The Island Wellbeing Project – What now?

The Island Wellbeing Project, as we’ve known it, came to an end in September 2025 after five years of supporting our community through various initiatives.

Throughout those five years, the project evolved as funding requirements changed after the initial pilot period was over, and adjustments were made — including the removal of the 1:1 element for safeguarding reasons.

Highlights from the Project

Over the years, the project helped to start and support many fantastic community initiatives, including:

• Cast Affs – a pop-up charity shop in the Smithy during COVID that grew into the Cast Affs we know today.
• Piece Place – a pop-up café during COVID.
• The Sauna Project – being continued through ReGrow
• Community groups such as the Men’s Shed, Games Group, Active Movers, BALL Group, and weekly Wellbeing Walks, some of which have continued after the project ended.
• Grocery boxes delivered during lockdown.
• Workshops and retreats – including dry stone dyke building and woodworking.
• Community Larder and the Portacabin Book Swap. both of which have continued

…and much more!

What Happens Next? We consulted, we listened, we actioned

You said – people feel isolated and lonely, there aren’t enough activities, we need to bring people together.

We did – We put in a successful funding application towards some time for someone to run community initiatives to bring people together. We advertised for a “Community Coordinator” and have appointed Fiona Sorbie who will run various initiatives aimed at a variety of people within the community.

We’ve restarted Winter Warmers in October 2026, subsidised through the trust.

We restarted Piece Place in Summer 2026 and are extending it in the winter to include soup, bread and cheese, to give somewhere warm for people to come and sit, play games, craft, enjoy company for the afternoon.