The Tighnabruaich Gallery is setting the pace in the push to raise the last £22,000 (of £130,000) the Kifinan Community Forest Company needs by early March. This is the price it must hand over by that date to enable it to buy the 312 acres of Acharaossan forest it has identified to secure forest-based jobs, training, recreation, education and crofts.
We have featured this far-sighted and courageous campaign in a series of features but the one linked here perhaps gives the best overall account of the place, the people and the plans.
The company says: ‘Lack of real employment, rising fuel costs and house prices are squeezing our young people and families from our area – let’s give them a chance to thrive and survive. This forest will be sustainably developed to give a real future to this community and area. A forest is for life.’
The team behind the charitable project are asking anyone and everyone to help in this – to run events of all kinds, however small and to consider auctions, raffles, donations and every invention that can be devised to get this richly promising initiative across the start line.
The Tighnabruaich Gallery is fast off the block with a silent auction of two paintings of Kilfinan forest generously donated by artist Susan Smith.
The photograph at the top shows Kilfinan Winter (Reserve price: £150), with the beautiful colours of the winter forest revealed. The second painting, shown left, is Late Summer (Reserve price: £250), capturing a moment when the sun shone below the tree canopy, illuminating what Susan Smith calls ‘the underbelly of the forest’.
There is a Preview on 9th February at 7.30pm, with a glass of wine and an opportunity to meet Susan Smith who will be there to talk about the paintings.
The silent auction will close on 6th March. Bids may be made by:
- phone: 01700 811681
- email: andrew@tig-gallery.com
- posting the in the boxes at the Gallery
The Kilfinan Community Forest website will keep you up to date with progress and donations can also be made there.
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