Grant applications successful !

 

Grant Applications Successful!!

We're delighted to confirm that we have received funding of £50,000 each from the Crown Estate's Community-led Local Development Fund, OIC's Community Development Fund and The Orkney Trust, as stated in the really positive article in this week's The Orcadian (Thursday, June 4, 2026 edition).

This funding will go towards our ambitious 2-year renovation project, which will see sympathetic improvements made to the building to bring to life our vision of how the Kirk may better serve as a multi-functional community space, while still maintaining its very special character and atmosphere.

The below pictures serve as an illustration of how the interior could look, with all displays being fully movable, enabling the space to be used for concerts, events, etc, as we have been used to doing in the past.

This is a really exciting time for the Charity – we are so pleased that the hard work done by the Building Sub-Committee in putting together the funding applications has been successful and we will be providing updates of the work over the coming months.

Come and see us at the Spring Fair hosted by the Loch of Ayre Walkway Association on 11th April!

 On Saturday 11 April 2026, we will be at the Spring Fair, hosted by the Loch of Ayre Walkway Association, in the Holm Community Hall. We will have a Bottle Stall and home bakes. Look forward to seeing you there!

Funding received!

 

We have been awarded nearly £10k from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) and another £1,000 from the Highlands and Islands Climate Action Fund to help develop the vestry at St Nicholas into a comfortable changing area for visiting artists. Along with some of our own funds, we have already installed a solar PV system and battery. This is the exciting first stage of a planned major development over the next two years, which we could not have achieved without the funding we have received.

 

We are Local Energy Scotland

 

 Climate Action Hub Funding - Highlands & Islands Climate Hub

Book launch and talk by Sheena Wenham (Holm Hall, Sat. 28th February 2026)

 

Come along to the Holm Hall on Saturday 28th February at 2:30pm to receive your signed copy of “Flo, a Victorian Lady and her visit to Orkney in 1866.”

Author Sheena Wenham will be presenting her newly released book, joined by Tom and Rhonda Muir from Orkneyology Publishers. This special event offers a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Flo’s fascinating journey and meet those behind the publication.

Copies will be available to purchase on the day, priced at £15.99 for the paperback and £19.99 for the hardback (cash only). All proceeds will go to Holm Community Heritage at St Nicholas Kirk.

We look forward to welcoming you for an afternoon of local history, storytelling with refreshments available.

Holm Community Heritage at St Nicholas Kirk Management Committee

                                 Management Committee members

• Anna MASON (Chairperson / Treasurer) - amainland@hotmail.com  (tel: 879 722)
• Lorna NEWTON (Secretary) -   lornamnewton@aol.com    (tel: 874 616)
• Colin BEGLEY -   colbegley@gmail.com (Mob: 07900 386 945)
• Sam HARCUS -   harcuss150@gmail.com (Mob: 07548 881 583)
• Antoine PIETRI -   apm.pietri@gmail.com    (tel: 781 488)
• Athole THOMSON -   athole@hotmail.co.uk    (tel: 781 376)
• Sheena WENHAM -   sheenawenham@icloud.com

Donate by visiting our GoFundMe page!

  

Link to our GoFundMe page: 

 Holm Community Heritage at St Nicholas Kirk GoFundMe page

 

 

St Nicholas Kirk development - Full plans

2026 Annual General Meeting notice

 Holm Community Heritage AGM Everyone welcome!

Our Annual General Meeting for Holm Community Heritage at St Nicholas Kirk will be held on:

        Tuesday 10 February 2026
        7.00pm
        Graeme Room, Holm Community Centre

 

This is an open invitation to anyone in the Holm community who would like to come along, find out what we have been up to, meet the group or get involved.

 

Flashback on 2009...

 This photo shows some of the original hard working volunteers that came to clean St Nicholas when it was first acquired in 2009. The start of a long worthwhile journey to bring the building back into use. We have come along way since then with lots of community support!

Back row: Jack McIntosh, Linda Cromarty, Athole Thomson, Diana Swan, Erland Flett, Alfie Flett.

Middle row: Donald Mainland, Marlene Mainland, Jean Smith, Jimmy Goar.

Front row: Rhoda Shearer, Molly Aim, kneeling is Kirsty Swan with her son Jamie.

 

 

Final weeks before exhibition closes

 

It’s the final few weeks to explore this year’s exhibitions at St Nicholas Kirk, Holm before we close at the end of September.

This year’s displays include:

• The Building of the Barriers
• Davie Flett’s Experience of Rowing the North West Passage

Come along while you still can!

 

 

AGM minutes - 30th April 2025

 

AGM minutes - 26 March 2024

 

The three kirks in Holm

The three kirks in Holm:

The West Church, which is no longer standing, the East Church, which is the current Church of Scotland for the East Mainland and our St Nicholas Church, which is now used as our Community Heritage centre.

 

Caithness Vintage Machinery Club at the Ould Kirk

 A visit from the Caithness Vintage Machinery club, looking at the Churchill barriers exhibition! 

 

Launch of the Churchill Barriers Exhibition at St Nicholas Kirk

 Today we launched the Building of the Barriers Exhibition!

This exclusive exhibition offers a unique photographic history into the work involved in completing the major building project; the Churchill Barriers.

Open to the public everyday from Monday 15th May, 10am-6pm, at the St Nicholas Kirk.

Entry by donation.

 

 

AGM minutes - March 2022

 

"Holm Community Heritage at St Nicholas Kirk" Facebook page

 

For the latest updates, visit our new Facebook page on:

Holm Community Heritage at St Nicholas Kirk

Family history at the St Nicholas Kirk

Peter MacClure came on tour on 29 June 2022. His great-grandparents, Robert Allen and Mary Jane Gambles married in 1877 and lived in Ducrow for a few years until they emigrated to New Zealand. Mary Jane was a daughter of Jean Linnay from Ducrow. Robert was born in Sandwick but his mother later married Robert Eunson and moved to Thistlequoy in Holm. He greatly appreciated his visit to the Kirk and to Ducrow, and looking through the Holm Heritage archive.

 

 

First wedding held at the Ould Kirk

 Ingrid Drever and Robbie Gillespie chose St Nicholas (the Auld Kirk) for their wedding on 30 April 2022.

Growing up in Holm, The Auld Kirk has always been a special place for Ingrid and her family. It’s very likely that theirs is the first wedding to be held in St Nicholas, as archive searches haven’t found a record of any other marriage.

With it’s beautifully restored interior, it made a very special setting!

 

New funding for the Ould Kirk

 

The Trustees of the Holm Community Heritage at St Nicholas Kirk are delighted to have been recently awarded match funding from both OIC Community Development Fund and the Holm Community Council to get some work done for them. The group can now secure independent professional assistance to both ascertain the condition, and potential work, needed on the building itself; and also to work with the group and the wider community to identify a development plan which will secure the future of this unique and historic building as an asset for the whole community to use.