News and Events

An open invitation to meet our new Operations Manager, Suzanne Pender, in the Hub Café on Thursday 12th December 10-12pm and Friday 13th December 1-3pm.

The Hub Café re-opened this morning, 28th November 2024. The new menu is now available to view in the attached PDF.

We are pleased to announce that the café will be re-opening next week on Thursday 28th November.

It’s time for you to have your say on the Local Place Plan. The plan consists of 22 proposals, ranging build environment, local path networks, protection of local heritage, the economy, tourism, the use of brown field land in the village and the preparation for climate change.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Morvern Community Development Company Ltd Tuesday, 5th November 2024, 6pm, LochalineVillage Hall (Updated from copy sent to membership on14th October)

Morvern Community Development Company Ltd Tuesday, 5th November 2024, 6pm, LochalineVillage Hall

Lochaline Hub Community Café Announcement Following the closure of the community café, we, the Morvern Community Trading Company Directors and Morvern Community Development Company Directors, would like to update you on recent developments and share our future plans for this important community asset. As you may be aware, the café has historically been leased. However, this year we made the decision to employ a Manager to ensure the café could continue to operate at the Lochaline Hub, as there was little interest in a company taking over the lease, after the previous leaseholder left. Unfortunately, the re-opening of the cafe has not been successful for a number of reasons, and we have therefore made the difficult decision to temporarily close until a more sustainable solution can be found. This decision was not taken lightly, and all the Trustees are disappointed that we have been unable to continue providing this service to the community. We have learned valuable lessons from the past few weeks, one of which is the need for more operational support for the café. Our appointment of a new Director of Operations will support this, and we are pleased to announce that this position has now been filled. Our new Director of Operations will begin working with us in November. One of their top priorities will be to secure the reopening of the café for the benefit of our community and visitors to the area, through either a new leaseholder or managers position. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Lucy, our volunteer Directors, and everyone in the community who continues to support the work of the Development Company, helping to make Morvern such a vibrant and welcoming place to live and work.

MCDC is looking to appoint 4 new board directors at the upcoming AGM in November 2024.

MCTC are currently recruiting for a part time Harbour Master to cover the winter maintenance period. The closing date for applications is 30th September 2024.

The latest edition of the MCDC newsletter has been published and is available to read here in PDF form.

After all the drama of last winter’s storms and collapsed timber roads, things have been moving along reasonably smoothly.

Following on from our announcement in the May newsletter that we had been awarded a grant from Crown Estates to fund a Housing Project Officer, MCDC are delighted to announce that they have appointed Isla Robertson to the role.

The car has re branded and will now be located back in Lochaline. Urram will be using the car to support the hospital transport and the befriending services.

We recently introduced the MCDC Directors and are now pleased to do the same for the MCTC Directors.

The telephone box has recently been refurbished thanks to 120 hours worth of hard work by Kevin Laurie, Em Rosier and Sue Rosier. MCDC was pleased to assist the efforts by funding some of the materials through funds raised by the Attic.

MCDC and MCTC are thrilled to announce the re-opening of the café! Lucy Nevison has been appointed as the new café manager and The Hub Café will re-open on 6th September. It will be open Wednesday—Sunday, 10-3.30 (last sit in orders at 3.10) and you can get 20p off hot drinks if you bring your own cup. 

Forestry and Land Scotland are holding a public consultation event in Lochaline Village Hall on 24th September between 3pm and 6pm. All welcome to attend.

MCDC and MCTC are delighted to announce the imminent re-opening of the hub café following the appointment of a new café manager - Lucy Nevison.

The next public meeting of Morvern Community Development Company will be held at 7.30pm on 6th August 2024 in Lochaline Village Hall. All welcome.

The local place plan project based on Live Life Morvern is now live with consultation events planned in July.

The café is of huge importance socially, culturally and financially to the local community for the well-being of those who live here, supporting local businesses and bringing people together. For these reasons Morvern Community Development Company are keen to keep it open. In light of the above and in recognition that the café is of social value first and foremost MCDC are proposing to contract MCTC to manage the community hub café and employ a café manager so that the community hub café can open again as soon as possible and remain open throughout the winter.

MCDC is recruiting for a pivotal role which will be an integral link between the operational team of MCDC, MCTC and Morvolts and the three respective boards. The purpose of this role is to support the operational team whilst drive strategic planning, and provide solutions to identified gaps in process at a strategic level whilst supporting with operational solutions. NEW CLOSING DATE: 9th AUGUST

MCDC is recruiting for a dedicated Housing Project Officer to support the company with realising the ambitious Phase 2 Housing Project constructing 10 family homes in Lochaline.

The May 2024 MCDC Newsletter has now been published and is available to read online or there are paper copies which can be found in the meeting room of the Hub from Friday 17th May afternoon. If you would like to receive future copies by email, please sign up to the mailing list by emailing admin@morvern.org.

As part of an on-going series of day in the life stories, we share the day in the life of the admin assistant.

Thank you to Morvern Watersports Club who are based by the Harbour and who have kindly contributed the following article about their recent news.

After several years of providing us with delicious bakes and lunches Annemie has stepped down from running Café L.A. Our thanks go to her and her whole team for all of the hard work they put in over the years and for making the café such a success with visitors and locals alike.

In our February newsletter we published introductions to each of our new MCDC directors. In this edition we are delighted to be able to re-introduce three existing directors who have kindly provided an introduction to themselves in their own words. If you would like to contact any of the MCDC directors, please email admin@morvern.org and your message will be passed on.

MCDC is recruiting for a dedicated Housing Project officer to support the company with realising the ambitious Phase 2 Housing Project constructing 10 family homes in Lochaline.

MCDC Group of Companies is looking for a minute secretary.

Congratulations to everyone at PAS and Live Life Morvern Steering Group for winning the Overall Award at the Scottish Government's Scottish Planning Innovation Award.

Morvern Community Trading Company (MCTC) are currently looking for a new tenant to take on the running of our local café which is in a beautiful community owned building right in the heart of our coastal village.

Continued public consultation on the Morvern Land Management Plan by Forestry and Land Scotland.

HIE has launched a study into demand for commercial property in the region. They are looking for responses from any business or organisation with land or property plans.

MCDC has published its February newsletter bringing you all the latest news from MCDC and updates from several of our on-going projects.

We are now on Instagram and have a new Facebook page.

MCDC is looking into whether there is sufficient interest to consider setting up a new oil club.

Introductions to your new MCDC Board Directors who joined at the recent AGM.

At the recent AGM four of our hardworking directors stood down from the Board. MCDC is very grateful to each of them for the significant amount of time and energy they gave to the community during their time as director.

We are thrilled to announce that our local community plan, Live Life Morvern, has been shortlisted for the Scottish Planning Innovation Awards.

Morvern Community Development Company will hold its board meeting in public on Wednesday, 7th February 2024. 7.30pm Lochaline Village Hall. All welcome.

Urram have been working with Communities Housing Trust over the last few months, to conduct a housing needs assessment of the five community council areas (Acharacle, Ardgour, Morvern, Sunart and West Ardnamurchan) This survey will inform a strategy to improve housing and care provision in our area. The survey is for every household, whether or not you are in need of a house, and we really do appreciate you taking a short time to fill it in.

We are inviting expressions of interest from the community to run the café business. If you are interested, please contact development@morvern.org for a pack that will give you more details about the lease and equipment and any questions you have that MCTC can answer.

Come along and give your views!

UHI are conducting some research to gain an understanding of of how UHI centres can best serve the needs of communities.

Social Care Provision in West Lochaber