AHS Prize Draw

Ardnamurchan High School launched their PRIZE DRAW at the very successful Open Day at the end of June. 

Tickets for this are now for sale at outlets throughout the peninsula. Please help this to become a success and raise much needed funds for the school and its pupils by buying tickets yourself and by encouraging all your summer visitors to do likewise.

If you could sell tickets but have not yet received any please contact us and we will send some to you.

 Àrainn Shuaineirt Youth Club

Our Youth Club returns to normal after the summer holidays, operating every Tuesday & Thursday evening from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. As usual there will be a wide range of activities on offer including football, badminton, basketball, shinty, rugby, arts & crafts, videos, films and much more, including the BODYMOVES Project.

Everyone between the ages of 8 and 16 is welcome, including visitors to the area and adult volunteer helpers. Admission costs £1 per session. Buses will run as normal from Acharacle, Ardgour and Lochaline, cost free to those attending Youth Club and £1 for any adults using them for access to the centre.

We hope to begin providing supervision for Ardnamurchan High School pupils who prefer to stay on after school for Youth Club rather than travel home by bus and then return to Strontian again in the evening. This will include an evening meal and an opportunity to get their homework done before Youth Club begins. Full details will be sent to the parents of all AHS pupils in due course.

Our YOUTH CLUB requires more ADULT STAFF to help with supervising the activities, and we have vacancies for anyone interested in working with young people or sporting activities. For more information click here.

 Àrainn Shuaineirt Transport

The Àrainn Shuaineirt Management Committee (ASMC) has funding from the Scottish Executive's Rural Community Transport Initiative to provide transport to events in The Sunart Centre.

Buses currently run to the centre from Acharacle, Ardgour and Lochaline every Tuesday and Thursday evening, arriving at 7:00pm and departing again at 9:00pm. These buses are available to everyone who wishes to access them, for Youth Club, access to the Fitness Suite, to use Ardnamurchan Library or attend evening classes. All journey cost £2 return irrespective of the distance travelled. To find out when and where to catch your bus please contact The Sunart Centre or Shiel Buses (for Acharacle & Ardgour) and Morvern Community Transport Association (for Lochaline).

The ASMC also provides subsidised transport to some of the arts events in the centre. This is very dependent on the number of people who will use the transport if provided - please contact us to find out more about transport to specific events.

Transport will be provided to the Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham concert on Wednesday 8th September. Buses will run from Acharacle, Ardgour and Lochaline, cost £2 per passenger for the return journey. For details of pick up times contact The Sunart Centre on 01397 709228.

 Àrainn Shuaineirt Childcare Centre

Our Childcare Centre will be offering after school care from the beginning of term. 

The Centre caters for children aged 4 to 14 after school ends until their parents collect them at any time up to 5.45pm. We are also working on a new scheme to extend this for older children (AHS pupils) through to the commencement of the Àrainn Shuaineirt Youth Club on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. More details will be sent to parents of all Ardnamurchan High School pupils when they are available. 

Our rates for After School Club during term time are as follows:

2:45pm - 5:45pm        £5.50

Hourly Rate        £2.00 (plus 50p for collection from Strontian Primary School if required).

Weekly Rate (5 days)        £25.00

Please note that most of these charges can be recouped from Working Families Tax Credit. Our staff can advise on this.

For more information about the Childcare Centre contact Eoghan Carmichael at the Sunart Centre on 01397 709228 .

 PLEASE NOTE: We will be offering childcare and crèche facilities for the Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham concert on Wednesday 8th September, and for all future arts events in the centre. Prior booking is essential to enable us to assess demand and ensure staffing levels are sufficient. To book your children in please email eoghan.carmichael@highland.gov.uk or telephone 01397 7092233.

 URGENT: We are also looking for more staff for our childcare centre - click here for more information.

 Film Club

It is hoped to begin a regular programme of films using The Sunart Centre's state of the art cinema equipment over the winter months. Anyone with an interest in helping to decide on the programme is encouraged to get in touch. It is hoped that enough people will be interested to set up a local FILM CLUB which can decide what films should be shown and when. If you are interested please email enquiries@sunartcentre.org or telephone 01397 709228.

 Fitness Suite

Our state of the art Fitness Suite is available for use on Tuesday & Thursday evenings 7:00pm - 9:00pm, and Saturday afternoons 2:00pm - 4:00pm. Tickets are available from Ardnamurchan Library at £3 per session. Please note you must have undergone an induction into the safe use of the gym equipment either here or elsewhere - to make an appointment call 01397 709228 or email mailto:inquiries@sunartcentre.org. 

The Fitness Suite is also available for booking on a regular basis outside the times noted above - please contact us for details.

We are currently working on a season ticket system for the Fitness Suite, to reduce costs to regular users. Full details will be made available in our next newsletter.

Circuit Training

Circuit Training recommenced on Wednesday 11th August and will continue through to the October break as follows:

Mondays 6pm - 7pm 

Wednesdays 5pm - 6pm 

Each session will cost £2 

 Ardnamurchan Library

 AUGUST PROGRAMME

The Reading Rollercoaster, this summer's national reading challenge for 4 to 12 year olds, keeps going until Saturday 14th August.  Rollercoaster Readers who let us know of their six favourite Star Attraction books and have collected six sets of rollercoaster stickers will be registered to receive a certificate and a medal.  If you want to finish the rollercoaster ride, you have to keep reading. http://www.readingrollercoaster.org.uk/  

Our regular Ardnamurchan Storytime for under 5s continues at 11.15 a.m. on the last Friday of every month - on Friday 27th August.  Mothers and babies welcome.Remember you can extend your loans or make any other enquiries by phone or email if you are unable to get to the Library during opening hours.  

Tel 01397 709226  

Email ardnamurchan.library@highland.gov.uk 

LIBRARY OPENING HOURS

Monday        9.00 am        -        4.00 pm

Tuesday        9.00 am        -         4.00 pm and 7.00 - 9.00 pm

Wednesday        9.00 am        -        4.00 pm

Thursday        9.00 am        -         4.00 pm and 7.00 - 9.00 pm

Friday        9.00 am        -        4.00 pm

Saturday        2.00 pm        -        4.00 pm

Closed bank holidays

 The Sunart Centre is available for hire!

180 seat Theatre with full conferencing & presentation facilities

Suitable for weddings, parties and private functions

Full size Gym Hall with changing rooms and showers.

Meeting rooms including Video Conferencing and Overhead Projection capability.

Full sized Astro Turf football pitch with changing rooms and showers.

Remember - The Sunart Centre is available to let to local groups. If you are interested in starting a club / group or have an idea for an event, please contact the centre co-ordinator on 01397 709228 or email enquiries@sunartcentre.org. 

To discuss your letting requirements, contact the centre coordinator on 01397 709228, or email mailto:inquiries@sunartcentre.org .

 STAFF VACANCIES

The Highland Council and Àrainn Shuaineirt have the following job opportunities at The Sunart Centre:

 YOUTH SESSION WORKERS: to work with our Youth Club on Tuesday and/or Thursday evenings 6:30pm - 9:30pm on a regular basis. We are particularly looking for people interested in helping with sporting activities such as badminton, basketball, football etc., but applications from people with interest in other activities would also be welcomed. The Youth Club is proving a very popular and enjoyable activity for the members and for the staff who help them - if you enjoy sport or the company of young people please take this opportunity to become part of the team.

CHILDCARE WORKERS: to work on a regular or occasional basis with children aged 0 - 14 years, 3pm - 6pm on schooldays, 8am - 6pm on school holidays, plus occasional evening work. A flexible approach and job share opportunities are available subject to agreement. Interest in organising activities and interacting with children of all ages an advantage.  This is a very rewarding vocation and is open to people of all ages 18 to 80. If you enjoy working with children and would like to help out please get in touch.

RECEPTION & ADMIN STAFF: to work on a regular or occasional basis welcoming people to the centre, collecting fees and issuing tickets for the facilities, monitoring usage, selling refreshments and answering queries about the centre. Hours of work primarily in the evenings and weekends and can be flexible. This is an interesting and satisfying occasional job opportunity for adults of any age, and would particularly suit retired or semi retired people or those already in part time employment. 

For further details of all positions including information on pay & conditions please contact Eoghan Carmichael, Centre Development Co-Ordinator: 

By phone by calling 01397 709228

By post by writing to The Sunart Centre, Strontian, Acharacle PH36 4JA

By email at eoghan.carmichael@highland.gov.uk

 Lochaber College (Strontian)

Lochaber College recently appointed Ronald Macintyre as their new Learning Centre manager in Strontian. 

In addition to the usual college suspects, evening classes, SVQs, Higher and Further Education (see http://www.sunartcentre.org/lochabercollege.htm) Lochaber College and Lochaber College Strontian is working in partnership with Highland Council, Job Centre Plus and Careers Scotland to develop programming that targets people who are unemployed, underemployed, or distanced from the workplace. So if you want to make a change, either develop the skills you have, or acquire new ones - get in touch. 

Ronald Macintyre 

Email: ronald.macintyre@lochaber.uhi.ac.uk 

Telephone: 01397 709221

 Àrainn Shuaineirt Management Committee

Following the Annual General Meeting on 7th June 2004 the Àrainn Shuaineirt Management Committee welcomed several new members.

The committee is charged with managing all the facilities within The Sunart Centre and Ardnamurchan High School for the benefit of the local community. If you have any comments or requests you wish to make please contact any committee member.

The full Àrainn Shuaineirt Management Committee is currently as follows:

Elected Voting members: 

Hugh Donaldson        (elected - Acharacle CC area)

Margaret Cameron        (elected - Acharacle CC area)

Ronald Macintyre        (elected - Sunart CC area)

Britt Kisby        (elected - Sunart CC area)

Gill Calver        (elected - West Ardnamurchan CC area)

Karen Macgregor        (elected - West Ardnamurchan CC area)

Eleanor Brown        (elected -Morvern CC area)

Jim Bolton        (elected -Morvern CC area)

Chris Ryan        (elected -Ardgour CC area)

Siobhan Gillespie        (elected -Ardgour CC area)

Co-Opted Voting members: 

Dot Lynas

Alison Wright

Sylvia Hehir (Vice Chairperson)

Representative Voting members: 

i.e. Voting members of the committee appointed to represent other organisations as laid down in the constitution:

Elected HC Councillor        Dr Michael Foxley (Chairperson)

Ardnamurchan High School Board representative        Struan Gardner  

Ardnamurchan High School Board representative        Tracey Cameron

Pupil Council Representative        Vacant

Youth Forum Representative        Vacant 

Advisory members of the committee who do not have voting rights:

Eoghan Carmichael (Centre Development Co-ordinator)

Catherine MacDonald (AHS Head Teacher)

John O'Kane (THC Council Community Learning and Leisure Manager)

Simon Jeffrey (THC Council Community Learning and Leisure Officer)

Moira Fitzpatrick (THC Community Learning Worker) 

Margaret Cameron (Lochaber College) 

Alison Gainsford (Lochaber Enterprise)

Eoghan Carmichael