Halloween on the Green set to throw spotlight on Culbokie success story on Black Isle
A BLACK Isle community group’s transformational development of a village green will become the focus of a seasonal celebration this weekend.
Groups from across Scotland are celebrating the excitement and optimism of local empowerment as part of the Community Land Festival.
Culbokie Green is among dozens of community-owned projects highlighting the aspirations and benefits of local empowerment.
READ MORE
‘Wonderful turnout’ for planting at Culbokie
Twice weekly news briefing from Ross-shire free to your inbox
‘Halloween on the Green’ on Saturday (October 26) from 4pm to 6pm offers an open invitation to enjoy the great community spirit with soup and nibbles, spooky crafts a spooky treasure hunt, storytelling and pumpkin carving competition. There will also be a Halloween costume contest, prize giving and a special mystery guest.
Culbokie Green is part of a bigger project to build a new village centre including a café, some business space with private treatment rooms, public toilets and a tool store for use by volunteers managing the Green.
The project was started in 2014 when 81 per cent of locals supported a community right to buy in a postal ballot.
Since purchasing the land, not only has Culbokie Green been created as a biodiverse resource with paths and play areas for the enjoyment of the whole community but six new affordable rental homes have been completed and occupied. A rapid electric charge point has been installed and the toilets and tool store are nearing completion.
The project has already transformed the village centre. The Green has become a vibrant place for the enjoyment of children and adults and many people are benefiting from the facilities that have been created.
For the first time this year, aspiring community buyouts groups can participate in the celebrations and highlight their ambitions for their area.
“There has been a general sense of gloom about the economy and the cost of living”, explained Meg Taintor, assistant development manager at Community Land Scotland. “We do think that community-level ownership and development are a very direct and practical way to improve life for local areas.
“Local people know what is best for their community and the process of taking control and empowerment often brings optimism and aspiration to communities.”
“Culbokie Green is proving to be a fantastic village centre resource”, said Penny Edwards, one of the founding directors or the Culbokie Community Trust. “It’s been designed for both people and wildlife and lots of children use the play areas, table tennis table and willow tunnels.
“We’ve also recorded all seven relatively common species of bumblebees in the wildflower meadow this summer – so it’s working for wildlife as well as for people. A volunteer group, The Green Team, maintains the Green each week and is working hard to ensure it’s a great resource that everyone can enjoy and feel proud of.”
