18 June 2025
Glenurquhart Road
Inverness
IV3 5NX
10 June 2025
To: Directors of the Board of High Life Highland
Michael Boylan Biz Campbell
David Finlayson Nick Finnigan
Michael Golding Roddy Henry
Marianne Hutchison Andrew Jarvie
Tracy Ligema Drew Millar
Kerry Ross Alli Vass
Dear Director
A meeting of the Board of High Life Highland will take place in Boardroom, Inverness Library, Farraline Park, Inverness on Wednesday 18 June 2025 at 2.00 pm.
Yours faithfully
STEWART FRASER
COMPANY SECRETARY
BUSINESS
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations of Interest
Directors are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Director making a declaration of interest should provide some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.
3. High Life Highland 2025-30 Strategy P.1
There is circulated .High Life Highland Strategy for 2025-30
4. Confirmation of Minutes PP. 2-22
The following Minutes are circulated for approval:-
i. Board Meeting held on 19 March 2025 (pp.2-7);
ii. Finance and Audit Committee held on 12 May 2025 (pp.8-11);
iii. Health and Safety and Environmental Compliance Committee held on 12 May 2025 (pp.12-16);
and for noting:-
iv. High Life Highland (Trading) held on 19 March 2025 (pp.17-22).
5. Matters Arising – Board Meeting of 19 March 2025 P.23
There is circulated, for information, matters arising from the meeting of the Board held on 19 March 2025.
The Board is invited to note the position.
6. Committees – Vacancies
The Board is invited to appoint a Director to the Finance and Audit Committee and up to two to the Health and Safety and Environmental Compliance Committee.
The Board is asked to resolve that the following item be restricted to Directors and representatives from HLH and the Company Secretary’s office.
7. Operations and Governance Arrangements PP.24-31
There is circulated Report No. HLH//7/25 by the Chief Executive.
The Board is invited to note the recommendations.
8. Inverness Castle Experience Progress Report PP.32-38
There is circulated Report No. HLH/8/25 by the Chief Executive providing a progress update on the Inverness Castle Experience.
The Board is invited to note the update.
9. Finance Report PP.39-82
There is circulated Report No. HLH/9/25 by the Chief Executive updating Directors on the financial performance of High Life Highland for financial year 2024/25 and other relevant matters.
The Board is invited to:-
i. note the draft year-end outturn, subject to further analysis and audit for 2024/25, reports a surplus of £546k;
ii. note the projected level of reserves;
iii. note the Audit Strategy report at Appendix E of the report;
iv. note no breaches of internal controls have been reported in the past quarter;
v. note there have been no data breaches reportable to the Information Commissioner in the past quarter;
vi. note the internal audit report on HLH’s Risk Management processes at Appendix F of the report;
vii. agree that HLH maintains its current banking arrangements; and
viii. note that the charity remains Teckal compliant.
10. Quarter four 2024/25 – Performance Report – HLH Strategy 2025/2030 PP.83-133
There is circulated Report No. HLH/10/25 by the Chief Executive presenting performance information for the outcomes identified in the High Life Highland Strategy 2025-2030.
The Board is invited to:-
i. note and comment on the performance information;
ii. note and approve the libraries, music tuition and sport and leisure delivery plans in Appendices B, C and D of the report; and
iii. note and comment on the music tuition annual review in Appendix E of the report.
11. Annual Health and Safety and Environmental Compliance Report PP.134-139
As Directors will be aware, an important element of the Governance structure relating to the company’s Health and Safety and Environmental Compliance performance is the annual Health and Safety and Environmental Compliance Report. In this regard, there is circulated Report No. HLH/11/25 by the Chief Executive informing Directors about the performance of High Life Highland in terms of health and safety and environmental compliance for the reporting period 2024/25.
The Board is invited to note that during financial year 2024/25:-
i. there were no notifications for improvement, nor enforcement actions;
ii. there were no environmental incidents requiring SEPA notification;
iii. the low number and low severity of accidents or incidents over the reporting period, reflecting continuing good practice across the charity;
iv. there had been nine incidents (not resulting in injury) in the year, relating to chemical dispensing units and use of cleaning chemicals, the Health and Safety and Environmental Compliance Committee is overseeing improvement actions relating to this;
v. the Health and Safety and Environmental Compliance Committee continues to meet quarterly with officers and the Charity’s external Health and Safety advisers to review Health and Safety performance; and
vi. the external safety audit was completed by QLM during June 2024 with an action plan created for risk reduction.
12. Human Resources Update PP.140-148
There is circulated Report No. HLH/12/25 by the Chief Executive providing an overview of the charity’s Human Resources performance.
The Board is invited to note:-
i. the HR performance information;
ii. the creation of a new training and development post; and
iii. that HR is monitoring potential changes to employment legislation as a result of the Employment Rights Bill.
The Board is asked to resolve that the following item be restricted to Directors and the HLH Chief Executive Officer and the Company Secretary’s representative only.
13. Chief Executive’s News PP.149-151
There is an update from the Chief Executive providing information to Directors. The Board is invited to comment and note the update.
