Five candidates put themselves forward for one spot on the Sealladh na Beinne Mòire board

Siân Swinton

As existing board member, Norman MacAskill, reaches the end of his current tenure on the SnBM board he seeks re-election alongside Calum MacMillan, another previous member of the board, and John Daniel Peteranna, Alistair Nobles and Dave Adey. The candidates were announced on the Stòras Uibhist website and social media on Monday 19th August after a short period of invitation for nominations. Members of SnBM will receive voting forms and they will have until September 11 to vote for their next board representative. The results will be announced on September 12 with the AGM to follow on September 19. Am Pàipear spoke to the candidates to find out what they think the top priorities are for the board and how a vote for them would help address those issues.

Dave Adey

What is the top priority for Stòras to address at the moment?

Stòras, through social media and its communications with members (if it happens), seems to be in some kind of limbo. 

Yes, it has a list of ‘missions’ but what are the enablers to meet these ambitions? 

What is its top priority? Simply put, I don’t think anyone truly knows other than to keep the machine rolling on and mess around the edges with word soup missions. 

You must wonder whether these are the same ambitions of members, tenants and other groups of interested parties. 

I find it quite incredible given the grandiose mission statements and very wooly aims that anyone on the board and the business can be held accountable for success and failure because nothing is obvious! 

How would you fix it?

In short, stop doing the same things the same way and expecting a different outcome! 

What are the identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that this business faces? And can it grow and thrive given the changing world? 

A more energetic process for establishing and delivering change is required. Only then can members see a plan to move forward with those responsible and accountable for delivery, ultimately the current board is responsible for moving Stòras forward or overseeing a stagnant, at best stuttering, organisation! Can the current structure do this or is change required?

Norman MacAskill

What is the top priority for Stòras to address at the moment?

Crofting is my pet project. I’ve spent the last six years as director helping with crofting townships who need assistance with infrastructure. 

I spent 20 years working with the government in agriculture and research. I’ve been back in Uist for 40 years now. I’m the second oldest in a family of seven and my parents lived solely off crofting as I was growing up.

How would you fix it?

The ongoing changes in support for crofting makes me feel that we have to pull out all the stops to help crofters in the right direction to get the maximum support they need to survive.

 There are big changes coming and crofters are going to need sound advice to try and access everything that is available. 

We need another integrated development programme from the government like what was started in 1980. It was supposed to be renewed by the end of the century but we’re still waiting on it.

Calum MacMillan

What is the top priority for Stòras to address at the moment?

The estate has done a lot of work to help our community and local businesses. It’s now time to look after our people. The cost-of-living crisis is still with us and fuel bills will rise this winter.

How would you fix it?

I’d like the estate to give a cold weather payment to each household in the South Uist Estate areas. This would be for January, February and March. £100 each month to help with fuel costs. 

We need a more reliable ferry service to Lochboisdale. The new ferry must be able to sail to Mallaig in all weathers. The estate must campaign for the new CalMac pier. 

We need to get well-paying jobs into Uist, and work with the likes of CalMac or SSE to locate jobs here. There is plenty of land at Gasaigh where a small call-centre could be built. 

It’s difficult for people to access services which they need, as they’re often in Balivanich. 

I’m proposing that the estate leases one of the units in Lochboisdale to provide a meeting space for people to access essential services. We’d make the space free to use for Citizens Advice Scotland, Substance Misuse Services, Financial Inclusion, DWP and optician. 

Alistair Nobles

What is the top priority for Stòras to address at the moment?

I would like to question the goals given to the CEO and see if these have been achieved. If not, why not?

How would you fix it?

I would like to sit with all the staff that work for Stòras and ask them their opinion of the estate and how it’s run or could be improved?

I would spend my own time looking at all the assets the estate has and see where and why they are not being used to their potential. 

I would like to end the ‘not knowing’ that the community has to put up with. 

Any and every decision that Stòras make will be in quarterly print in Am Pàipear. 

I understand there is a need for cheaper housing and energy. There are people better placed within the community than myself to sort these but if Stòras works in a profitable way, there will be the funds to address these problems. 

If given the chance, I will work hard for the community.

John Daniel Peteranna

What is the top priority for Stòras to address at the moment?

Having the community’s future prosperity as its top priority, that would then help reverse the current depopulation we are seeing. 

Just surviving is no longer enough. We are all proud of our islands, but we must work together to create a sustainable future.

We need the estate to change to allow economic development to take priority. We need good paying jobs and access to all types of housing.

We need to look at what options are available to share the energy harvest currently being reaped with our community.

How would you fix it?

With hard work, good communication and good community support and a plan for all of our futures to work together towards.

I started my own business, Energee Services Limited, fifteen years ago. During that time, we have helped to train four young engineers, so far, who are now working all over the world. I am also a partner in an accommodation business that is growing each year.

I have been involved with the South Uist Business Impact Group since its inception and have met with ministers and civil servants to make the case for the Lochboisdale-Mallaig service.