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This Carer’s Week (6-12 June 2022), Orkney Islands Council and Crossroads Care Orkney are reminding the community that help and support is available to unpaid carers – people who are helping others with day to day life.

Work is underway on Orkney's new care home.

The £13.45 million 40 bed build at Soulisquoy in Kirkwall will replace the ageing St Rognvald House.

Orkney Islands Council will fund the cost of the  project, with the Integration Joint Board – made up of members of NHS Orkney and OIC – agreeing the care model to be taken forward.

The refugee resettlement programme in Orkney moved a step forward last week (25 May) with the appointment of Keith Bendall to the role of Project Manager (Resettlement Schemes).

Keith, who was Manager of the Orkney Coronavirus Community Support Hub at the Picky Centre, is settling into the new job in the same month as the Council and Orkney community welcomed the first refugees from Ukraine to arrive here under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

The welcoming smiles from a mother and her daughter safely settled in a quiet village in Orkney were in stark contrast to the fear etched on their faces fleeing their beloved homeland of Ukraine.

As the relentless bombing and shelling by the Russian invaders crept ever closer, Olena Katsy knew she had no choice but to leave and try to reach safety with her six-year-old daughter Athina.

Their best chance of escape was actually to take them closer to the enemy.

Orkney’s main thoroughfare turned red, white and blue as part of the HM the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations on Monday morning 30 May.

The Ship2Shore organised event saw around 180 children from Glaitness School march to Kirkwall harbour much to the delight of onlookers.

The Scottish Refugee Council and Scottish Government are running two information sessions for hosts and potential hosts on the 31 May and 9 June.

The sessions will provide information and guidance for hosts on the Scottish Government’s Ukraine Super Sponsor and Homes for Ukraine Schemes.

A number of community celebration events are due to take place in Orkney next week to mark Her Majesty the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

“Community Councils give the people who have boots on the ground within their community – and who really understand the issues that affect those communities – a voice.”

Over 70 new jobs are due to be created at Orkney Islands Council over the next year.  This figure includes 13 additional trainee or apprenticeship jobs, representing a significant investment by the local authority in employment opportunities for young people looking to remain, live and work in Orkney.

A crew of young adventurers from Papay and North Ronaldsay recently set sail for a training day on board the Swan, a 120-year-old fishing vessel.

The Shetland former herring boat was given new life in the 1990s as a sail training and charter vessel.

Earlier this month, the Swan offered sail training days for pupils in Papay, North Ronaldsay, Sanday and Westray.