Chair’s Report for SSCC AGM 2026
So much has happened over the last year it’s a surprise to realise that we’ve only being going two and a half years.
My thanks to the Trustees and all the volunteers who have supported us through our various sub-committees and working groups.
The Hall
We’ve successfully incorporated the village hall into SSCC. The hall is still run by the hall committee who do a great job. They have their own bank account and a new online booking system which will be expanded to include the pitch when it opens. This will enable the village hall and the school sports hall (when completed in 2027) to work as a team providing fantastic indoor spaces for groups to meet and events to be hosted, both local and visiting.
There is a diverse use of the hall with many and varied groups using its facilities, a very active youth club, a martial arts association, fitness classes, badminton club as well as the local primary school currently using the hall for PE lessons until the new school is completed. In addition to this there are theatre performances and concerts held in the hall which is known for its fabulous acoustics.
It is also a popular venue for wedding receptions, well-being events, car boot sales and too many community events to list here!
The ambition for the village hall is to ensure it remains a welcoming, well-used, and sustainable community space for residents, local groups, visitors, and future generations.
Over the coming year, we aim to strengthen the role of the hall at the heart of village life. We want to encourage more community use, support existing groups, and create opportunities for new activities, events, classes, and social gatherings. The hall should continue to be a place where people of all ages can come together, connect, and feel part of the wider community.
Financial sustainability will remain an important priority. We will continue to manage income and expenditure carefully, review hire charges where appropriate, seek grant funding, and support fundraising activities. This will help ensure that the hall can meet its running costs while remaining affordable and accessible for local people.
We also aim to improve and maintain the hall’s facilities. We have commissioned a conditions survey to help us prioritise upgrades. Upgrades may include work to the foyer, toilets, heating, lighting, flooring, accessibility, signage, or general decoration, depending on need and available funding. Regular maintenance and planned improvements will help keep the hall safe, comfortable, and attractive for everyone who uses it.
Another ambition is to raise awareness of the hall and encourage wider engagement. We will look at improving communication through noticeboards, newsletters, social media, local networks, and word of mouth. By promoting the hall more effectively, we hope to increase bookings and make sure the community knows what is available.
Volunteers and committee members are central to the success of the village hall. We aim to welcome new volunteers, encourage more people to get involved, and share responsibilities fairly so that the hall can continue to be managed effectively. Building a strong and supportive committee will help secure the future of the hall.
We also recognise the importance of environmental responsibility. Where possible, we will look for ways to reduce energy use, improve efficiency, minimise waste, and consider environmentally friendly improvements. These steps can help reduce costs as well as support wider sustainability goals.
Our overall ambition is for the village hall to remain a valued, inclusive, and active community asset. By working together, maintaining the building, supporting volunteers, and encouraging greater use, we can ensure the hall continues to serve the village well for many years to come.
Playing Field
Much effort has been expended fund-raising to replace the grass pitch with a new synthetic surface which can be used all year round. We’re pleased to say that work has started today on the construction of the new synthetic pitch, with a new fence and floodlights, all going well we should be able to start playing on it in September.
We’ve received great support from Highland Council in our fund-raising bids, with the majority of the funding coming through the Islands Programme (£330,000) and Community Regeneration funding (£200,000). Sport Scotland have contributed £150,000. Highlands and Islands Enterprise have made up our shortfall of £50,000. Other funds came from Highland Council developer contributions, Sleat & Strath FC, the youth club, Mackinnon Society, a crowd funder and fundraising by Balfour Beatty staff. Thanks to all the wonderful funders who have supported our project.
Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll see fencing going up round the site, the grass and soil removed from the pitch ready to be replaced with base layers of stone and gravel before the synthetic grass is laid down. The fencing and floodlights will go up, everything will be tested and we’re ready to play!
The MUGA will be dismantled, a new MUGA will be constructed within the new school grounds, and the new pitch will have free play available when not booked by a club. We’ve also just established a play park working group, led by Sarah. If you are interested talk to Sarah.
There is also a group for the pump track. This will pick up some speed after the lease is finalised and the pitch built. We’re planning on storing the top soil from the pitch between the new school and the new pitch which will eventually become a great pump track!
Going forward we’re creating a working group to look after the pitch, functioning in the same way as the hall committee. This group will set up all the processes to run the pitch, health and safety, maintenance, bookings etc. On the financial side we’ll have to pay for the running of the pitch and to save money each year to replace the surface in 10 years – about £30k per year.
We’re also planning to develop a club house to be sited alongside the pitch with changing rooms, a communal space and, perhaps a gym. This will require work to plan and fund-raise.
As you can see, there is a huge amount of work needed from all our volunteers to keep things going. We would like to employ a Campus Development Manager to support our efforts. We’ve drawn up a job description, which includes the management of the hall, pitch and school gym, business development and support for our trustees and volunteers. We have applied for funding to help us pay for this role in the first few years, with the aim that the post will eventually pay for itself. Unfortunately, we’ve not been successful so far, but there should be funding opportunities opening up soon.
Also, in the future there are other opportunities, we’ve been asked to lead on the plans for the old school site, what could it be used for in the future? We’re setting up another working group for this, an initial meeting will be organised soon, if you are interested then talk to Shirley.
Thanks again to all our volunteers, we’ve achieved some much! Thanks to everyone for coming along – Our third year in operation is proving to be another exciting year!