A new carbon neutral facility has been opened by a South Uist learning centre for use as a furniture recycling and training project.
The new ReStore building will be run by the charity Cothrom, which means “opportunity” in Gaelic.
ReStore was established by Cothrom in 2006, operating from a small workshop in Bornish, to provide a valuable furniture refurbishment and textile recycling service to the communities of Uist and Barra.
The new facility is situated beside Cothrom’s learning centre in Ormiclate and will allow ReStore to diversify its training and expand its activities, including making and selling recycled timer and furniture items to order.
The new facility opens as manager Barbara Macdonald prepares to step down after 19 years at the helm.
She said: “We would like to thank the funders for their help and support in bringing this project to fruition and we are delighted with the spacious new facility which completes the campus so well.
“Staff and learners look forward to working and learning in the new workshops, and we look forward to welcoming customers to the new shop.”
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has awarded a grant of £127,188 for the project which is in addition to funding from The Big Lottery, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, LandAid, Western Isles Development Trust, Storas Uibhist and the Scottish Government Regeneration Fund.