News / Bressay open day
THE ISLAND of Bressay is to extend a warm welcome to visitors on Saturday as it hosts the first of what it is hoped will become an annual Open Day.
The event, from 10am to 5pm, includes open gardens, children’s sports and games, guided walks, self-guide trails – including the new Rescues and Wrecks trail developed by the Bressay School pupils – and refreshments, crafts and live music at the Bressay Public Hall.
There will also be a new World War I exhibition at the island’s heritage centre.
Hosted by the recently constituted Bressay Community Development Association (BDA), the open day is an attempt to encourage more visitors to visit and enjoy what the island has to offer.
Organisers say it is “surprisingly just how many folk in Shetland have never been to Bressay, even though it’s so close to Lerwick” and they hope that Saturday will start to change that.
The BDA formed in 2013 to try to address a number of issues faced by the community. It aims to “secure and sustain a vibrant future for Bressay, with an active, connected, thriving and resilient community”.
The BDA feels the island’s proximity to Lerwick can be “both a blessing and a curse”. While it does allow residents relatively easy access to the town’s amenities, it has also resulted in a lack of island-based services. Rising ferry fares and a reduced timetable, along with the recent loss of the Bressay Primary School, mean that island residents are facing new challenges.
BDA secretary Beatrice Lowe said: “We have consulted with Bressay residents to find out how they would like to see Bressay develop in the future. Encouraging more visitors was a major theme and the success of island-based events like UnstFest shows that with the right action it is possible.”
- More information about the Open Day is available at the Shetland Tourist Information Office, on posters around the town and on the Bressay ferry.
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