A multi-million pound fund to develop green spaces in some of Scotland’s most deprived areas has been announced by Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Keith Brown. The money – which comes from EU funding – will support projects like new nature reserves and parks and green spaces in urban areas, benefiting communities across Scotland. Continue reading Green space funding up for grabs
The BFI Film Academy and Screen Education Edinburgh are offering an intensive course in filmmaking for 16-19 year olds who live in the South East of Scotland. Continue reading Screen Education Edinburgh seeks talented youngsters for BFI Film Academy
ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
WEDNESDAY 5 OCTOBER 12 – 2pm
Community cash for participatory budgeting initiatives
Communities across Scotland are to benefit from £1.5 million funding which will give people more power to make decisions directly on spending in their local areas.
The Community Choices Fund is targeted at work in deprived areas, and for the first time community groups as well as public authorities, including local authorities, were able to apply for funding to organise their own Community Choices budgeting events.
The fund received well over 100 applications with 16 successful community projects and 12 public authorities spanning the breadth of Scotland. A full list of successful applicants is provided below.
The projects include:
Leith Links Community Council was among the community projects to receive funding. The community council was awarded £20,869 to support their ‘CommUNITY links: Brightening Local Lives’ initiative.
Local Government and Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “It’s the commitment of this government to give communities more control to shape their futures. I am delighted to see communities applying for Community Choices funding and to read about the innovative and creative ways communities are working to address the issues that are important to the people in their community. It is also pleasing to see that we have engagement with Community Choices right across the country from Shetland to the Scottish Borders.
“The Community Choices Fund offers an opportunity for decisions to be made by people in their local communities who are best placed to know what their community needs.”
The Community Choices Fund builds on the Scottish Government investment in participatory budgeting over the last two years. More information about participatory budgeting is available at: http://pbscotland.scot
Forth & Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum
Tuesday 11 October 9.30 – 11.30am
North Edinburgh Arts Centre
Next week’s Forth & Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum will focus on Localities. What are Localities – and how will they affect your organisation?
What are Localities?
The City of Edinburgh Council and the Health and Social Care Partnership are moving to a locality model of working with a phased implementation from the start of April 2016 – July 2016. This is supported by the Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland.
There will be four localities in Edinburgh – details of the geography for each of these areas and the current voluntary sector forums that are in them can be found here.
Why the move to Localities?
Locality working is a legal requirement of the Health and Social Care Partnership and City of Edinburgh Council has decided to move to the same model, believing that this change will help the services deliver better outcomes through being less bureaucratic, more agile and innovative in approaches. Their need for cost savings through staff reductions have also reinforced this move. Police Scotland and the Fire and Rescue Service are supportive of the move and are aligning to the model.
There is an overall desired outcome that Edinburgh citizens will receive better co-produced services with the third sector as a key partner.
What does it mean for the Third Sector?
EVOC has held ThinkSpace events in each locality to update organisations and groups on locality working and to discuss how the third sector can be represented in localities. The papers relevant to each locality can be found under each locality.
Here are the notes gathered from the robust discussions at these events: Report from four Locality Think Space Events
Locality Leadership groups have been established for each locality with monthly meetings planned. As a result of the discussions the following immediate actions have resulted:
Influencing the locality leadership meetings can be done via the quarterly local Voluntary Sector Forums
To access information on a particular locality please click on the links below
WANT TO FIND OUT THE LATEST ON LOCALITIES?
Tuesday 11th October 2016, 9.30-11.30am – North Edinburgh Arts
‘Getting to know you’ event with the locality leadership team. All Third Sector organisations in the area are welcome to attend – and please be ready to talk about your project!
For further information please contact Denise Horn, email denise.horn@evoc.org.uk or call 555 9117.
