Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Give generously this Christmas – support local charities

Post Thumbnail

We spend hours finding the perfect presents for our loved ones but how much thought do we give to other people and animals in our community?

The spirit of giving is alive and well in the Highlands and Islands, so this festive season, why not spread the joy a bit further by giving to these worthy causes. And, even better, it may actually serve two purposes – you can give a donation in someone else’s name as their gift.

Click on the headlines to visit the charities’ websites for more information.

Help our four-legged friends at Willows Animal Sanctuary

Willows is the largest equine, farm and domestic animal sanctuary in Scotland and will try to help any animal in distress.

It operates a strict no kill policy and only euthanises an animal on veterinary advice.

They look after over 450 animals including over 100 horses, ponies and donkeys, approximately 60 cats and dogs and many reptiles as well as over 200 farm animals and birds.

Unlike larger charities, Willows has no reserves of money and are always desperately short of funds.

They specialise in helping elderly or more vulnerable animals that have already been refused help by well-known large national charities, but they can only continue to help needy animals with your support.

Willows helps many vulnerable people with its animal-assisted therapy (AAT) programme.

The concept of allowing rescued animals to help vulnerable people on the road back to health is very innovative and has been independently evaluated and shown to be highly beneficial.

Follow Willows Animal Sanctuary on Facebook for the latest news.

Declutter your home by donating to Birchwood Highland’s charity shop

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Birchwood Highland supports people experiencing mental ill health throughout the Highlands; providing care at home and housing support in the Lochaber, Inverness, Easter Ross and Caithness regions.

The organisation also provides support via Scotland’s only residential Recovery Centre in Inverness.

Birchwood Highland will be opening its first ever charity shop in early 2018 – located at 70 High Street, Invergordon – and will aim to sell high-quality pre-loved and second-hand goods as well as some new and unused items.

As well as everything you’d expect from a charity shop – and more – this pioneering venture will operate as a social enterprise, not only benefiting customers, but also providing meaningful activity for people the charity supports; through work and volunteer-based experiences.

The charity shop will rely on donations from members of the public, as well as from local businesses, and any items passed on will be gratefully received in the run-up to the shop opening next year.  So, before the indulgence of the festivities begin, why not have a clear out and consider donating your pre-loved items to Birchwood Highland?

More information on how to donate can be found on the Birchwood Highland Facebook page.

Get the perfect gift for the bookie in your life with Love Your Library

Struggling to find that extra thoughtful gift for a special someone in your life? Look no further than the range of Love Your Library donation gifts.

This Christmas you can treat a loved one to a very special charitable gift that will inspire a new generation to love their local library.

You will receive a hand-finished gift certificate to give on Christmas Day, an inscription in each book donated and your name on our donor wall of fame in your local library.

Click here to find out more about Love Your Library.

Support creative learning and win tickets to all Eden Court 2018 events

Eden Court’s annual Big Ticket prize draw raises vital funds for the creative activities.

They deliver in schools and communities across the region. Your support could help to run a youth theatre group in Wick or a dance class in Fort William, a performance group for people with additional needs in Inverness or a film making week for young carers.

You will help give thousands of young people the chance to get creative, be inspired and discover their talents.

Eden Court is a registered charity and relies on donations to provide these opportunities.

Make a donation of at least £5 before December 31 and you’ll be entered in the Big Ticket prize draw. The lucky winner will enjoy an amazing year of free entertainment with two free tickets to every show, film and class at Eden Court in 2018.

Click here to enter the prize draw.

Support Ross-shire Women’s Aid and help victims of domestic abuse

Ross-shire Women’s Aid provides information, support and temporary accommodation to women, children and young people with experience of domestic abuse.

They provide services in the Ross-shire, Skye and Lochalsh area, including one to one support by phone, text or in person; group support; information on your rights; advocacy; and safe accommodation.

They will listen in confidence and believe you. You can contact them by phone or arrange to meet a worker at a time and place which is safe for you.

They offer support whether you are still with your partner or if you are ready to leave and they can help you, whatever kind of abuse you are experiencing from your partner.

They will support any women whose partner or ex-partner abuses them regardless of whether their partner is male or female.

Ross-shire Women’s Aid can provide a range of support from a one-off phone call to long-term support.

They listen to you and give you the information you need to make decisions to help make sure you and your children are safe now and in the future. For those who want to leave the team can help find somewhere safe to stay.

Follow them on Facebook too.