It has taken us a couple of days for the success of Friday night to properly sink in, and we are still slightly taken aback by the incredible support shown for Sheila’s Cottage.

Our fundraising dinner at The Boathouse on the Isle of Ulva brought together 30 guests for an evening of local food, music and a very lively auction – and between ticket sales, auction bids and pledges towards our donor plaque, an amazing £7,610 was raised and pledged for Sheila’s Cottage.

The total included:

• £1,050 in ticket sales
• £4,160 through the auction
• £2,400 pledged in donations.

Those who pledged donations of £50 or more will have their name included on a donor plaque inside Sheila’s Cottage once the building is restored. The opportunity to have your name added to the plaque is still open. If you would like to take part, please email alicja@nwmullwoodland.co.uk.

Once the money pledged on the evening has been paid in, we will also add the event total to our Sheila’s Cottage Enthuse fundraising page.

More than a fundraiser

This was the first fundraising event of this kind since the community buyout of Ulva in 2018, and it really did feel like a special moment.

The night was about more than restoring a valuable heritage asset. It was about bringing people together and strengthening the bond between the Ulva and Mull communities. Ulva’s success can provide long lasting benefits to the wider community, boosting local economy and attracting families to the area. Seeing so many people turn up, give so generously and wanting to be part of what happens next was fantastic.

A real community effort

There are a lot of people to thank, because an evening like this just does not happen without a huge amount of generosity behind the scenes.

First and foremost, a massive thank you to everyone who came along, bought tickets, donated, pledged their support and bid – sometimes very enthusiastically! – during the auction.

The evening would not have happened without the incredible team at The Boathouse. Sam and Callum produced a real feast for 30 people, while staff and volunteers spent the evening serving, clearing tables, washing up and doing all the other jobs that tend to go unnoticed but keep an event running. They were very much the unsung heroes of the night.

We were also incredibly fortunate to have so much of the food and drink donated. A huge thank you to Ulva Farm, Calltainn Croft, David Munro, The Bellachroy and of course, The Boathouse for helping us put together such a special meal.

Thank you as well to Rhuri at The Ulva Ferry, who donated his time to bring everyone across to Ulva and safely home again at the end of the night.

And to Callum, Lena and Steve, whose music helped create such a brilliant atmosphere throughout the evening.

A special thank you must also go to Iain MacKay and his partner Claire, who left the Bunessan Show early to come and run what turned into a rather successful auction!

Some very generous auction prizes

The auction was only possible because of the fantastic prizes donated by local businesses, organisations and supporters.

A very big thank you to:

• Ulva Farm
• Ulva Hostel
• Turus Mara
• Ormaig Seaweed Skincare
• Tobermory Distillery
• Glenaros Estate
• Island Woodfuels
• Torloisk Estate
• The Boathouse

Banjo and Ro also added a surprise final lot on the night – an exclusive one-night stay in the honeymoon suite at Banjo and Ro’s Grand Island Hotel once the hotel is open for business – which gave the auction a real boost.

Thank you

Most of all, thank you to everyone who supported the evening.

The turnout, generosity and atmosphere made it much more than a fundraising dinner. It was a reminder of how much can happen when people come together behind something they care about.

£7,610 raised and pledged for Sheila’s Cottage

That is an incredible result from one evening, and we are hugely grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.

Thank you for being part of the journey.