NWMCWC

North West Mull Community Woodland Company

Ulva Church Community Engagement Sessions

As first shared on 12th November, this weekend will include a series of community engagement sessions focused on exploring the opportunities and challenges at Ulva Church, how it can support life on Ulva, and how it can respond to the needs of local communities. This work is possible thanks to support from the Scottish Government through the Community Led Local Development (CLLD) fund, secured earlier this year, and we’re really pleased to be moving into this next stage of engagement!

Samuel (Place Lead at New Practice, the consultancy firm working with North West Mull Community Woodland Company) will be travelling to Ulva to carry out in-person engagement. As part of this, he’ll be hosting three community workshops at The Boathouse on 6th December, running between 10am and 3.30pm.

We invite NWMCWC members and residents from the immediate surrounding area to attend one of these sessions and share their thoughts on the reinstatement of this important building.

Please use the following link to register your attendance to one of the three workshops:

Book your slot — New Practice

Please arrive at least 10 minutes before your chosen session so there’s ample time to catch the ferry across to The Boathouse (the ferry will be running for workshop participants only). A big thank you to Rhuri for accommodating this!

Ulva Church is an important building, tied to many stories and histories. However, due to the limited capacity of these workshops, we ask that sessions are attended by Ulva and Mull residents from the immediate local area, and NWMCWC members only. Participation from the wider community is still very much valued, and an online survey will be circulated over the coming weeks. This will be open to the wider public and will offer a chance to share your thoughts with New Practice as part of this engagement work.

If you have any questions regarding the consultation or the workshops, please reach out to Alicja Newbrook at the North West Mull Community Woodland Company on alicja@nwmullwoodland.co.uk.

Two Major Projects for Ulva

NWMCWC is pleased to share that the charity has recently secured two grants supporting key development projects for Ulva — the island’s new community landing craft and the revival of Ulva Church.

Over the summer, work has been underway to secure funding for the Ulva landing craft. The charity has now been awarded a grant from the Scottish Government’s Islands Programme to kick-start the project. This phase will focus on design, regulatory and licensing work, and developing a detailed business model — ensuring that when a vessel is built, it’s fit for purpose, built to last, and financially sustainable for the community. This preparatory stage will run until March 2026, creating a strong foundation for future funding applications to build the vessel.

At the same time, NWMCWC has also secured a grant from the CLLD Development and Improvement Challenge Fund to carry out a proof of concept study for reinstating Ulva Church as a community and multi-function space. This marks an exciting first step toward bringing the church back to life and will inform future funding applications for renovation and stabilisation.

To lead this work, the charity has appointed New Practice, part of Civic — a Glasgow-based team specialising in architecture, community development, and engagement. Their Place Lead, Samuel, will be visiting Ulva between 4th and 8th December to meet residents and explore ideas for the church’s future. NWMCWC intentionally selected an independent firm with no local affiliations to ensure the process is open and objective.

Both projects reflect the charity’s commitment to Ulva’s long-term sustainability and resilience.

More details about how the community can get involved in the church engagement will be shared soon.

Argyll & Bute Council’s announcement on Islands Programme’s funding