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Be the voice of your community
Nominations are now open for Shetland's Community Councils.
Community Councils play an important part in local life. They usually meet every 4–6 weeks to chat through all sorts of issues that matter to their area.
They’re a link between the Council and the community – making sure that the voices of local people are heard, and that public bodies know what’s needed and what matters most.
At their heart, Community Councils exist to listen to their communities and share those views with the Council and other organisations.
We want our Community Councils to be fully representative of the communities they serve - so we need people like you to nominate themselves to take part.
Interested? We spoke to four experienced Community Councillors to find out more about what attracted them to the role, and why they find it rewarding.
Click on the thumbnails below to hear their stories:
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 Jonathan Duncan joined his local community council to help make the area where he lives a better place for everyone
 For Julie Dennison, the only young lass on the Delting Community Council, it's important that younger folk participate and have their voices heard to ensure that the future of Shetland is one that works for everyone.
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 For Joanne Fraser, the Community Council is a great way of connecting with her local community, and having a say in issues that affect them directly.
 With young children, a job and a croft, Grant wasn't sure he'd find space in his day for his local Community Council, but the regular meetings help him carve out space to keep up with what is going on in his area.
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New Employability Grant launched
A new grant scheme is being launched to help people experiencing barriers whilst entering or progressing in the labour market.
Shetland Sports Awards 2025
 The Sports Awards are back, celebrating an incredible year of achievements from Shetland’s athletes, teams, coaches and volunteers. Nominations are open across eight categories – from Young Sportsperson to Lifetime Endeavour – with winners announced at the awards night on 14 November.
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Young Shetland Writer winners announced
 Shetland Library has announced the winners of this year’s ‘Young Shetland Writer’ competition. A prize-giving will be held at the Library on Friday 19 September, 6.30pm – all welcome.
Positive inspection report for Sound Primary and Nursery
 Education Scotland published a positive inspection report for Sound Primary School and Nursery Class in Lerwick, following an inspection visit in April this year.
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Don't lose your vote!
Residents in Shetland are being urged to check their electoral registration details or risk losing their chance to vote on decisions that affect them.
Overtonlea garden is a blooming success
Overtonlea Care Centre celebrated its 30th birthday this year, with the official opening of their community garden.
The garden was created by volunteers taking part in a community health scheme run by Levenwick Health Centre and Overtonlea. The group transformed an overgrown walled area into a welcoming haven for residents and members of the local community alike.
The group met every wednesday to create the garden, and work continues on planting, watering and weeding throughout the year. Volunteers enjoyed physical and mental health benefits from getting outside, moving and socialising, and the space created has provided somewhere special for residents and their families to enjoy.
A huge thanks to stalwart volunteers Shona, Laura and Jane for all their work on this. Anyone who would be interested in volunteering further can contact the health centre or care centre to find out more.
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It could happen to anybody: you, somebody you love, somebody really close to you
The Shetland Recovery Hub and Community Network is again hosting a succession of events to help raise awareness and tackle stigma relating to alcohol and other drug dependency.
We’ve been speaking to service manager Amanda Pearson about how the service is approaching the challenge of humanising and tackling a problem that can affect anyone in society.
Read the full interview with Amanda on our website
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A little compassion can go a long way
Rehabilitation, reducing stigma and giving people a second chance were among the key themes of a powerful conference on community justice held earlier this month.
Around 50 representatives of key organisations gathered at Mareel on Monday 1 September to hear compelling testimony from a range of speakers working in the sector.
Read more about the event in our blog
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Outline Business Case for new relief ferry approved
Councillors have approved an Outline Business Case to build a new vessel to operate as a relief ferry on the Council’s inter-island ferry network.
The vessel will be 33m long with a 10.8m beam, and will be able to operate from any existing ferry terminal without requiring changes in crew certification. The total capital cost is estimated at £11.76m, with £10m provided through an external capital grant from the Scottish Government.
These are working concept images, courtesy of Macduff Ship Design Ltd. The next step is to develop the detailed designs and tender documents, with a Full Business Case expected to go before Councillors in mid-2026. Construction is planned to begin soon after, with the vessel hoped to be in service by 2027.
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Climate Yarns - Seagrass restoration
Animal health advice for Crofters and Farmers
'Shetland should be an example for the rest of the UK'
Be aware of Bluetongue when importing
With the livestock sales season underway, the Shetland Animal Health Scheme is reminding crofters and farmers to stay alert to bluetongue when sourcing animals.
🔹 Bluetongue is a non-contagious viral disease affecting sheep, cattle, goats, and camelids (e.g. alpacas).
🔹 It’s not a risk to people or food safety, but it is a notifiable disease, and any suspected cases must be reported to Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
🔹 Bluetongue is primarily spread by midges not by direct contact between animals. It can also be spread via shared needles, semen or dam to calf or lamb during pregnancy. We expect that the Shetland climate will reduce the chance of spread via midges during the main import season.
There are compulsory controls on sheep and cattle moving into Scotland through the restricted zone. These include requirements for testing and vaccination for certain categories of animals. These are changing on the 21st of September 2025. More information can be found on the Scottish Government website.
If you are planning to buy, it is recommended that you source stock from Scotland and not any further south.
Importing from elsewhere carries serious risk:
- England: cases are rising, with restriction zones in place.
- Wales: no new cases, but stock must travel through England, which is high risk.
Symptoms vary by strain but can include: fever, mouth ulcers, swollen face/tongue, lameness, and in severe cases, death. If you are concerned about your animals contact your vet urgently.
Useful links:
Bluetongue Cases & Zones (interactive map)
Clinical signs of bluetongue | AHDB
'Shetland should be an example for the rest of the UK'
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Dr Stewart Burgess of the Moredun insitute visited Shetland last year, and was impressed by the work done to control sheep scab in imported animals, helping to keep the islands sheep scab free. Click on the thumbnail to find out more about what he had to say about the work being done, and how we can manage the risks.
If you are importing sheep this season, make sure you are up to speed with the latest regulations - find out more on the animal health pages on our website
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 Representatives of the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) and The Robertson Trust (TRT) will be in Shetland later this month, to discuss their grant funding programmes.
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Monday 15th September, Brae High School – Presentation starting at 6.30pm and 1-to-1 appointments available from 7pm to 9pm.
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Tuesday 16th September, Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick – Presentation starting at 6.30pm and 1-to-1 appointments available from 7pm to 9pm.
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 Transport Scotland are coming to Shetland to hear your views on the future of the Northern Isles Ferry Service.
18 September - Room 11, Isleburgh Complex, King Harald Street, Lerwick, ZE1 0EQ
- 10am 12pm
- 2 pm to 4pm
- 6pm to 8pm
19 September - Room 11, Isleburgh Complex, King Harald Street, Lerwick, ZE1 0EQ
Find out more
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Make a difference by becoming a Children’s Panel Member!
Children’s Hearings Scotland is looking for people who are passionate about improving the lives of children and young people to join the team as Panel Members. We offer an extensive training programme with a highly experienced team to support your development. If you are over 18 and want to make a difference in your local community by putting your empathy, compassion and listening abilities to great use, then apply today!
Applications close on midnight on 6th October. Anyone interested in becoming a Panel Member can register their interest and find out more at www.chscotland.gov.uk or by attending one of the following information events, or by contacting Anne Cogle, Clerk to the Children’s Panel, Shetland anne.cogle@chscotland.scot
Information events
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Tuesday 23 September, 6.30pm
In-person – Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick – No need to register in advance - just come along for the start of the presentation at 6.30pm if you can or drop in any time between 6.30pm and 7.30pm.
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Friday 26 September, 12.30pm
Online – register by email chsrecruit@chs.gov.scot
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Work with us
If you want to help make a difference, there's no better place to work than for Shetland Islands Council. Grow your skills, support your community, and be part of what makes these islands work.
We currently have vacancies for a range of roles, including Social Care Workers, Administration Support Workers, Housing Officers, Quarry Operatives, Environmental Health Officers, Principal Teacher of Support, and much, much more. Take a look today and see where a career with the Council could take you.
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