Alness Initiative/ Alness Partnership

The Alness Initiative was born out of a meeting in Alness in May 1995. It's purpose was to create a forum for the improvment of the Alness Area as:- A place to do business; create employment and develop business operations.

The idea was to be business led. This was, at the time, a period of high unemployment and lack of confidence in local businesses with a number of empty shop premises.

A meeting in July 1995 called by the Alness Business Association agreed that a body be set up and, to attempt to avoid controversy, that this body, while being business led, would also be representative of other Alness bodies. The membership was to be

• 3 Alness Business Association members
• 3 other business members
• 3 members from Alness Community Council
• 2 members from Alness Community Association

Local councillors were to be asked to attand as was a local RACE Director, council officials and RACE officials as demanded by the subject matter under discussion.

The first significant action came with a review of the current situation and the development of a shopping list for action and strengths. Some of the points raised were:

1. Initial provision of floral features (which have now been well and truly developed!).
2. Provision of an Alness Booklet with a business directory.
3. Link in with other Initiatives in the Moray Firth Area as part of the Northern Periphery Programme.
4. Attempt to encourage others to set up and develop businesses in Alness.
5. Creation of Alness Website and promotional CD-ROM.

In 2009 it was decide that the Initiative had done it's job and The Alness Partnership was born.

This group has the same aspirations to take Alness forward for the next phase of our town's development but with a wider remit.

The Partnership is made up of

2 Alness Business Association

2Alness Community Association

2 Alness Community Council

2 Residents Association

2 Youth representatives

2 over 50s representatives 

Some Current Activities:

• Footpath and Cycleway plans associated with Healthy Living and Safer Routes to School.
• The Renovation of Crawl Park with Cycle Ways, Footpaths and upgrading.
• Co-ordination of the European funded Leader Programme.
• Supporting Environmental and Wildlife groups.
• Working with ATTG (Alness Transition Town Group)