Shapinsay Development Trust

26/08/2026

Here's a short video from Certas about the Gas House
https://certasenergy.co.uk/community-bloom-fund/

To vote, please click the link and chose Shapinsay Development Trust! https://certasenergy.co.uk/community-bloom-fund/

26/08/2026

🎉We’ve been sitting on something VERY exciting for a while, just waiting for the day we were allowed to shout about it, today is that day!! 🎉

We put a bid into the Certas Community Bloom Fund, never really thinking we’d get very far. But this peedie project seemed to fit the bill, so I thought, why not give it a go and see what happens?

I then put it right to the back of my mind, never thinking it would happen!

Then, completely out of the blue, I got a message saying that out of around 300 applicants, we’d been shortlisted into the TOP 4! 😱🙌

And if we win, we’ll receive £15,000 towards making this project happen! 💷🌱

So, what’s the project?

We’ve been chatting to lots of you about this already, and there’ll be more opportunities to get involved and have your say as things develop.

But, in a nutshell, we’ve been given the opportunity to buy the Gas House and bring it into community ownership! 🫶

Our initial plans would be to develop the land around it - creating raised beds for community growing, tidying the area up, adding some picnic benches, creating a space for seal watching, and simply making it somewhere people can come, relax and enjoy.

Then, longer term, we’d love ideas for what we can do with the building itself. Even if we start with a simple floor and some interpretation boards, we’d also love to explore the idea of a heritage-based crazy golf course on the grassy area! ⛳️

This is all very much in the early stages, and there’s plenty more consultation and discussion to do about exactly how the space could be used.

But one thing we are clear about is that we want to create a community space, with an element dedicated to community growing, while celebrating and making use of this brilliant little piece of our local heritage. 🌱🏡

And this is where YOU come in…

WE NEED YOUR VOTE! 🗳️

Your vote could help kickstart this project and bring the Gas House into community ownership.

Click the link,👉https://certasenergy.co.uk/community-bloom-fund/ cast your vote, and PLEASE SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!

Let’s see if we can get our peedie project over the line and show the world the power of peedie community in Orkney! ❤️👊💪

21/08/2026

Gemma Read of Walkabout Podiatry is over in Shapinsay on the 31st of August and is available for appointments. Your initial appointment is covered by the Trust.
Contact Details in the comments

19/08/2026

If anyone has anything to add to the Shapinsay Sound, please get in touch by Friday

12/08/2026

What a fantastic turnout we had for Piece Place yesterday with over 40 folk enjoying cake and company! After expenses, £109.37 was raised from donations and raffle, this will go back into the pot to help run events such as this and more in the future!

12/08/2026

We are doing our first every Curry night this Saturday night! Book your table now! The shows might be over, but the summer isn't quite done yet! The marquee is still up, so we've got lots of space and you can even bring your dogs. The summer sailings are still on, which means if you want to come over fae Kirkwall for some curry, you can, you could hop over on the 4pm ferry and back at 7pm!

10/08/2026

Carol and I are taking part in our annual Emergency First Responder Training on the morning of Tuesday the 11th of August, so the Boathouse will be closed, then due to Piece Place being on in the afternoon, there will be nobody around in the afternoon! (Lisa-Marie)

10/08/2026

Piece Place is on 2-4pm tomorrow. (Doors will only open at 2pm as I'm busy right up until I go in to put the kettle on at 1.45pm!) If anyone would like to be my volunteer helper tomorrow, I'd be grateful for a set of hands in the kitchen and to help with clear up after!

30/07/2026

https://shapinsay.org.uk/sdt/current-vacancies/

Thanks to some funding for a wellbeing and climate related project, we are looking for someone who might enjoy connecting people, organising activities and working with people, to join our small team! If that's you, please give us an email at [email protected] for more information. This post is very flexible, a lot of it can/will be done at evenings or weekends!

We are also on the look out for someone to wash the windows, valet the cars and give the bikes a wash down once per month as the person initially appointed has had to pull out due to personal reasons. Again, if you are interested in a very flexible job, send an email to the above address.

Contact [email protected] for full job specifications and more information

30/07/2026

Due to annual leave, this is the last day the Boathouse is open till the 10th of August. Cast Affs will be open for show day.