There’s been lots of questions asked on social media around bin clips we've approved for folk to use, to help keep bin lids secure on windy days. We thought it would be helpful to provide some answers to the points raised.

“Connecting Kinship Carers” is this year’s theme for Kinship Care Week, running throughout Scotland from Monday 13 March.

In a bid to link up fellow kinship carers – also known as family and friends’ carers - an informal afternoon of coffee, cake and chat is being held at The Storehouse Restaurant, Bridge Street Wynd, Kirkwall on Tuesday 14 March from 1pm-3pm.

Folk in Orkney have been thanked for their generosity which has seen KGS students complete their 90kg rice challenge in just four days!

They have sold their target of 90 bags of rice raising enough money to send a young person to secondary school for one year in Malawi.

In the fast-paced changing world of work, employers in Orkney need to be armed with all the tools they need to ensure they can recruit and retain their biggest asset – staff.

That’s no mean feat in this current climate but exactly the kind of challenge the recent Employer Information Event was geared towards.

Partner agencies across Orkney – the Police, NHS Orkney and the Council - are appealing for folk to stay home today if at all possible.

The wintry conditions have left a number of vehicles stuck or having difficulty on various routes – they include Hobbister in Orphir, the Airport Road, Moss Road in Holm, Holm Branch and the Clay Loan, but there will be others. This, in turn poses a risk to the emergency services if called out – and it makes the job of the Council’s gritter crews more challenging.

Due to the ongoing wintry conditions, most schools across Orkney are to close early.

Schools are contacting parents directly to ask for children to be collected where that’s preferred and possible from now. Stagecoach have also advised that they are planning to run the school buses at the earlier time of 2pm today. This will be on priority main roads (class A) only.

Olympian Sir Chris Hoy has confirmed he will visit Orkney in April to officially open the newly refurbished Scapa Flow Museum and celebrate with the community.

The Council would like to thank residents still looking for a solution to keeping a lid on their bins on windy days for their patience while bin lid strap options have been reviewed by the waste team. Here's two solutions approved by the team:

A strategic plan which will see the Council focus on growing Orkney's economy, strengthening its communities and developing local infrastructure over the next five years, was agreed by Councillors at today's meeting of the Full Council.

The 'Council Plan 2023 – 2028’  sets out the key priorities for the Council over the next five years as well as the actions and projects that will need to be completed to meet those.

Orkney Islands Council's decision to increase Council tax in the county by 10% has been ratified at today's meeting of the Full Council - and comes with a vow to push the Scottish Government for a resolution to the long running disparity between the funding received by the Council and other island authorities

Orkney residents will receive funding of  £360 (10.7%) per head of population less than Shetland and £707 (21.1%) less than Western Isles for 2023/24.