Urras Storas an Rubha (USAR)

We are assisting Urras Storas an Rubha, a Point based community company limited by guarantee and a registered charity with their aspirations to refurbish the former Knock Primary School into a Community Hub which will support the local economy and provide employment in a variety of ways. The Community Hub will have a Grocery Store, Community Café, Office Space, and Exhibition Space for the Comman Eachdraidh and Urras Eaglais na h-Aoidhe and archive space for the Rudhach community newspaper. Urras Storas an Rubha have brought together the private and third sector to benefit the community and offer services which were not previously available in this area of Lewis.

TIG have been working with USAR since the summer of 2014. We assisted them in electing a design team which produced a design which has planning approval along with estimated costs that informed the grant applications.

TIG assisted USAR to apply for and successfully secure funding from various funders. However, a new funding strategy has had to be developed with USAR after the recent disappointing news that they were not going to receive funding from the Growing Community Assets Lottery Fund. Tighean Innse Gall are now assisting USAR to take forward a new application to the new Community Assets Fund.

TIG also offered support compiling their Business Plan.

While it is important for the community group to retain ownership and control of their project, our consultancy service enables this to happen with USAR maintaining decision making and directing the project.

“The assistance of TIG has been invaluable to us in developing our project.  While we have a board that is skilled in a lot of areas relevant to our project, we did not have the expertise in some technical areas involved in large building projects to be able to do full justice to our vision and ambition for Knock. The Development Officer working with us has provided the necessary support and has guided us well through the various processes required, not least of which is the demanding task of completing funding applications.”

Quote from Catriona Dunn, Secretary, Urras Storas an Rubha