Inspiring Innellan

Inspiring Innellan has been working for over five years to improve the appearance of the village of Innellan and to create activities of interest to the local population. The group is funded through a year long series of events such as coffee mornings, jumble sales, quizzes, ceilidhs and celebrations of national events such as the Coronation. It involves all ages, from nursery children to pensioners, and enjoys wide support from the local community. Sunday work parties followed by lunch are run all year round and have enabled great improvements to be made to the village.

In 2022, the group won the Community Involvement Discretionary award: Inspiring Innellan epitomises ‘Community’. Their Beautiful Scotland judges commented that they had never seen so many, and such a large cross section of the community when they visited. All age groups are involved at all times of the year through the wide range of activities offered, and those doing the heavy work are extremely well looked after by others organising refreshments. One particular project exemplified this, in having ‘something for everyone’, from discussion with the children the judges met and how they enjoyed contributing and what they got from it, to the obvious use a wildlife hide was getting from all age groups. The judges commented that they had never been to a group and come away with such an overwhelming sense of community.