NEW FACE AT THE HELM ON GIGHA

[Ship called Dignity]

11 July 2005 – for immediate use.

NEW FACE AT THE HELM ON GIGHA

After steering the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust to its historic community buyout in 2002, and following three years on the board of the Trust, Willie McSporran has retired as Trust Chairman at this year’s annual general meeting.

The new Trust Chairwoman is Jane Rennie, who has been a director of the Trust for the past two years and has been very active in various developments on the island. Ms Rennie is a native of Gigha, having grown up at Tarbert Farm on the island, and works for Caledonian MacBrayne on the Gigha ferry.

Willie McSporran said, ‘I have greatly enjoyed my time as Chairman of the Trust, and it has been a pleasure to see the island develop the way it has. I’m delighted that Jane is taking over as Chairwoman, and I’m sure she will take the Trust from strength to strength.’

Jane Rennie said, ‘Willie is a hard act to follow and the Trust will be eternally grateful for his wise counselling and sound judgment over the years. I very much look forward to the opportunity to work with my fellow islanders in building on our successes, and continuing to invest in the island.’

During the past three years since the buyout, the island has seen many developments. Work has commenced on the renovation of the Trust’s 41 houses, and construction is underway on 18 new Housing Association homes on the island. The island has been the location of the first grid connected community owned windfarm in the United Kingdom. Several new businesses have been established, and the island’s population has increased from 98, at the time of the buyout, to 130 today, while the school roll has gone from 6 to 15.

Ends.