24 June 2022 Issue 2483 © ULLAPOOL NEWS
Ullapool Entrance Sculpture Unveiling Saturday 25th June 2pm
Tom Stoltman – World’s Strongest Man 2022 will be ‘cutting the ribbon’
*****
Young people from Ullapool High School are holding a bake sale on Monday 27 June 2022 to raise funds for a ground-breaking project that uses Virtual Reality (VR) to enable them to have a voice in their school Child Plan meetings.
The money raised will be used to buy Virtual Reality headsets to develop an innovative pilot project within the high school that will involve pupils with additional support needs and professionals. The aim of the pilot is to explore the use of VR technology, instead of face to face meetings, for young people who most struggle to speak out and have their own voices heard. The young people explained why using VR for Child Plan meetings could be so beneficial:
“I could have a customised avatar and this would boost my self-confidence. I could be who I see myself as in my avatar.”
“I would get distracted in face to face meeting and very nervous but being in VR would help. Meetings could take place where I feel safe – at home rather than at school.”
Rosemary O’Leary, Principle Additional Support Needs teacher at Ullapool High school added: “We are trying to raise money to buy VR headsets ourselves and through local business sponsorship so then we will be on our way to helping young people navigate their lives in a much more user-friendly way, turning meetings with adults into something that is a much less worrisome experience into something that might actually be quite fun as well!”
Emma Thomas, the Participation Lead for Inspiring Young Voices who support the Inspire Highland project said: “Young people can find Child’s Plan meetings daunting and often struggle to express their own views and wishes. We believe that through the medium of VR young people who are most marginalised and hard to reach, and those in remote and rural areas, will feel empowered to overcome the barriers and challenges to more traditional ways of listening to the voices of children and young people.”
This exciting work is a partnership between Ullapool High School and Inspire Highland, a diverse group of Highland young people with additional support needs and disabilities. The group, supported by the local charity Inspiring Young Voices, was set up in December 2018 by Highland young people who wished to use their own voices to directly campaign for improved services and greater awareness around diversity and disability.
*****
Congratulations to Jon Miller for winning Joint first place in the prestigious Neil Gunn Adult Poetry Competition with his poem “The Coming of Water”!
The Adult Poetry section and Adult Short Story section were open to all writers worldwide. The writing was inspired by one of the following quotes from works by Neil Gunn: –
“Wild Geese Overhead” (book title)
“But already, behind, the new wave was
gathering volume, massing itself, steadily advancing.” (Morning Tide)
The lead judge was James Robertson, previous president of the Ullapool Book Festival.
*****
Congratulations to Torran Maclean
on completing his 2nd Year Panel Beating Apprenticeship.
And also for being awarded the Endeavour Award for this year from Moray Firth Training Group.
Well Done.
*****
25 UN 24 June 2022
(ANNAT) BAYWATCH
So, covid finally caught up with me and out me off the boat and into isolation for 10 days. Sadly meant we missed a few days – Hooty and others covered but to be honest the weather continues to be rubbish and sadly even on the decent days we are finding passenger numbers low. Last year’s numbers and sightings were perhaps a bit of a one off – is certainly seeming a lot quieter this year in many ways.
Thankfully a clear test meant back out at start of the week and predictions of the first harbour seal pup of the year showing on the 19th of June proved a day out as was the 20th when we found the first one – though it looked like a day old so think we can claim that one. Please keep an eye out for them when out and about over the next few weeks – the cold start to the summer means they might have issues and dogs and humans are always a risk to the pups – as they are to us if they bite. As always, if you have concerns about seals (or other marine life) can call BDMLR on BDMLR: https://bdmlr.org.uk/ 01825 765546 and SPCA https://www.scottishspca.org/ 03000 999 999
The ‘summer’ is really proving to be putting up a fight this year. Still not seeing a proper bloom but there are a lot of jellyfish showing – both lion’s mane and moons. Also had what looked like either wee sprat or herring down by the harbour – and also seeing gulls and kittiwake out in the bay so something going on, but do think we are at least two or three weeks behind what we should be. The boat had the first dolphin encounter last week whilst I was off – a few common dolphin over towards Mellon Udrigle thanks to a report from Jerry. A small scouting group as we normally see at first. Waiting to see if they found fish and bring in the big pods. Also been reports of a pod of Orca over at Lewis – description is 7 or 8 members with two bulls – sounds like it could either be Shetland or Icelandic community – and just in time for the seal pups.
Sadly reports of Asian bird flu continue to come in on the east coast and up north and now also on the west coast and islands too. Really seems to be hitting the gannet and skua worst. If you encounter dead birds, please take care and don’t handle. If you suspect any type of avian influenza in poultry or captive birds you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. Sadly it looks like bird numbers are in for a bad hit due to this – something they really could have done without.
We held a meeting with some of the waste management team from Highland Council and Ullapool Sea Savers last week and are hoping to give both advice on how to recycle more efficiently and also give out some hooks that will work on recycling bins in the next few weeks. This follows a meeting with the bin lorry team who told us that winds cause bins to fall over and a lot of litter to blow out and around the streets. Also, putting wrong things into the bins can mean the entire recycle bin get condemned and going to land fill. We have come up with a wee device that will hopefully help and you can come along and get one for free – or even make your own with guidance from the Sea Savers if you like: Sunday 26th at 4pm at the Men’s Shed workshop at the ferry car park (old gents toilets). This will be part of the Highland Climate Change Festival, so please pop along and find out how to recycle better and get a FREE bin lid holder – we’ve been working on this for a few months now with Abbie and Maisy really doing a lot of research and looking into how we can help so please
pop down.
Was great seeing Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust in again with Silurian. They have been running a couple of survey trips from Ullapool once again – a relationship established during the Living Sea Project. A few of the Sea Savers got a wee tour down on the boat when she was in at Ullapool Harbour. Some of the older kids visited her when she was in a few years ago but was a first for some of the younger ones. The work they do is great and also worth highlighting that they ungraded Whale Track, their whale and dolphin tracking app this winter. It is free and now includes land based sightings and also offer users the chance to see other people’s sightings which means you can track pods of orca and other animals moving along the coast as well as report your own sightings. We continue to use it on Shearwater and encourage others to try it out as it really helps build up a better picture of our whales and dolphin around the coast.
Also, was great seeing the Swan, a fishing boat built in 1900 that does trips teaching traditional sailing to people, in at Ullapool Harbour and taking local school kids out. We got a few pics that we’ve shared online. Well done to Ullapool Harour for sorting that – was a cool thing to see out around the loch and isles.
Out of interest – does anyone locally have an old microscope they might not want any longer? Have been chatting to a couple of projects working nationally and wondering about trying to get a plankton net to monitor what we see in the harbour over the summer. Could be something during the holidays that local kids could help out with if interested – is quite amazing what you can see in the sea if you have a microscope so debating trying to buy one but thought would check in case anyone has one not being used and available for trying out?
Know this might come across a bit mixed – is the state of things though I’m afraid. I’m still hoping we’ll get things happening in next few weeks but if being honest, it’s not a patch on last year I’m afraid. So far. Is midsummer night tomorrow (as I write this) so might go a bit pagan, do a sun dance and project some positive vibes out to sea. Maybe try doing the same – science is great but I’m up for anything at the moment. Or maybe just post-covid delirious. Either way – please let me know if seeing anything interesting or cool as could use a boost to be honest.
Noel query@macraemedia.com facebook: Noel1st, UllapoolSeaSavers. ShearwaterCruises
twitter: @SaversSea, @ullapoolqueen
Ullapool Entrance Sculpture Unveiling Saturday 25th June 2pm
Tom Stoltman – World’s Strongest Man 2022 will be ‘cutting the ribbon’
*****
Young people from Ullapool High School are holding a bake sale on Monday 27 June 2022 to raise funds for a ground-breaking project that uses Virtual Reality (VR) to enable them to have a voice in their school Child Plan meetings.
The money raised will be used to buy Virtual Reality headsets to develop an innovative pilot project within the high school that will involve pupils with additional support needs and professionals. The aim of the pilot is to explore the use of VR technology, instead of face to face meetings, for young people who most struggle to speak out and have their own voices heard. The young people explained why using VR for Child Plan meetings could be so beneficial:
“I could have a customised avatar and this would boost my self-confidence. I could be who I see myself as in my avatar.”
“I would get distracted in face to face meeting and very nervous but being in VR would help. Meetings could take place where I feel safe – at home rather than at school.”
Rosemary O’Leary, Principle Additional Support Needs teacher at Ullapool High school added: “We are trying to raise money to buy VR headsets ourselves and through local business sponsorship so then we will be on our way to helping young people navigate their lives in a much more user-friendly way, turning meetings with adults into something that is a much less worrisome experience into something that might actually be quite fun as well!”
Emma Thomas, the Participation Lead for Inspiring Young Voices who support the Inspire Highland project said: “Young people can find Child’s Plan meetings daunting and often struggle to express their own views and wishes. We believe that through the medium of VR young people who are most marginalised and hard to reach, and those in remote and rural areas, will feel empowered to overcome the barriers and challenges to more traditional ways of listening to the voices of children and young people.”
This exciting work is a partnership between Ullapool High School and Inspire Highland, a diverse group of Highland young people with additional support needs and disabilities. The group, supported by the local charity Inspiring Young Voices, was set up in December 2018 by Highland young people who wished to use their own voices to directly campaign for improved services and greater awareness around diversity and disability.
*****
Congratulations to Jon Miller for winning Joint first place in the prestigious Neil Gunn Adult Poetry Competition with his poem “The Coming of Water”!
The Adult Poetry section and Adult Short Story section were open to all writers worldwide. The writing was inspired by one of the following quotes from works by Neil Gunn: –
“Wild Geese Overhead” (book title)
“But already, behind, the new wave was
gathering volume, massing itself, steadily advancing.” (Morning Tide)
The lead judge was James Robertson, previous president of the Ullapool Book Festival.
*****
Congratulations to Torran Maclean
on completing his 2nd Year Panel Beating Apprenticeship.
And also for being awarded the Endeavour Award for this year from Moray Firth Training Group.
Well Done.
*****
25 UN 24 June 2022
(ANNAT) BAYWATCH
So, covid finally caught up with me and out me off the boat and into isolation for 10 days. Sadly meant we missed a few days – Hooty and others covered but to be honest the weather continues to be rubbish and sadly even on the decent days we are finding passenger numbers low. Last year’s numbers and sightings were perhaps a bit of a one off – is certainly seeming a lot quieter this year in many ways.
Thankfully a clear test meant back out at start of the week and predictions of the first harbour seal pup of the year showing on the 19th of June proved a day out as was the 20th when we found the first one – though it looked like a day old so think we can claim that one. Please keep an eye out for them when out and about over the next few weeks – the cold start to the summer means they might have issues and dogs and humans are always a risk to the pups – as they are to us if they bite. As always, if you have concerns about seals (or other marine life) can call BDMLR on BDMLR: https://bdmlr.org.uk/ 01825 765546 and SPCA https://www.scottishspca.org/ 03000 999 999
The ‘summer’ is really proving to be putting up a fight this year. Still not seeing a proper bloom but there are a lot of jellyfish showing – both lion’s mane and moons. Also had what looked like either wee sprat or herring down by the harbour – and also seeing gulls and kittiwake out in the bay so something going on, but do think we are at least two or three weeks behind what we should be. The boat had the first dolphin encounter last week whilst I was off – a few common dolphin over towards Mellon Udrigle thanks to a report from Jerry. A small scouting group as we normally see at first. Waiting to see if they found fish and bring in the big pods. Also been reports of a pod of Orca over at Lewis – description is 7 or 8 members with two bulls – sounds like it could either be Shetland or Icelandic community – and just in time for the seal pups.
Sadly reports of Asian bird flu continue to come in on the east coast and up north and now also on the west coast and islands too. Really seems to be hitting the gannet and skua worst. If you encounter dead birds, please take care and don’t handle. If you suspect any type of avian influenza in poultry or captive birds you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. Sadly it looks like bird numbers are in for a bad hit due to this – something they really could have done without.
We held a meeting with some of the waste management team from Highland Council and Ullapool Sea Savers last week and are hoping to give both advice on how to recycle more efficiently and also give out some hooks that will work on recycling bins in the next few weeks. This follows a meeting with the bin lorry team who told us that winds cause bins to fall over and a lot of litter to blow out and around the streets. Also, putting wrong things into the bins can mean the entire recycle bin get condemned and going to land fill. We have come up with a wee device that will hopefully help and you can come along and get one for free – or even make your own with guidance from the Sea Savers if you like: Sunday 26th at 4pm at the Men’s Shed workshop at the ferry car park (old gents toilets). This will be part of the Highland Climate Change Festival, so please pop along and find out how to recycle better and get a FREE bin lid holder – we’ve been working on this for a few months now with Abbie and Maisy really doing a lot of research and looking into how we can help so please
pop down.
Was great seeing Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust in again with Silurian. They have been running a couple of survey trips from Ullapool once again – a relationship established during the Living Sea Project. A few of the Sea Savers got a wee tour down on the boat when she was in at Ullapool Harbour. Some of the older kids visited her when she was in a few years ago but was a first for some of the younger ones. The work they do is great and also worth highlighting that they ungraded Whale Track, their whale and dolphin tracking app this winter. It is free and now includes land based sightings and also offer users the chance to see other people’s sightings which means you can track pods of orca and other animals moving along the coast as well as report your own sightings. We continue to use it on Shearwater and encourage others to try it out as it really helps build up a better picture of our whales and dolphin around the coast.
Also, was great seeing the Swan, a fishing boat built in 1900 that does trips teaching traditional sailing to people, in at Ullapool Harbour and taking local school kids out. We got a few pics that we’ve shared online. Well done to Ullapool Harour for sorting that – was a cool thing to see out around the loch and isles.
Out of interest – does anyone locally have an old microscope they might not want any longer? Have been chatting to a couple of projects working nationally and wondering about trying to get a plankton net to monitor what we see in the harbour over the summer. Could be something during the holidays that local kids could help out with if interested – is quite amazing what you can see in the sea if you have a microscope so debating trying to buy one but thought would check in case anyone has one not being used and available for trying out?
Know this might come across a bit mixed – is the state of things though I’m afraid. I’m still hoping we’ll get things happening in next few weeks but if being honest, it’s not a patch on last year I’m afraid. So far. Is midsummer night tomorrow (as I write this) so might go a bit pagan, do a sun dance and project some positive vibes out to sea. Maybe try doing the same – science is great but I’m up for anything at the moment. Or maybe just post-covid delirious. Either way – please let me know if seeing anything interesting or cool as could use a boost to be honest.
Noel query@macraemedia.com facebook: Noel1st, UllapoolSeaSavers. ShearwaterCruises
twitter: @SaversSea, @ullapoolqueen
