For several years, I was a subscriber to a newsletter from the Scottish Islands Network. The newsletter was discontinued in 2005 due to funding problems. Apparently, the Network was primarily supported by Argyll & Bute as well as Highland Council. Strangely enough, Western Isles Council, when asked for a contribution, didn't bother to reply. Neither Orkney Islands Council nor Shetland Islands Council are involved. I find this mindboggling. If you have a look at their Aims and Objectives, you'll see that this organisation is supremely placed for sharing information between different islands and island-groups within Scotland. It basically helps to prevent duplication of effort, sharing information etc. Also, if you have a look through their newsletters (published between 2003 and 2005), you get a very good impression of the type of work the Network used to do, before a large part of their funding was pulled early in 2005.
I would like to appeal to readers in the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland to lobby their respective Island Councils to allocate funding to the Scottish Islands Network. Contact details are available on their webpage. ]]>
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