Past projects
Northmavine Development Plan
In 2005, after extensive community consultation, the first-ever Northmavine Development Plan was published. Development priorities were split into 10 different areas: Tourism, Culture & Heritage, Housing, Business & Industry, Transport, Young People, Crofting & Fishing, Arts & Crafts, Environment and Health & Care. You can read the 2005 development plan here.
Northmavine Tourism Action Plan
The Northmavine Development Plan outline several development priorities. The development of tourism in Northmavine was decided to be one of the main priorities and led to the establishment of the tourism group in November 2005. In June 2006, a part-time Tourism Support Worker was recruited by the Northmavine Development Company to work with and support the Tourism Group. The main priority of the Tourism Group and support worker was to establish a Tourism Action Plan. This was published in 2007. You can read it here. We are now in the process of creating a new Tourism Action Plan. You can follow the development of the plan here.
Healthy Meals Project
In 2008, young people in Northmavine took part in the Healthy Meals project, where they learnt about the availability of local healthy food and organised a meal for invited guests.
Northmavine Visitor Guide
The first edition of the Northmavine Visitor Guide was published in 2008 and included points of interest across the parish. An updated version of the guide with an accompanying audio guide was published in 2019. You can purchase a copy locally in Shetland or online.
Community Power Down Officer
In 2009, NCDC received funding from Community Energy Scotland and DTAS to employ a Community Power Down Officer Colin Dickie, who took on the role, looked for ways the community could reduce carbon use through energy conservation, increasing local food production and implementing small-scale community renewables. They also offered energy audits on people’s homes. From this project, Nortenergy Wind Turbines and Polycrubs came to fruition.
Polycrubs
The community of Northmavine were keen to reduce their food miles and grow more fresh produce. In 2008, polycrubs storm strength polytunnels were developed with grant aid from the Climate Challenge Fund. Initially, 12 community polycrubs were built across the parish, working in a similar manner as an allotment.
There were over 50 people able to grow undercover. After the project had ended, there was so much interest in the polycrubs a new company was set up, and it has gone from strength to strength since, with polycrubs shipped as far as France and the Falklands.
To find out more, head over to the Polycrub website
Hillswick Shop
After a long time on the market with little interest, NCDC was approached to see if they would purchase the Hillswick Shop to keep it open for the community. In July 2009, NCDC purchased the shop and attached house and, with a team of volunteers, refitted the shop before reopening in November 2009, and it has been open ever since! The house is also let out on a long-term rental basis. To find out more about the Hillswick Shop, click here.
Anniesland
The Rural Homes for Rent scheme was a Scottish Government grant which aimed to increase the supply of rented housing in rural areas. NCDC helped a local landowner to access the grant and build two affordable rent houses in North Roe in 2011. We continue to act as a letting agent for these properties.
Collafirth Toilets
In 2011, NCDC was able to help the Northmavine Club secure funding and develop toilets, showers and laundry facilities at the Collafirth Brig, which are still in use today.
Glusstonberry
In 2013, NCDC organised a huge music festival that spanned a weekend. Over 1,300 people attended, and 140 volunteers helped to make the event run smoothly. At the end of the weekend, over £16,000 had been raised.
Nortenergy Wind Turbines
In 2015, Nortenergy – a trading subsidiary of NCDC, built 2 5kw turbines in Ollaberry, with the energy generated used by two local businesses at the FIT payments returned to Nortenergy.
Artist in Residency programme
In 2016, NCDC began working with Geoff Jukes, owner of the Weaving Shed Gallery in Hillswick, to administer an artist-in-residency programme, which we continue to do. We have had a number of artists from all over the world take part in the residency programme. To find out more about the Weaving Shed, you can visit their website, and if you are interested in staying in the studio flat, click here.
Bruckland
When SIC announced they would be removing the rural skip scheme which had allowed people in rural areas to dispose of bulky household waste without having to travel to Lerwick, members of the community were concerned fly tipping would become a real problem and they approached NCDC to find a solution. After a community consultation and many years working with SIC and SEPA, Bruckland finally opened to the public in 2019. To find out more about the project you can click here.
E-Bikes
In 2019, NCDC received funding from The Energy Saving Trust and purchased five electric bikes. Two standard bikes with a front basket and three folding bikes. The bikes are available for hire for £15 a day or a reduced rate of £75 a week. If you are interested in hiring a bike, please email us at [email protected] or call 01806 544 222. We do ask for 24 hours’ notice if possible.
COVID Response 2020
In 2020, when the world was plunged into the first lockdown due to COVID-19, NCDC received funding from the HIE Supporting Communities Fund. With this money, NCDC worked with Da Barn, Good Gub Soap and the local shops to provide seeds, hand soap and a £20 voucher for each household to spend on compost, pots or gardening equipment in the local shop. NCDC also coordinated a food top-up scheme through the local shops to provide fresh produce for anyone who was in need, and we also sponsored a number of well-being packs from Mind Your Head, VAS and Women’s Aid that were sent out to members of the local community.
COVID Response 2021
As the pandemic continued to cause social isolation and problems for local businesses, NCDC sent out Easter Baking Kits to all bairns under the age of 16 in the local area. This was followed with a £20 voucher for Harry’s Department Store during winter 2021, provided with funding from the Community Wellbeing Grant. NCDC also administered the Community Recovery Fund, helping local halls to get ready to reopen, such as hand sanitising units, signage, cleaning supplies and screens.
Recharge Northmavine
In 2021, NCDC received money from The Islands Green Recovery Programme, and it was used to purchase an electric van, put in solar panels at Bruckland and the Hillswick Shop, and put in an EV charging point at Bruckland that can be used by anyone. Since installation, the solar panels have generated over 15000kW of energy. We have also covered XX miles in the van!
Growing Local Northmavine
In 2021, NCDC received funding from the Coastal Community Fund to employ a project officer to deliver the Growing Local Northmavine Project. The project had multiple stands, including continuing to send out seeds to each household in the spring, a range of workshops around setting up your garden, composting, and ways to preserve produce, a number of community events, including a Maker’s Market and Produce Show which were all very well attended, took over the Shetland Kale Seed sales, worked with Rachel Gambro from Weave Consultant to create the Be-Nort Da Grind Audio Tours which are available here. We are now moving into phase two of the project with a 5 x 12m Polycrub being constructed at Bruckland. You can find out what is currently happening here.
Christmas Voucher Scheme
In 2021, NCDC sent every household in Northmavine a £25 voucher that could be used in the two local shops by the 31st of December. This was done in response to the cost of living crisis and to support the local shops. In 2021, 76% of households used their vouchers, and in 2022, it was 83%. In 2023 79% of households spent their vouchers. We will be sending out the 2024 vouchers soon, watch this space…
Winter Warmer Spaces
During February and March 2023, NCDC worked with the Community Development Department at SIC to run several winter warmer spaces across the parish. Unfortunately, due to the poor weather conditions, we were only able to hold events in Ollaberry and Sullom. The Ollaberry days were really well attended, and folk were keen to carry on with the session, so NCDC has hosted a monthly lunch club ever since. Have a look at our events page or in our newsletter to find out when the next one is on. Everyone is welcome!
Bruckland Festival
In September 2023, we held the first-ever Bruckland Festival! Over a long weekend, we had the SIC Climate Action Team and Kits for All visiting; we launched our Climate Action Plan (available here), a make and repair afternoon, a nature taster session, the 2nd Growing Local Produce Show (you can see the results from the show here) and a “Crub” Crawl with a number of gardeners opening their polycrubs to the public for an afternoon. We also organised the collection of 17 redundant vehicles, and a few groups headed out to do a redd at the beach. To see photos from the weekend, head over to our social media sites.