The theme of this years #SpringCleanScotland is Nature, Communities, Health & Wellbeing and Marine Litter. 
You can help us #KeepScotlandBeautiful by organising or joining a litter pick or by completeing a litter survey. 
Find out more here 
https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/springclean
Government must give pubs which serve as the beating hearts of their communities greater support with tax rebates to safeguard the nation’s locals as vital social lifelines, a report from the think-tank Localis has urged.
In a report issued yesterday entitled ‘Inn-Valuable: unlocking the socio-economic potential of our nation’s pubs’, Localis also argued that a minister for pubs role be reinstated to join up help for the country’s pubs sector – which cumulatively supports 936,000 jobs, generates £28bn in GVA to the economy and delivers £15bn in tax revenues to the Exchequer annually.
According to polling undertaken by YouGov for the report, 75 percent of people felt the impact of pubs to community life to be positive. When asked if pubs are important in bringing people together, more than four-in-five (81 percent) of British adults agreed they are, with just 14 percent feeling that they are not.
Polling carried out for the report showed 68 percent of British adults felt that pubs help combat loneliness in their local area. Among pro-community activities supported by local pubs, nearly half (44%) of people were aware of pub events that bring the community together, a quarter (25%) knew of local pubs that supported charitable causes and 17 percent knew of local pubs that supported vulnerable people in their area.
The research identified from case studies taken pubs across the country some dominant themes on how the sector supports local people and communities, namely by:
Pollsters also found that among social uses of pubs in the last three months, more than half of the population (51%) had met a friend in one, while nearly two-in-five (37%) of people had visited the pub to meet up with family, a quarter (25%) had enjoyed Sunday lunch in one and 10% of the public had attended a pub-held birthday party in that timespan. In addition, six percent of the public had used pubs for dating purposes and 13% watched a sporting event.
A key recommendation of the report calls for the re-establishment of a Minister for Pubs post to co-ordinate a cross-government taskforce responsible for long-term strategy for the British pubs sector and to lead on help with tax and regulation, alongside an emergency fund for energy bill support.
The report authors also make the case for business rates rebates for those pubs which take on socially valuable roles such as foodbanks or in providing warm spaces for vulnerable people, with a call for a modest £4m cashpot to help 1,000 pubs to diversify at a cost of a mere £4,000 per pub.
Localis head of research, Joe Fyans, said: “Across Britain, pubs have consistently played a pivotal role in knitting communities together and promoting social cohesion.
“Pubs are the beating heart of many communities, playing multifaceted roles in local daily life. This is why the decline of pubs is cause for great concern. With each closure, both tangible and intangible voids are left behind.
“The lessons are clear: pubs, in all their forms and across all locations, remain integral to British social cohesion as hubs of activity, community, and social capital. This makes their presence all the more crucial as community safety nets and beacons of light, offering a lifeline hope for many people looking for a real sense of local belonging.”
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: ““The stories highlighted in this report truly are just a snapshot of the hugely positive impact pubs have in communities across the country every single day.
“There are few businesses that can say they add both social and economic value and pubs are delivering that value in neighbourhoods from Lanarkshire to Liskeard, and everywhere in between. Pubs provide solace to people in tough times and a place to celebrate in others and to lose them would have a serious impact on people’s lives.
“With closures continuing to rise and pubs under threat from further duty and business rates cost hikes we hope the Government will seriously consider the proposals put forward by this report so the foundations can be laid to help pubs continue to do this brilliant work in their communities long into the future.”
Becky Barnett who runs The Lamb Inn in Swadlincote, which features in the report, said: “We support our local community in a number of ways, including offering free food and drinks to people on Wednesday mornings. People can come into the pub, have a free hot meal, and in winter, sit by our log fire in comfy chairs, no questions asked.
“When times are tough, we want to be a place where people can come for help and local people have been incredibly grateful of us opening our doors at no cost. At the same time, we also face challenges with high energy bills and other rising costs so it’s a scary time for our business as well, we want to continue to provide a non-judgemental warm space for people but we’re facing our own difficulties as well.”
Pub is The Hub chief executive, John Longden, said: “Pubs and publicans are the heroes at the heart of community life that provide essential local services and activities that create social value.
“They are a lifeline for many rural areas providing vital local services and activities such as village stores, allotments and community cafes as well as offering a safe space to tackle the major societal issue of loneliness.
“Pub is The Hub now estimates 1,000 more pubs and local areas could benefit from services if they can be directly supported in the future to diversify.”
A Holyrood Committee has published a new report highlighting the challenges in supporting culture to thrive within communities across Scotland.
The report from the Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee found that while progress has been made in implementing a place-based approach to culture, there are still “several significant challenges” facing local and national government that need to be addressed to “realise the ambitions” of the Scottish Government’s culture strategy.
The Committee concluded that the “cross-cutting” nature of the challenges facing Scotland’s culture sector requires “a whole-system approach” across different levels of government.
During the inquiry the Committee gathered evidence on best practice and barriers to cultural participation within different communities across Scotland, with visits to Wester Hailes and Craigmillar , Dumfries, and Orkney.
Members also heard from a wide range of stakeholders, many of which agreed on the importance of cultural work being grounded in local communities, as outlined in the Scottish Government’s culture strategy.
The report’s findings outline the need for “much greater prioritisation in practice” being placed on community-led culture, which it says should be “at the heart” of the sector.
It also suggests the potential of existing community empowerment mechanisms, which could be used to improve place-based cultural delivery at the local level.
The Committee also noted that the funding of community-based cultural organisations and projects, local government cultural services, and of publicly owned community spaces where cultural activity can take place have all been put under pressure.
The financial constraints within the current economic environment are identified as posing a “significant challenge” to the successful implementation of place-based cultural policies, with the Committee calling on the Scottish Government to set out how it will “accelerate the implementation of innovative approaches to the funding of the culture sector”, an issue it will pursue further through its forthcoming pre-budget scrutiny.
The Committee also raised its concerns that some cultural and community assets were said to be becoming “less available, less affordable, and at risk of closure”, recognising that “the loss of community spaces is likely to impact on the access to culture for those communities”.
The report urges the Scottish Government to address these challenges and incorporate the Committee’s findings and recommendations into the forthcoming refresh of the Culture Strategy Action Plan and Budget 2024-25.
Commenting on the report, Committee Convener, Clare Adamson MSP said: “Through our work on this inquiry, we have seen first-hand the positive impact of place-based cultural work in communities across Scotland.
“Support for community-led culture can help enrich the cultural landscape and further empower local communities, particularly those which face the greatest barriers to participating in cultural life.
“However, the Committee’s report has clearly demonstrated that while progress has been made, there are significant challenges facing both national and local government in delivering Scotland’s ambitions for a place-based approach to culture.
“We urge the Scottish Government to take our findings and recommendations on board as it refines its forthcoming Culture Strategy Action Plan and its Budget for 2024-25 to ensure that culture can thrive in our local communities.”
A fund to help inspire more entrepreneurs to start or scale up their businesses has been relaunched.
The Ecosystem Fund is being widened this year to include initiatives encouraging young people to consider entrepreneurship from an early age. Applications providing access to support services for under-represented groups including women or those from disadvantaged areas will also be considered.
Community groups, non-profit making organisations, industry bodies, colleges and universities are amongst organisations invited to bid for funding to help boost entrepreneurial activity across Scotland. Grants of up to £50,000 will be available.
Projects could include:
Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray said: “This expanded funding will build on Scotland’s international reputation as one of the best places in the UK to do business and help make an impact across the business community.
“Despite representing less than 1% of businesses, start-ups generate more than half the value of all small and medium-sized businesses. The fund will spark innovation while fulfilling our potential to nurture many more inventive new start-up companies and driving sustainable growth.
“We need to instil enthusiasm for business and entrepreneurship at all levels from an early age, which is why I encourage collaborative proposals from a wide range of sectors to enable connections and exchange of ideas. In so doing, we can help those who establish businesses to improve lives – such as advancing renewable energy technologies or creating apps that help tackle food waste.
“The Ecosystem Fund is an important step, but we must make further progress expanding entrepreneurial access and opportunity – ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, has the chance to fulfil their potential.
“Together we can remove barriers and open up access and opportunity to budding entrepreneurs across Scotland. By uniting the business community around this goal, we can create a wellbeing economy which is fair, green and growing.”
Chief Entrepreneur Mark Logan recommended measures to support new businesses in his August 2020 Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review.
Mr Logan said: “Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem to raise a start-up.
“The Ecosystem Fund recognises and supports the vital enabling work of our ecosystem-building organisations. It will accelerate Scotland’s journey towards being an internationally recognised Start-up Nation.”
New research out today reports that less than half of all UK adults (46%) believe that people are pulling together to improve their neighbourhoods.
Only a similar number of us are exchanging favours (45%) with neighbours, despite the current cost of living crisis putting strain on household budgets including rises in rent or mortgages, fuel and food costs.
Eden Project Communities, who are one of the partners behind the Month of Community in June to encourage people to make local connections and support good causes, conducted the research to explore attitudes towards neighbourliness.
It is part of a year-round programme of work focusing on building social capital on a mass scale delivered by Eden Project Communities and made possible by The National Lottery.
Lindsey Brummitt, Eden Project Communities Programme Director said: “This research tells us that people participating in their communities is out of step with the benefits people feel when they have strong local connections.
“The data hints that activities like good old fashioned neighbourliness practiced during the pandemic may be starting to re-emerge, but there is a big opportunity for many people who are not nurturing local support networks which could help them cope better during in the cost of living crisis.”
The nationally representative independent research conducted in the second two weeks in May 2023 also found that 65% agree where they live is friendly, and our sense of belonging to our immediate neighbourhood has actually increased by five percentage points since 2019 to 67% in 2023. An even higher number (74%) also say that they trust their neighbours and feel safe (71%) in their neighbourhoods.
Furthermore, of those who had a Big Lunch to bring people together where they live in 2023, 81% said that their event had a positive impact on their community, and 75% said they are now more likely to give their time to help neighbours or good causes.
After reaching out to their neighbours, people in all parts of the UK have felt the benefits of forging stronger connections with others where they live.
In Edinburgh, local people joined many others across the country to take part in the Month of Community. On 4 June, over 300 people turned out for the Friends of Campbell Park Big Lunch in honour of Volunteers Week.
With ambitious plans for their community, the group run regular events to connect people and encourage them to bring their creativity to their local green space, and have recently launched a scheme where local people can adopt fruit trees in their orchard, free of charge.
Their Big Lunch was a huge success and featured activities to bring people of all ages together, from football fun games and an Asian themed barbeque table to a jazz band, yoga yurt, tree planting and baking competition.
Shona Harrower, who organised the event, said: “Last year we hosted our first Big Lunch and we were blown away by the response from the local community.
“This year we have four times the number of volunteers than we had last year – we wouldn’t be able to do what we do if it wasn’t for the army of people helping us out so it feels only right to be celebrating Volunteers Week.”
Reaching out, making local connections and new neighbourhood friendships is something that Eden Project Communities, and other organisations behind the Month of Community support. Approximately 27.6 million adults in the UK say they feel lonely often, always or some of the time, up by five percentage points to 40% in 2023 compared to 35% in 2019.
Earlier in June, Month of Community ambassador Comedian John Bishop paid a visit to space2grow in Farnham, Surrey – a project that held a Big Lunch to celebrate their neighbourhood connections and invited John to unveil a new Say Hello friendly bench during Loneliness Awareness Week and The Great Big Green Week. The bench now creates a place where people can stop in a green space to chat and make new friends.
Reflecting on his visit to space2grow and the Month of Community John Bishop said: “I’m really proud that Say Hello is part of the Month of Community, when I hope people up and down the country will maybe have a Big Lunch or just take the time to get chatting to people in their community.
“Let’s all put some welly into making connections, supporting each other and the causes we care about during the Month of Community. Appreciating the power of community and the warmth of human connections impresses upon me just how important this really is!”
The Month of Community is an annual partnership of good causes in June, when people are encouraged to come together to celebrate everyone and everything that make our communities great.
With events and initiatives running throughout June for causes such as Volunteers Week, Carers Week, The Great Big Green Week, Refugee Week and Small Charity Week, it’s a chance to connect with neighbours, say cheers to volunteers, raise awareness of loneliness or simply say thank you. As part of the Month of Community, The Big Lunch is a chance for people to bring their community together, fundraise or celebrate a good cause they care about.
Lindsey Brummitt continued: “While almost half of the UK is showing signs of being community-minded in this research, we know getting to know neighbours helps to create support networks which makes life better and helps when things are tough – so it’s definitely worth taking a step in that direction if you are not.
“We need to be vigilant about strengthening and investing time in our neighbourhood relationships and during the Month of Community, there are so many opportunities and good causes you could look out for and support to help build your connections.
“We want to help people build their communities, so as well as The Big Lunch and Month of Community each year in June, we’re going to keep working on ideas to boost community spirit all year round – look out for updates at edenprojectcommunities.com!”
To find out more go to www.monthofcommunity.com or www.TheBigLunch.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @edencommunities
The Action Earth campaign, run by national charity Volunteering Matters, has launched to help support communities to participate in outdoor environmental volunteering. Projects can apply now to the campaign, which NatureScot funds.
Nature is in crisis, and we face a climate emergency. Last year, we completed 134 successful projects, helping restore and protect environments to deliver a ‘nature-rich’ future for all.
Volunteering Matters Action Earth offers easy-to-access grants of up to £250 for environmental activities across Scotland. This year, we have 132 nature awards for any group of volunteers carrying out practical environmental improvements or wildlife habitat creation in local urban spaces.
Previous projects have included wildflower meadow and pond creation, woodland and wetland renovations, bird and bat box siting, and creating or improving community gardens.
We are also keen to support projects working with people with disabilities, defined health issues, or barriers to involvement. From last year’s 134 projects to benefit from Action Earth grant funding, over 3,325 volunteers were involved in improving biodiversity in their community – 1,100 of them having disabilities and/or defined health issues.
The campaign is also keen to hear from projects whose work benefits disadvantaged communities, especially in urban areas and in places with reduced local amenities. 45% of volunteers in 2022 were from areas in the lowest 20% of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.
2023 Marks the 20th anniversary of Volunteering Matters and NatureScot’s partnership to help communities make positive local change.
NatureScot Chief Executive Francesca Osowska says: “The Action Earth campaign is a brilliant way for communities to make space for nature and protect local greenspaces, native wildlife and habitats – in turn, helping tackle the nature and climate crises. I encourage groups to apply and look forward to lots of exciting projects this year.”
For those looking for inspiration for their projects, the Volunteering Matters Action Earth website has instructions on how to build bird boxes, bat boxes, frog hibernacula, hedgehog boxes, and bee/insect homes. NatureScot also has many tips to help nature this spring through its Make Space for Nature campaign.
More information is available and applications can be made NOW at the Volunteering Matters Action Earth website:
Trusts formed over a century ago to help boys with the surname Stewart, supply pensions to women of good character or provide medical assistance pre-NHS will now be used to fund current day needs thanks to a partnership project that has already unlocked over £2.3 million from lost and forgotten charitable accounts.
Foundation Scotland has revealed they have identified nearly 300 dormant charitable trusts through the project run in collaboration with The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). Charitable trusts typically provide public benefit by making grants or donations to other charities, voluntary groups or individuals as laid out in their original constitution.
Launched in May 2021, Scotland’s Revitalising Trusts Project was set up to identify charitable trusts that appear to be inactive and support them to reactivate. For a trust to be classed as inactive, they either had no income or expenditure or donated less than 30% of their total income over the last five years.
There are different reasons why a trust can lie dormant. It can be difficult to recruit new trustees, find time to run the charity or as times change, it can be impossible to identify beneficiaries befitting the original deeds of the trust.
Foundation Scotland has over 25 years’ experience distributing funds which provide long-term benefit for communities. As part of this national project, they are supporting trustees to release inactive funds so that they can be redistributed to good causes across Scotland.
Alternatively, Foundation Scotland will support trustees to breathe new life into the charity, for example by changing their charitable purpose to help address new needs in local communities.
Among the funds was The Ronnie Williamson Trust, formed by Mrs Betty Williamson in 2005 in memory of her husband, Ronnie, a Royal Marine Commando, businessman, and long-standing elder and member of Palmerston Place Church in Edinburgh.
The original purposes of the Trust were outlined as supporting voluntary project work of young people from the age of 16 to 21 who were members or adherents of Palmerston Place Church. Unfortunately, this very specific remit proved difficult to fulfil and the Trust had not made an award for over eight years.
The Trust had therefore fallen into years of inactivity because the deed prevented the Trustees from altering the purposes rendering the Trust stuck. The Trustees worked with Foundation Scotland to ‘revitalise’ the trust.
The Trust now has new wider purposes in place – extending the upper age limit to 25 and increasing the catchment of the church membership to now include other Church congregations in the North and West of the City.
Gregor Innes, Trustee said: “The support we’ve received from Foundation Scotland will prove life-changing for local young people who have the desire to make a difference to others locally, nationally or globally.
“It was a frustration that we had funds that could be helping others sitting in the bank – but due to the original limited scope we had not been in a position to attract and help young people with voluntary projects.
“The Ronnie Williamson Trust was created to encourage young people to make a difference to others and I am confident he and his late wife will be happy with the changes that we have now made to make sure we can fulfil the original wishes.
“Foundation Scotland guided us through the process easily, and thanks to their invaluable support we have increased the age limit so we can help those up to the age of 25, and we can support young people from other linked congregations.
“The other massive benefit to us has been their support to help us bring new people onto the board. With three new Trustees already in place we are excitedly looking ahead to relaunching and publicising the Trust in the coming months. We look forward to receiving applications from local young people in the future to help them to make a difference in voluntary work which will have a positive educational, religious, medical, or societal impact.”
Steff Bell, Revitalising Trust Project Advisor at Foundation Scotland said: “In the current climate it’s more important than ever that charitable funds are being put to good use.
“Communities the length and breadth of the country suffered through covid and now they are struggling with the cost of living crisis. It’s good to know that we’ve been able to assist in reactivating these funds and putting them to good use, when they’re needed most.
“We’re delighted that we’ve already unlocked over £2.3 million for good causes across Scotland but we know this is just the tip of the iceberg. We are making great progress; overall, the trustees we have approached have received the offer of support positively, with several indicating that the trustees had been stuck for a number of years, unable to find appropriate support to distribute the funds.
“We will continue to work collaboratively with more trustees, alongside OSCR, to help these trusts maximise their funds and reach for public good. We know trustees want to make a real and positive difference to those who need it most. If you think your charity could benefit from support to spend its funds, please do get in touch with us and we’ll help you work out the best next steps for your charity.”
Steve Kent, Policy Manager at OSCR said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Foundation Scotland on this important Project and to see our joint effort to reach out to inactive trusts starting to bear fruit.
“We want public trust in charities to remain strong and never more so than in the present challenging times. It is vital that every pound of charitable funds is seen to be working hard for good causes but, even with best intentions, it is sometimes a challenge for trustees to make that happen.
“This Project is an excellent example of what can be achieved by offering trustees a little support and encouragement at the right time.”
For more information about the project visit:
What cultural activities are happening in communities across Scotland? This is just one question being asked by the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee as it starts a new inquiry.
The inquiry will see the Committee look at the Scottish Government’s Cultural Strategy, which focuses on what it calls a ‘place-based’ approach. The Committee will look at what this means for communities up and down the country and what barriers are in the way to developing local cultural activities.
Now the Committee want to hear from those who participate, attend or organise cultural activities in their local areas. It wants to find out what more needs to be done to support these activities and what difference they make to people’s lives.
Speaking as the inquiry launched, Committee Convener Clare Adamson MSP said: “Scotland has a rich cultural heritage and the very heart of that lies within our local communities. From community choirs to book clubs, local galas to theatre groups, there is a huge range of activities taking place each and every day.
“But these activities are not always easy to access or indeed organise, so we want to find out what support is needed to make these events happen. And importantly, where this support should come from.
“Culture enriches us all and this is especially true for our communities. Which is why we want to hear directly from those at the very heart of Scotland’s local communities.”
Questions the Committee is asking include:
TUESDAY 14th FEBRUARY 1pm at CITY ART CENTRE
Never Give Up: Gallery Talk in Association with the Exhibition ‘Paul Duke: No Ruined Stone’
Join us for a talk with Lynn McCabe from Royston and Wardieburn Community Centre and Willie Black a passionate local activist from North Edinburgh.
North Edinburgh has been a hotbed of community activism for decades. ‘Never Give Up’, was a book produced by North Edinburgh Social History Group in 2011 – a panoramic account of community activism in North Edinburgh, highlighting the previously largely ignored and barely mentioned community areas of Pilton, Drylaw, Royston, Wardieburn, Granton and Muirhouse.
Lynn McCabe reflects on how this publication is still deeply relevant today and Willie Black talks about North Edinburgh today, and shares positive stories from this vibrant and resilient Edinburgh community.
EVENT IS FREE but booking is essential.
While we hope to run this event in the City Art Centre, we may have to adapt to the situation at the time and the event may need to move to digital. Book via the link or by phoning the City Art Centre on 0131 529 3993.
The Festive season can be an especially lonely time for many thousands of Scots, but over £8 million National Lottery funding announced today (TUESDAY 13 DECEMBER\) means that charities and community groups across Scotland can continue to bring people together all year round.
The latest round of funding from The National Lottery Community Fund is shared amongst 246 community projects. A full list of projects is attached.
An award of £121,192 means that Restalrig based charity, The Ripple can continue to deliver their ‘Older Person’s Service’ for over 65s which offers a range of activities, trips and support services helping people in the community come together, making them feel less isolated.
Rachel Green, Director of The Ripple, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded a grant by The National Lottery Community Fund. We have a thriving social club for over 65’s on a Friday but this funding means we can now extend our opportunities across the whole week.
“Older people bring so much to our community, and we are looking forward to working with them to plan activities and events that will help them stay physically well, connected to their community and keep them energised and active as life moves on.”
Branch Out Together also welcomes the award of £98,774, which will allow them to continue their ‘Basecamp’ youth club for autistic children. The programme offers children the opportunity to develop skills in social communication and interaction using games and arts and crafts projects.
Michael Penny, Chief Executive of Branch Out Together, said: “It’s great that The National Lottery Community Fund is supporting our Basecamp project which will allow us to help more children and their families.
“Children with autism will get the chance to make friends, have fun and grow confidence around others.”
There’s also Lottery joy for Wester Hailes-based With Kids, who will use their £150,000 grant to expand their child mental health support service across South West Edinburgh, and Niddrie’s Caring in Craigmillar receives over £59,000 to provide dementia-friendly activities. Euan’s Guide is also a big winner, picking up over £144,000 to provide opportunities for disabled people in Edinburgh to write reviews on accessibility.
Among the local organisations receiving small grants are Ama-zing Harmonies (£9900), Friends of Victoria Park (£2150) and Saheliya (£10,000), who will be using their award to deliver a series of talks, workshops and activities to celebrate their 30th anniversary.
Announcing the funding, Kate Still, Scotland Chair, The National Lottery Community Fund said: ““It’s fantastic to see this latest round of funding go to charity and community groups helping people in communities across Scotland come together.
“The connections we have to our family, friends and the wider community makes us feel we are not so alone and that we are part of something bigger. The strength and comfort that we draw from this will be important for us all as we face some challenging times ahead.
“National Lottery players can be proud that they are supporting this vital work, not only during the Festive Season but all year round. “
The National Lottery Community Fund distributes funding on behalf of National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK.
To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk
