Connecting Islands

Connecting Islands

From Sorisdale to Stravanan, the Ràmh team has worked to hear from all of our island communities across Argyll and Bute, emphasising the individuality and many distinct communities across Argyll’s islands therein. The Ràmh programme has sought to create connections, build relationships and put island communities in context, using the islanders’ own words wherever possible. An initial scoping exercise, including our Islands Survey, gave insight into where and how CHARTS might best support islanders going forward.

Work has included:

Knowledge Xchange Webinar Series in Spring 2023, which built a sense of community with attendees and speakers from all over Argyll and Bute and other Island communities in Scotland. Speakers Rhoda Meek (isleDEVELOP CIC, isle20), Rutger Emmelkamp (KNOCKvologan), Amy Gear (Gaada) and Amy Dunnachie (SO:AR, CHARTS) gave warm, rich and diverse presentations on their practices and fostered a great range of conversations both on and offline.

Strengthening existing networks with online and in-person meetings, engaging communities with Ràmh and supporting island-based activities. Ràmh's presence at events such as Screen Argyll’s screening of Aftersun in March and the Tobermory High School Careers Day in September enabled the project team to spread awareness of the programme and to hear directly from islanders in different settings.

Ràmh has also supported an extension of the Dathan Ceilteach/Celtic Colours project, which ran from the Rockfield Centre in Oban last year. A number of the original contributors from Luing had expressed an interest in continuing the project, and CHARTS was able to fund Deborah Gray to host a workshop at the Atlantic Islands Centre in Luing in June. With a great deal of crossover with the work of our Gaelic Officer, Àdhamh Ò Broin, the Ràmh programme continues to work on the promotion of the Gaelic language, and the team will be present at the island-based stops of the fantastic Cuairt Chaluim Chille // Touring St Columba exhibits over the coming months.

In 2024 the team will consolidate the learning and connections of the years’ activities and consultation into a set of recommendations for island-based support and investment, as well as supporting our new group of Island Advocates who will be feeding back to the Steering Group from communities in Mull, Iona and Bute.

If there is anything you would like to discuss or opportunities for development that you think CHARTS may be able to support, please get in touch with Mary Morrison at mary@chartsargyllandisles.org