Community Resilience Group Briefing - 26 March 2021

I hope you have had a good week. Please find attached this week’s email briefing which includes information on:

• The Scottish Parliament Election – building on this week’s virtual briefing providing key dates for registering to vote – 19 April – and applying to vote by post – 6 April and also how to apply to register and to apply for a postal vote.
• Information on a new leaflet on help with funeral costs and other supports
• Information on a new DWP Benefits Checking Tool
• Details of a NatureScot’s Bettter Places Green Recovery Fund which focuses on supporting visitor management services and infrastructure which community groups can apply to.

Accompanying this is a stakeholder update from NHS Highland on the vaccination process.

This week’s virtual briefing is introduced by Carron McDiarmid, Executive Chief Officer for Communities and Place and Malcolm Macleod, Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment. The briefing provides the usual update on the latest covid position and then focuses on the Scottish Parliament Election, providing information on who can vote, how to register to vote and the different ways people can vote. We are also providing information this week on the Council’s Visitor Management Plan and outline what the Council is doing, and how we are working with others, to improve services and address some of the tourism pressures experienced in a number of our communities last summer. We hope that you will find this useful and do please let us know whether there are particular topics you would appreciate being covered in the weeks ahead. The briefing can be accessed at the following link: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA9zgUxnycA&t=1s

Finally, just to highlight from last week’s briefing that we are still looking for people to work at the Scottish Parliament election in polling stations and at the count venues in Dingwall and Inverness. For further information please go to the Council's website and if you are interested and feel you would like to get involved please complete the online form. If you have any queries, please contact the election’s office at election@highland.gov.uk

Thank you for everything that you are doing in your communities.

Best wishes,

Alison Clark, Head of Policy, Highland Council