Caberfeidh's horizons extending all the time in Badenoch and Strathspey
The Kingussie-based social enterprise Caberfeidh Horizons is set to continue supporting the community and extending its range of services, the board and volunteers heard at the 2023 AGM.
At a well-attended meeting in the Iona Gallery, which restored 'live' AGMs after the Covid shut-downs, chairman Patsy Rimell reported another busy year for the organisation, "bringing its successes and achievements as well as the usual challenges".
"The board continued to meet monthly, taking pleasure in getting back to face to face
meetings," said Mrs Rimell.
She thanked her colleagues – vice-chair Tom Walker for his support up until his move away from Kingussie in the summer – treasurer Sue Thomas and company secretary Christine Bridden.
"As ever I would like to thank the all members of our board of directors. They are all volunteers and receive no payment. They give many hours of their time to make sure that Caberfeidh has sound governance and makes informed decisions.
"Although we only managed to keep Craig Scott as project manager for six months, his
energy and enthusiasm led to many developments including: policy and practice, training and development opportunities for staff, trainees and volunteers, expanding and sharpening up our retail and recycling ventures. We were very sorry to lose his services in August when he returned to social work.
"Craig did a brilliant job of pulling the staff team together. When he left, Helen Armour took on
many extra commitments to guide us through the changes. In fact, she guided us through the transition so successfully that we were delighted when she accepted the post of general manager, taking overall responsibility for managing Caberfeidh Horizons."
The group were also sorry to see Noreen Grant leave: "She has fulfilled her role as part-time hub manager, developing the support for the community in so many ways – kindness and advice when needed, developing the food share/avoid food waste facility, initiating the Cosy Bag scheme. We wish her well as she supports her family and completes her studies."
Caberfeidh Horizons owed its continued success to the commitment of so many people, she stressed: "Volunteers, trainees, staff, friends, supporters, the wider community and of course our funders.
"Mentioning all the people who I would like to thank could take for ever but I promised a shorter report this year! Nevertheless, I would like to thank Gus Mitchell for working with Helen to produce our excellent new website. And thank you as ever to Mike Stevens of Brodies for continuing to provide us with pro bono legal services."
Caberfeidh was set up 18 years ago to address the needs of a group of vulnerable people who wanted opportunities to be involved in their local community.
It had grown and developed to become a valuable part of the local community bringing friendship, support and a real sense of belonging, Mrs Rimell said.
"Partnership working with other groups and organisations is key to the services we offer. We look forward to seeing Caberfeidh Horizons continuing to involve and support even more people in the community in the years ahead."
"It’s amazing to think how far we have come in such a short while and how the hub has changed and how Caberfeidh has changed with it," agreed the new general manager.
Top Stories
"Everything that we do is aimed at supporting our trainees and also vulnerable or isolated people in the community. It takes a lot of coordinating and with only five members of staff, a lot of flexibility.
"We couldn’t manage what we do without our army of volunteers and we currently have around 60 active volunteers. We have so many dedicated people helping us and personally, I am very grateful for every one of them and have really been blown away by their generosity and desire to see that Caberfeidh continues to flourish."
Ms Armour confirmed: "The Bookshop has changed a lot in the last year and we have seen the profits double with a better grasp on valuing books thanks to a small team of volunteers and a rise in the general price from £1 to £2 – the first price rise since 2004.
"In December, we received a grant from the Rural and Islands Communities fund which will allow us to upgrade the windows, re-tile part of the roof and add insulation in the next weeks. The biggest drain on the Bookshop is the cost of heating and we hope that these changes will lower the bills and allow us to use the space in a more creative way.
"The Charity Shop was set up as an income stream for Caberfeidh and it continues to bring in a sizeable amount of money. With the cost of living crisis and a greater national spotlight on recycling and reusing, particularly when it comes to fashion, I think we are able to fill a much needed niche.
"Behind the scenes, there is a huge amount of effort goes into sorting, evaluating, cleaning and pricing clothing and it is very rewarding to see the quality of the donations that eventually reach the shop. I recently spoke to a gentleman who provides our till system and he commented that our shops are up there with the best that he has seen in 10 years of working in the charity sector which is a positive reflection of the hard work and dedication of everyone."
As part of tackling the cost of living crisis, Caberfeidh received funding last year from the Cairngorms Trust Community Led Vision Fund to create cosy bags. These bags contained warm
items such as a blanket, hot water bottle, socks, hand warmers and flasks and so far more than 50 had been distributed, from Dalwhinnie to Kincraig.
"Working like this in the community has really opened our eyes to people who are struggling with isolation and loneliness and we have recently been successful in a funding application for the Highland Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund where we will be providing a series of free workshops aimed at tackling rural isolation – watch this space."
