Luing’s heartfelt plea to council
Hearts made on Luing have been delivered directly to council chiefs and councillors at Kilmory HQ as part of a campaign to save the island’s school from full-time closure, writes Kathie Griffiths.
People of all ages on the island took part in a Have A Heart appeal, crafting their own heart-shaped messages to encourage decision-making officers and members of Argyll and Bute council’s Community Services Committee to think again about pushing towards consultation on shutting the currently mothballed school forever.
The school’s future will come up for discussion at the June meeting.
Mary and Martin Whitmore travelled to Argyll and Bute Council’s offices last week to hand deliver the hearts. Recipients included executive director Douglas Hendry and policy lead for education and chairperson of the community services committee, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly.
“We hope the council will have a heart and listen to what Luing is saying. To help our island thrive we need to keep attracting young families with children. If the council shuts the school, it is denying us of that chance. It would be to fly committee’s in the face of its own vision for the future which is to see a successful, vibrant Argyll and Bute with a growing population and a thriving economy,” said a spokesperson. The council’s priorities for 2022-2027 include taking action “to combat and reverse decline” and to “see the potential for thriving local economies that support our rich mix of remote, rural and island communities”.
Luing is still waiting to hear when Mr Hendry and Councillor McNeilly will be visiting the island as promised. A council spokesperson said it will be “in the near future” but “no date has been fixed as yet”.