Duke of Argyll abseils Inveraray Castle for Stramash

In a move that may well stir the competitive urge in Britain’s younger Dukes, the 13th Duke of Argyll could not have demonstrated more powerfully how far, as Patron, he is on message with Argyll’s newest social enterprise – Stramash.

At yesterday’s launch of Stramash, handed over into independence by Council Leader Dick Walsh from its parent body, Argyll and Bute Council, its Patron literally descended from the heights of his ancestral seat, a living statement of Stramash’s motto, ‘inspiration through adventure’.

The Council used Big Lottery funding to et up Stramash, an outdoor activities organisation, in 2004. Dick Walsh, is proud of the organisations achievements. ‘The Council showed real innovation in the original concept of Stramash and we have continued to innovate in the transition away from the Council into an independent social enterprise.

‘At the heart of this was the Council’s desire to secure long term sustainability for the organisation and we look forward to working with Stramash as a new partner in the delivery of our Sport and Physical Activity Strategy, and Curriculum for Excellence’.

This also means that the new enterprise hits the ground with a very significant client already in its portfolio, so its security is underpinned. The rest is growth.

Another Councillor, Roddy McCuish, is a Director, speaks for the Board’s confidence in saying that the 2009 programme of youth activities, which attracted over 700 participants aged between 8 and 18 years, will be expanded to 1,000 in 2010.

He points to the expansion of activities identified in the company’s business plan:

• developing its Adult Skills and Expeditions Programme
• supporting the development of the whole outdoor sector within Argyll and Bute, including helping communities set up their own outdoor adventure clubs
• training a number of Apprentice Outdoor Instructors
• developing the area as a base for adventure tourism.

Stramash is looking forward to delivering these plans with a range of partners including West Highland Housing Association; Community Links; Argyll and Bute Council; Inspiring Scotland; Youthlink Scotland; Bord na Gaidhlaig; LEADER and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The company has a full selection of canoes, kayaks and sailing dinghys, including wetsuits and buoyancy aids, tents and climbing kit etc. It has a full maintenance and replacement program managed by its senior instructor.

Developing its adult program of skills and expeditions will bring weekend skills courses in climbing, canoeing, kayaking, bush craft skills and mountain navigation.

The expeditions will follow similar lines to Stramash’s  Youth programme. This will include:

• North West Highlands canoe and climbing
• Spey and Tay river expiditions by canoe
• crossing Scotland by canoe via the Caledonia Canal from Fort William to Inverness
• discovering the wild beauty of Moidart and Loch Shiel by Canoe
• exploring the vast wilderness of Assynt in North West Scotland by foot whilst climbing some of its majestic mountains – and there are plenty to choose from up there – like Suilven, Stac Pollaidh, Canisp, Cul Mor, Cul Beag, Ben Mor Assynt, Ben Mor Coigach… the prospects are simultaneously mouthwatering and thigh crunching.

According to Alison Younger, another Director of Stramash, its hand over from the council to a social enterprise company has been a well managed 18 month-long process.

And Stramash has just been given a further £62K from Social Enterprise, securing the group’s future for the next three years.

The event at Inveraray Castle also saw the launch of the 2010 Summer Activity Programme – and their new Adventures for Adults, born out of feedback from envious parents. Full details and booking information on all of these can be found on the Stramash website.

The photograph accompanying this article shows the Duke of Argyll abseiling into the Stramash below, at the launch on Friday 12th March of Argyll’s newest social enterprise company.It is by copyright holder, John Patrick.