous. I knew about an old abandoned football pitch that I’d played on when I was a boy. Because it had previously been used as a sports field, we didn’t need planning permission to develop it, but we did need money. So we raised the funds and built a field that could also be used for school sports. I’ve been the secretary and treasurer most of the time, putting together grant applications.

After that I got involved in a huge long project – 28 years! – to get a swimming pool for the island. We’d had some terrible drownings – you can’t learn to swim in the sea, in freezing cold water – so there was a lot of motivation to do it. Eventually, Argyll and the Islands Enterprise helped us tie up with the Crerar Hotel and we worked out a deal where we would build the pool (which is part of their hotel) and they would cover the running costs. It was just fantastic. After all those years it suddenly fell into place. The project was finished about six years ago.

What have been the main benefits of these projects? Brian

There is a better quality of life in Tobermory. The harbour drives a lot of business into the town – just under £2m from the visitors afloat who stay at our pontoons. These people spend along the main street. The Harbour Association is there to deliver visitors to Tobermory who then spend money. That’s our job – to bring people into the town, who then spend in the town, benefiting the town. The arts centre, the theatre and lots of other community-driven businesses do the same.

Duncan Mull is a beautiful island but you can’t just go around looking at the scenery all the time. Our kids and community want the same things as people on the mainland – they want a swimming pool, they want a village hall, they want a sports field. When we ran into problems with rocky ground during the development of the pitch, two of our guys took a fortnight’s holiday from their job at the quarry and blasted the rock for us. When people are willing to give up their holidays, it’s inspiring. .

What have you enjoyed most about your voluntary work? Brian

My great pleasure in life is seeing things made and built. I did a drawing many years ago of a new car park for Tobermory. It was quite detailed, showing where buildings would be. If you saw the drawing now, you’d see it’s all there. That’s incredibly satisfying.

Duncan A couple of months after the pool was built, this old guy came up to me and he said, ‘I was down at the pool, first time, absolutely brilliant, Duncan, brilliant!’ And I said, ‘I’m so pleased… was that your first time at the pool?’ And he said, ‘No, that was my first time in any pool!’ I just about cried. It made those 28 years melt away, and I thought, wow, it was all worthwhile.

Are you involved in other projects? Brian

We want to help visitors to Tobermory to sail further, past Ardnamurchan to Uist, Barra, Harris and Skye. So we’re trying to create facilities that will allow them to wait for weather windows and then sail on.

Duncan We produce a lot of lovely food on Mull, but unlike Arran or Orkney, there’s no branding or identity with our island, so we’re working on that.

One other thing I’d love to do is this: Tobermory is such a pretty town, and it would be perfect if it had a beach. I am part of a little beach group that over the years has tried so many different things – but the sand always gets swept away. I would love to make it happen.