SPRING NEWLETTER UPDATE
Although the Trust has not published news updates on our website recently, a lot has been happening in the background and on the ground over the past few months.
Members have been kept updated via email but we thought that it was time to inform the wider audience of what has been going on.
We have only been in possession of the buildings and land for just under six months but already, as well as general cleaning and clearing rooms, we have cleared downpipes and drains, checked drain routes, cleared concrete blocks and drainage pipes from the roadside banking, clear some bushes and trees, removed most of the fallen insulation from the collapsed ceiling in the workshop building.
As you may have seen, we are in the process of trying to find a tenant to rent the Office building. The plan being that income from the rent would help fund ongoing site costs and we would then work at turning the workshop building into a multi use Community Hub. As always, we are open to receiving opinions from members of the local community so please have a chat with a Trustee or Contact Us via our web site.
In addition, we have had new double glazed windows fitted in the office building by the Advanced Group who did a very neat job with that.
We also have had a new septic tank fitted, thanks to Septic Tank Services from Lochgilphead for doing a great job with that at short notice.
We also had a new manhole cover fitted to replace an old damaged cover, thanks to our local Landscaper, Philip Davidson and his team for doing another great job at short notice with that task.
We have met with contractors for, solar panels, septic tank, electrical work, fire safety etc, identified freshwater supply points and stop cocks, investigated and mapped the electricity system, cleared the mezzanine level in the warehouse, sold most of the filing cabinets left by Forestry and Land Scotland and tidied the car park and outside areas.
Solar Panels and storage batteries have now been installed on and in the Workshop building and they will be connected to the national grid at the end of April. This will enable us to generate some power to use and also sell power back to SSEN, thus reducing our costs.
Thanks to Stuart Ramsay and his plumbing skills, the pipes which burst due to frost some years ago in the workshop building have been repaired and we now have water in this building.
To make the office building compliant with modern regulations we have had to purchase a number of fire doors and now we need to fit them. A volunteer joiner would be most welcome to assist with this task. Please get in touch if you can help.
Defibrillator
The Trust started some years ago with obtaining the Phone box and getting the defibrillator installed. Now, the defibrillator is in need of new batteries and pads, and we are soon going to be appealing for donations to assist with this cost which will be in the region of £400 – Watch this space for our Defibrillator fundraising campaign which will be done through our Just Giving page where gift aid can also be added.
We are looking for a volunteer from the Community who could take on the role of looking after the Defibrillator. This is not an onerous task and mostly entails regular checks of the device and monthly reporting of this to the Community Heartbeat Trust. Please get in touch for more details if you are interested in assisting with this task.
Volunteer Work Days
After the success of our first three Volunteer Days, the Trustees decided to increase their frequency to once a week instead of the initial monthly schedule. So, since February, we now welcome volunteers to gather at the Hub on Sunday mornings from 10am – 12pm, to carry on clearing, cleaning and preparing the buildings and land for the work to create a vibrant resource for our community.
Volunteers don’t need to come every week and we thank the residents and supporters who have already volunteered their time and effort and we look forward to welcoming all members of the community who have not previously visited the buildings.
Pop in for a cup of tea or coffee on a Sunday morning, share your ideas, give us your views and see for yourself what these buildings might do for Cairnbaan.
We do need more volunteers to assist in enabling us to achieve our objective of providing a resource for everyone to enjoy.
Donations
With ownership of the FLS buildings, the Trust now has ongoing costs such as Insurance and Electricity etc. To help pay these bills, supporters can make donations to the Trust through a Just Giving Account. Donations can be made here and will be gratefully received and used for the benefit of the Community.
Membership & Trustees
The Trust is looking for more residents to join and some more members to consider becoming a Trustee.
Siobhan Canavan, who has been with the Trust from the very beginning and who has done a great deal of work for the Trust, has stood down as of 31/03/26. We all thank her for her contribution to the Community.
To find out more about becoming a Trustee, speak to a current Trustee, come along to a Sunday morning Volunteer Day or Contact Us
Become a member by completing the online form on the website here
