Also in the news / Also in the news: arts AGM, foodbank boost, vaccines and more…
THE SHETLAND Arts board has agreed to continue with its current AGM procedures after considering options at a recent meeting.
Board members were presented with comparisons, including against local trusts and also some arts-related organisations down south.
The public are able to attend Shetland Arts AGMs, but only online. This has drawn criticism, but the organisation says attendance has increased since going virtual.
At this year’s AGM members of the public attending were also able to ask questions.
Shetland Arts board papers say processes at other organisations vary – from no AGM, to ones that are private, to public ones where people can ask questions.
Options presented to the board included the status quo, discontinuing the AGM, an ‘Amenity Trust’ model of a private AGM with the press invited, or an enhanced AGM which would expand to hybrid/in-person meetings where direct questions can be asked.
SHETLAND Foodbank has said a “huge thank you” to Shetland Arts and cinema-goers who went to see Back to the Future at Mareel in return for food donations.
Between two screenings just over 100 folk donated a combined 450kg of food, which is said to be enough to feed around 30 people for a week.
The foodbank’s David Grieve said: “This generous support will allow Shetland Foodbank to offer support to individuals and families throughout the coming winter months when heating bills rise and more people face the question of ‘how can I afford to feed the kids?’”
Shetland Arts’ sales and marketing manager Tessa Huntley said: “We would like thank all our very generous customers who came to support these events, it will certainly make a big difference. And after such a great success, we are looking forward to planning our next one.”
LOW visibility in Ulsta due to fog has resulted in one of the SIC ferries being taken out of service.
An update on the Yell Sound ferry service voicebank said the dayboat is being taken out of service for the rest of the day, meaning there will be a single vessel between 4pm and 5.35pm, with bookings suspended.
THE NHS says everyone in Shetland who is eligible to have vaccines this winter should now have been contacted.
With six weeks of the main programme to go, NHS Shetland has vaccinated 34 per cent of the 10,600 adults and 35 per cent of the 3,700 children invited for flu vaccination, and 42 per cent of the 3,400 people invited for Covid vaccination.
Residents in care homes and people who are usually visited at home by the community nursing team will be offered their vaccines over the next few weeks.
There will be local clinics in Bressay, Foula, Fetlar, Skerries and Fair Isle for the residents of those islands during November.
For these groups, if someone receives a letter inviting them to an appointment at the Grantfield vaccination centre, this has “probably been generated by the national system in error” and should be ignored.
Anyone who has missed their appointment is asked to contact NHS Shetland or drop into Grantfield.
SSEN Transmission has pledged 600 “earn as you learn” roles between now and 2030 in the north of Scotland, including Shetland.
The roles will support early careers through “ramped up recruitment” for trainee programmes, summer placements, graduate schemes and apprenticeships.
Managing director Rob McDonald said SSEN Transmission is “proud to be investing in the workforce of today and tomorrow that will help deliver a cleaner, more secure energy system”.
SHETLANDER Phil Goodlad has taken on a three-legged challenge for Children in Need.
The BBC Scotland sports broadcaster joined up – quite literally – with weather present Judith Ralston to walk six miles a day over two days this week.
It is part of a national effort that will see presenters from BBC radio stations around country walk a combined 1,000 miles tied at the leg to a partner.
Children in Need is taking place next Friday (14 November) with the local BBC radio station hosting a fundraising auction and live music.
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