Mallaig Hub

The hub has now been established as a charity for a year and just over half a year since the hub shop opened. We want to plan for the next phase of our exciting community resource and want views about how we shape that. It is almost 5 years since we last did a survey about the community’s local needs and we want to update that. We aren’t looking to duplicate the offering from other local businesses but to provide additional useful services/products etc.

Our vision places Mallaig Community Hub at the heart of the community, providing a much-needed space that both fosters community spirit and reflects and responds to the complex social and economic needs of the people of Mallaig and its surroundings in a way that provides long-lasting social and environmental benefits to the community as a whole. By transforming Mallaig’s unused old Spar building into a multi-use retail, activity, recreational, child-care and enterprise space we aim to create a Hub that addresses the need for this kind of space and the services we want to offer. Creating a location to build connections, learn new skills, have fun, display local talent and be able to buy sustainable, healthy produce and locally created products. We also saved our local Post Office from closure and this will continue to remain an integral part of the Hub supporting its residents with a range of postal and financial needs. We aim to benefit the local economy through job creation, prioritising local supply chains, and reinvesting in local initiatives. Our approach prioritises the minimisation of environmental impact and promotes package free and sustainable options. We are dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint, advocating for zero-waste and eco-conscious choices.

Remember if you have any suggestions or ideas we would love your feedback – please reach out via our email or contact form or pop in to speak to our Hub Manager Ashley MacDonald Cymbalista. We can’t wait to hear from you!

What we offer and aim to establish as we continue the refurbishment of our building:

• Post Office: we have provided a permanent home for our local Post Office so it can continue to serve our residents and providing much needed postal and financial services.
• Community Shop: we are offering a range of products that are organic, fair trade, local sourced or plastic-free, such as food, household items, cosmetics, and clothing in our community shop. You can bring your own containers and bags, or buy reusable ones at the shop, and pay by weight or volume for the products you need. This way, you can avoid unnecessary packaging and waste, and save money by buying only what you need as well as having a space to buy healthily without having to travel miles to Fort William or further afield.
• Multi-Purpose Activity Space: we are refurbishing and setting up a multi-purpose activity room where we can run classes, workshops, summer schools, events, clubs, recreation, movie nights, craft fairs, pop up shops and much more. These will be offered across a variety of age ranges – there will be something for everyone from toddlers to our older residents.
• Community Pantry: we are committed to establishing a community pantry, supplemented by food initiatives and educational programs to enlighten and combat food wastage in our village.
• Community Kitchen: we want to create a community kitchen and training space to offer cooking classes and workshops, reducing food waste from our shop and creating healthy meals for those who may struggle to cook at home.
• Child-Care: our aim is to set up a dedicated affordable child care area to address the complete lack of child care offered in the area – especially for under 3s.
• Outside Space: we want to landscape our outside space to create gardening space and outside space to hold events and to tie into our childcare space once up and running.

Events calendar