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The engaging spirit between Council colleagues who joined together for a cancer fundraising challenge and the generosity of the Orkney public have been commended in the Scottish Parliament.

Orkney’s MSP Liam McArthur raised a motion during September praising the efforts of all involved in the challenge which raised over £16,000 for Cancer Research UK – more than trebling the original £5k target.

The Council has launched a survey to encourage feedback from users on their customer service experiences at the main receptions in Kirkwall and Stromness.

It is hoped that folk’s views will highlight areas which are working well but also identify areas that could be improved.

As part of the Council’s Our People - Our Plan journey, there is a determination to ensure that the first point of contact services at Customer Services in Kirkwall and the Warehouse Buildings in Stromness are as good as they can be from the customer perspective.

Are you worrying about money? Financial support and advice are available in Orkney.

The development of the Worrying About Money? leaflet for Orkney was led by NHS Orkney in collaboration with local organisations. The guide follows three simple steps to help you identify the cause of your money worry, what options are available and where to get help.

 Are you passionate about protecting the rights of young people and working to achieve the best possible outcomes for them and their families? Children's Hearings Scotland needs volunteer Panel members for Orkney.

An S5 student from Kirkwall Grammar school has become a second time winner in a series of national competitions aimed at raising the profile of Computing Science in schools.

Mansie Gee was selected as a winner for the Summer of Code competition with his recent entry of an AI bot that communicates using voice recognition.

Stromness Primary School pupils have written sympathy letters and messages of support to King Charles III after reflecting on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The P4/5 class were also given the opportunity to hear first-hand from Orkney’s Lord Lieutenant Elaine Grieve – a former Head Teacher at Stromness Primary School and now the King’s representative in the county – who attended at the funeral of our late monarch.

Ms Grieve has not only passed on the mail to the correct address but also shared her thoughts and memories of meeting with our King prior to his accession, when he was the Duke of Rothesay.

The online application form within the Council’s dedicated web page on the Scottish Government’s new short-term lets licensing regime is now live.

It is hoped that the web page - www.orkney.gov.uk/slt-licence - will assist folk through the application process.

The page contains links to a wealth of information on the Scottish Government legislation, the application process -  https://orkney-self.achieveservice.com/service/Short_Term_Lets_licence_application - and fees.

Stromness Academy is seeking a new Head Teacher to lead a “small school that delivers a lot!”

The exciting opportunity has arisen at the academy, which caters for around 350 students from S1-6 covering Orkney’s West Mainland – an area world renowned for archaeological treasures such as Skara Brae, the Ring of Bordgar, Maeshowe, the Ness of Brodgar – the list goes on.

Stromness – the main town in the West which is nestled under Brinkie’s Brae and sits by the sea – has a rich and long maritime history – a safe haven in Viking times, a whaling and herring fishing port, a base for divers and a ferry gateway to Scotland.

Stromnessians are fiercely proud of their town, history, community and school.

“West is best!” is a phrase often bandied about by those who hail from the West Mainland and Stromness Academy provides the secondary education for students from S1-6 from throughout the West of Orkney.

Parent Lianne Taylor has watched both her daughters mature with each passing year at the academy.

There can surely be no higher endorsement than when an educator returns to his secondary school to take up a teaching appointment.

Hamish Flett is a proud West Mainlander who was educated at Evie Primary before moving to Stromness Academy and it was during his time at the secondary school that he was inspired to follow a career in teaching.

“I had a really enjoyable school life and loved my time at the Academy – partly due to the nature of the school itself being smaller and allowing good relationships to be built up with fellow pupils and teachers, but also thanks the extra-curricular activities available and the community spirit which undoubtedly surrounds the school."