Durness Housing Group
In order to oversee the development of the houses and the Day Care Centre the Durness Housing Group was established. This consisted of members of the Housing Liaison Group, Durness Community Care Group, Age Concern, Highland Regional Council Social Work Department and Albyn Housing Society. The group agreed with Scottish Homes that the development would consist of 6 2-bed elderly amenity houses plus two units which would be used as a Tigh Ceilidh (Day Care Centre). The group was the main focus for discussion relating to the site location and its ownership and also looked at the management and revenue funding for the Day Care Centre.

Day Care Centre
The Day Care Centre or Tigh Ceilidh had been central to the community's plans for the development and had been overwhelmingly supported in the Housing Needs Survey. Scottish Homes at the beginning of the project in 1994 agreed to provide funding for the Centre. However in January 1995 Scottish Homes informed Albyn Housing Society that they did not fund Day Care Centres, they could contribute up to 40% of the costs of a community facility but this could not be a Day Care Centre exclsuively for the use of elderly people.

This was a bombshell for the project as it had been assumed from previous contact with Scottish Homes that they would provide capital funding for the Tigh Ceilidh as only revenue funding was available from the Social Work Department for the project. The Day Care Centre was planned to be within the shell of two of the houses to be built as part of the development.

There appears to have been some confusion over exactly what constitutes a Tigh Ceilidh with Scottish Homes believing it to be a community facility whilst others saw it as a Day Care Centre for the elderly. Scottish Homes argued that they didn't have powers to fund Day Care Centres which are a Social Work responsibility.

After this bombshell was dropped, it fell to Albyn Housing Society to relay the news to the community. The impact of the news was to create a sense of mistrust between the community and Albyn, and several members of the Group threatened to resign. There was also disbelief as all present felt that it had been made clear by Scottish Homes that they would fund the Day Care Centre. It was resolved by the Group to approach Scottish Homes for part funding of the Day Care Centre given that it would be a community facility and failing that seek agreement that the two units envisaged for the Day Care Centre would be turned back into housing for families.

Scottish Homes did not commit any funds to the Tigh Ceilidh but agreed to provide funds to enable the houses which had been proposed as a Day Care Centre to be made into 2 5apt family houses to add to the 6 3apt houses which were being built to amenity standard.