About

In summer 2001, 18 hectares of land on the outskirts of the village of Port Charlotte on the Isle of Islay was put on the open market. The land contained a relatively informal yet frequently used and highly valued football pitch that was maintained and utilised by the local football team, Kilchoman Football Club. The possible loss of the football pitch galvanised community members to research the possibility of purchasing the land for community ownership. To this end, in October 2001 the community created a Company Limited by Guarantee with charitable status, namely Iomairt Chille Chomain.

Iomairt Chille Chomain is entirely community led, with six Directors assisted by a part-time Development Officer driving the project forward. The Company presently has over 170 members from throughout the UK and overseas, with the majority paying a life membership fee of £50. The Directors are:

Andrew McEachern (Chair) Carl Reavey (Company Secretary) Euan Fraser (Treasurer) Steve Fulcher Douglas Smith James Brown John Bricknell The Development Officer is Robin Currie. The Warden for the Port Mòr Centre is James McEachern who can be contacted by e-mail at warden@islandofislay.co.uk or by phone on +44 (0) 1496 850441. After a feasibility study was carried out and the land valued by the new Company, an offer was submitted for the land which resulted in the purchase in March 2002. The community was assisted in the purchase by The Scottish Land Fund (Ionmhas Fearainn Na H-Alba), Highlands and Islands Enterprise (Community Land Unit) and the Crofter's Commission. The Port Mòr Centre was funded by Argyll and Bute Council, Argyll and the Islands Enterprise Company, ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), the Big Lottery Fund, Communities Scotland, Energy Saving Trust, Scottish Land Fund, CCDS (Crofting Community Development Scheme), HIE Community Energy and funds from Iomairt Chille Chomain. The landscaping, a path network and rebuilding of the stone wall was assisted by the WHELK Leader+ programme.