Tag: communities

Use the power of the pub to level up, report urges

Failure to support the nation’s pubs return from lockdown risks imperilling the government’s levelling up agenda for economic and social renewal, the think-tank Localis has warned.

In a report entitled ‘The Power of Pubs – protecting social infrastructure and laying the groundwork for levelling up’ Localis argues it is vital that the lockdown roadmap is not allowed to slip back further for pubs, and that the commitment to end all trading restrictions by 21 June must be delivered to return all pubs to viable trading.

Without such assurances and medium-term support to help place the pub sector at the foundations of a strong recovery, the authors warned local economies and community resilience in left-behind parts of the country – including ‘blue wall’ former industrial heartlands, rural and coastal areas – would be particularly hit.

Among key recommendations, the report authors urged central government to further reduce the tax burden on the pub sector to aid the recovery and called for an extension to the Business and Planning Act 2020.

Local councils should be directed to help pubs by issuing licence fee refunds – paid for by the Treasury – for the six months to June 2021, through business support grants, the study advised.

Additionally, where premises have been put to new community purposes during the pandemic, councils should offer a diversification grant to pubs looking to retain or expand the services they provided during lockdown.

Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “The case for treating Britain’s pubs with fair consideration in exiting lockdown measures is, at core, as simple as it is heartfelt. Where there’s a pub, there’s a community.

“As one of the biggest contributors to the UK economy, the sector has a vital role to play in the recovery and levelling up journey of the country as well as in maintaining community cohesion and social resilience well beyond the pandemic.”

Emma McClarkin, chief executive, British Beer and Pub Association, said: “The Pandemic has fractured our communities economic environment and frayed our social ties.

“The pub is a powerful embodiment and symbol of both, woven into the fabric of our society and it is one we need to support and strengthen as we rebuild our trade as well as reconnect our communities.”

Together We Help: report highlights community support during the pandemic

When Scotland first went into lockdown in March 2020, a wave of uncertainty and fear was felt throughout society as people were told to stay at home, to save lives.

But as schools, shops and offices closed, communities did not.

Local people and grassroots groups were quick to come up with innovative ways to help during the crisis. Social action accelerated and became a central feature of Scotland’s response to the lockdown and ongoing challenges of coronavirus.

In July 2020 Social Action Inquiry partners commissioned The Collective to lead on a short-term piece of research to capture the stories and lessons learned from communities coming together to help.

From food drop offs to phone calls to isolated neighbours, volunteering and wellbeing support, the research brings to life the ways people developed creative approaches to make a difference.

The final research report Together We Help is now available and shines a light on the power of communities to mobilise and initiate social action in response to the issues that matter to them.

Eighteen community researchers gathered insights from 367 people involved in social action in their local areas, asking what inspired them to be involved and what lessons can be learned to build a fairer Scotland.

The research suggested that the stigma associated with accessing support such as food banks in times of need may have reduced as demand for these vital services increased dramatically throughout lockdown in 2020.

Community researchers also found that offering support and participating in local responses to the coronavirus crisis was both a ‘blessing and a curse’ as while it helped people to feel more connected to their community it also increased awareness and feelings of frustration at the growing levels of inequality on their doorstep.

The findings from the Together We Help research will help inform the Social Action Inquiry.

This independent inquiry will look at how communities take action and will try to contribute to a Scotland where social action is valued and is able to make change happen in communities.

Read the final report online here

COVID-19 and Communities Listening Project: A Shared Response

We are delighted to share with youCOVID-19 and Communities Listening Project: A Shared Response, published today by the Carnegie UK Trust.

The report draws together findings from over 80 conversations with people across the UK during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on how organisations and communities were adapting to meet the changing needs of the people around them, as well as the evolving relationships between different sectors.

The report reflects that at the onset of the pandemic, it was often communities who stepped up to offer essential support, such as food and checking in on isolated individuals. The report calls for more partnership working between the public and voluntary sectors and communities: investing in communities to unlock their power.

Looking to the future, the Trust considers how to maintain working together and sharing power across sectoral and professional boundaries. The report highlights actions taken in the pandemic that could be a springboard for moving towards long-held ambitions of partnership working and more people-focused and preventative public sector services.

You can read the full report here and an accessible version is available here. 

A blog on the report’s key messages is also available on our website.

We would be delighted to hear your views on the ideas put forward in the report, and you can share the report with your networks over Twitter using the hashtag #COVIDConversations.

Best wishes

Sarah

Sarah Davidson
Chief Executive
Carnegie UK Trust

For regular updates on all of the Trust’s projects and activities click HERE to subscribe to our bi-monthly e-newsletter.

New online community requests Veteran stories for new app

  • As generations pass since the two World Wars, the history of our fallen has the potential to be forgotten as sentiment wanes
  • Memories will have added longevity by engaging users with a web-based platform that appeals to families and younger people
  • The free app, Faces of Valour, will launch in 2021 combining the community stories and military history

As generations pass, are we likely to move further from the emotional resonance our generation has over the history and memories of our fallen heroes? Those who fought for our freedom and way of life. There is no blame to be placed, it is human nature that as time passes our understanding and emotions begin to deplete.

However, Canada based Memory Anchor are pleased to be developing a brand-new mobile application, Faces of Valour with the mission to address this. The app, which will be launching soon, will combine many resources which include the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) who honour and care for 1.7 million men and women, in 23,000 locations worldwide that died in the first and second world wars.

Whilst the app is in development, the co-founders of the project are hoping to collate as much information as possible from communities in Canada, the UK, and US. The community hub has been launched to coincide with the Remembrance services to engage with people who have stories to tell and information to share.

Ryan Mullens, co-founder of the Faces of Valour from Memory Anchor comments: “When we decided to create the Faces of Valour app, it was always our intention to create a unique and interesting way for people to interact with military history and honour those that have fallen to protect our freedom and way of life.

“By creating an app that offers physical interaction, modern technology and can appeal to more generations will help us to retain the memories of our loved ones we lost. With each generation we move further in time from the conflicts, but this should not mean that those people and their sacrifices should be lost or forgotten. 

“By collecting information, pictures and real-life stories of family members and loved ones, will ensure the app is rich with information when it is launched.”

The team have begun to build a community across the UK, Canada and the US to act as a resource by providing information, pictures, images of service records, medals and so much more – that will ensure the family members, friends and loved one’s memories are available for the world to engage with.

Anyone wishing to engage with the community can visit the website www.memoryanchor.com and register for free.

Matthew Cudmore, co-founder of Faces of Valour comments: “We are so excited to launch our community site and begin to collate lots of stories of real people.  We are so grateful to our professional partners at Beechwood, Veterans Affairs Canada and of course the CWGC. The development of the app has been the focus for Ryan and I for months, and we can wait to bring it to market soon. 

“For now, we are excited to focus on our community in time for Remembrance celebrations, in whatever form they may take this year. With every story we are told we hope to continue to tell that story for many years to come.”

You can follow the Faces of Valour team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

New fund to support local shopping

A new £1 million ‘Scotland Loves Local’ fund will provide grants of between £500 and £5,000 to hundreds of projects to promote town centre and online businesses.

The funding aims to support small scale improvements that will help motivate people to shop, eat and relax within their community whilst ensuring public health safety.

Grants can be put towards providing safe shopping information for residents and tourists, the installation of public health infrastructure such as protective screens, physical distancing markers, hand sanitising equipment and PPE.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “We know money spent locally is more likely to stay in the local economy and support local jobs. The Scotland Loves Local campaign encourages people to think how they can safely support this.

“This fund will help initiatives supporting businesses, such as projects to encourage safe shopping, business and leisure opportunities, promoting and advertising local providers of online shopping or enhancing visitor appeal.

“We all have a part to play in Scotland’s economic recovery and can do so, whilst we look out for one another and follow the FACTS guidance.”

Chief Officer of Scotland’s Towns Partnership Phil Prentice said: “This is an exceptional opportunity for local communities – a chance to get the funding that will unlock some brilliant creativity.

“We’ve seen throughout the Scotland Loves Local campaign that people all over the country want to back their local towns and places – we’re looking forward to seeing some brilliant ideas take shape. Our campaign is highlighting that money spent locally stays local for longer. This new fund will be a real boost for communities across the country.”

The funding is being provided by the Scottish Government, and administered by Scotland’s Towns Partnership.

Applications to the fund open today, Sunday October 18th and close on Friday November 25th.

COVID-19 and Communities: Community Hub Case Studies

New report from the Carnegie UK Trust

Over the past five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Carnegie UK Trust has been undertaking a series of conversations with communities across the UK, exploring the changing relationship between local government, public services and communities.

Throughout these conversations, we’ve heard from several areas that community hubs were a critical part of the emergency response.

In many cases, these demonstrated strong leadership, creative practice and partnership working. The Trust believes that these hubs could have a longer-term role in recovery from the pandemic, joining the dots between people that require support and connecting them to a range of services to promote individual and community wellbeing.

Building on the learning from four areas, (North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Lancaster and Scarborough), our new report offers examples of best practice, challenges, opportunities and learning for the future. We hope that these examples will inspire change.

North Ayrshire: A case study on kindness

On the same day, we are also releasing a report that tells the story of our two-year partnership with North Ayrshire Council.

This ‘case study on kindness’ shares the activities, achievements and learning about what it takes to embed kindness across a local authority area, and finishes with five priorities that we hope will feel relevant and urgent for local government and its partner organisations everywhere.

I do hope that you find these reports helpful.

To let us know your thoughts, please email Pippa@CarnegieUK.org or join the debate online by tagging @CarnegieUKTrust #COVIDConversations – we would be pleased to hear from you.

Best wishes

Sarah Davidson,

Chief Executive, Carnegie UK Trust

Regenerating communities

£30 million to support economic recovery

All of Scotland’s 32 local authorities and more than 25 individual community regeneration projects will receive a share of £30 million of new investment for regeneration and town centres.

The funding will be available immediately through the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and the Town Centre Fund (TCF), both delivered in partnership between Scottish Government and COSLA.

Edinburgh’s share of the Town Centre Fund is £954,000.

The Govanhill Baths refurbishment in Glasgow, Midmills in Inverness, which will support creative industries and cultural social enterprises in the Highlands; and the Mossedge Centre, which will be a multi-purpose facility for use by the surrounding communities in Linwood Renfrewshire are among the community led regeneration projects that will benefit from this funding.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “We want to go beyond rebuilding – to refresh and reform and help drive the social and economic renewal necessary to achieve the best future for Scotland.

“This further £30 million capital funding for regeneration and town centres will stimulate local construction across Scotland and support disadvantaged areas in the recovery.

“Communities are best placed to identify specific needs and aspirations and this regeneration funding enables the delivery of a wide range of locally-developed projects to be made into reality.

“Our places must work for our communities, and the Town Centre Funding will build on the success of last year’s fund. With it, local authorities will be able to drive forward projects that help people live better locally and reduce their carbon footprint while driving footfall to local businesses.”

COSLA Environment and Economy Spokesperson Cllr Steven Heddle said: “The additional challenges facing Scotland’s most vulnerable communities due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic means there has never been a more important time to strengthen the economic, social, and physical wellbeing of our places.

“This additional funding for the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Town Centre Fund will support the regeneration aspirations of our communities, and also accelerate the delivery of projects to support the recovery, tackle disadvantage and deprivation and support jobs.”

Linwood Community Development Trust will receive £400,000 from the RCGF this year to bring forward completion of the Mossedge Centre.

Trust Manager Kirsty Flannigan said: “Complemented by the existing 3G pitch, the Mossedge Centre will provide a resource for all within the local community, including a purpose-built home for our community run Roots Shop.

“Now we see the finishing line in sight, and can look forward to the post-pandemic future with confidence, knowing that this project will provide a legacy for present and future generations of the Linwood community.”

This funding will support accelerated delivery of projects this year, and forms part of the £230 million Economic Recovery Stimulus package announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance in June.

It includes:

  • an additional £18 million through the Town Centre Fund (TCF)
  • an additional £12 million through the existing Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF)

How are communities responding to Covid-19?

Public Health Scotland would like to understand more about how communities have responded to the impact of Covid-19 on the way we live our lives, right now and in the next few months, and how local community groups and organisations have supported this.

We are looking for examples in two areas: 

  • Firstly, how communities have adapted to the challenge of how we get around – has the way you travel changed as a result of Covid-19? Perhaps by walking, wheeling and cycling more, or as a result of changes to public and community transport services. What impact has this had?
     
  • Secondly, we are looking for examples of how communities and organisations have used their local areas differently by adapting streets and spaces, for example for children’s outdoor play or for leisure and relaxation, or how they have used or changed existing spaces for example parks, areas with trees or grass.

If you have examples to share you can submit your information and we will be in touch with you.

Did your community group or local project receive copies of the COVID Food Group August newsletter? If not, don’t worry – a few are still available!

Email northedinnews@gmail.com to arrange delivery.

Survey: Research on communities and active travel

The Scottish Community Development Centre has been commissioned by Sustrans to research how and why communities engage (or don’t engage) with active travel projects

SCDC wants to hear from all types and sizes of community and voluntary organisations across the country.

Wherever you are on your active travel journey your experience matters: from those who have never even considered an active travel project to those that are thinking and planning on to those who have successfully completed one.

It doesn’t matter the focus of your organisation – Sustrans would like to know how they can work with all sections of our communities to deliver the benefits of active travel to everyone.

Complete the short (ten-minute maximum) survey by clicking on the link below. Closes Friday 28th August at midnight:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/communities_and_active_travel

Drilling down the data: community funding maps

Interactive breakdown of emergency funding

A new collection of digital maps is to display the funding being given to support communities across Scotland affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

The online dashboard enables users to view financial support by local authority across four main funds. An overview map also shows total and per capita funding in each area.

In March, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell announced a £350 million package of emergency funding for communities to help tackle harms caused by the pandemic.

Speaking ahead of yesterday’s Holyrood debate on the next steps for communities, Ms Campbell said: “We are aware of the financial pressures many households are currently facing and these maps show the swift action and substantial financial support we have provided to help people at this difficult time.

“We have reached every local authority, delivering for communities across Scotland.

“Our £70 million Food Fund, for example, has made sure people in the shielding group can access the food they need while self-isolating. It has also funded essential free school meals for 175,000 children and young people and supported others at risk from the virus or struggling financially.

“Today I will outline our next steps to support communities across Scotland as we move towards recovery and renewal. When this crisis hit, we proved change could be made rapidly and we must build on that momentum to achieve our long-term goals of reducing poverty and inequality.”

Find out more about funding provided and access the Community Funding Mapping hub.

Helping communities affected by COVID-19

As part of its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Scottish Government announced an additional £350 million to help communities and local government respond to the crisis.

This includes:

  • a Food Fund to support those who would otherwise be unable to access food through the usual routes.
  • a Wellbeing Fund to support organisations providing important services to people most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
  • a Supporting Communities Fund for community anchor organisations to help support local responses to the pandemic.
  • a Third Sector Resilience Fund to support third sector organisations that deliver services and products but find themselves in financial difficulties directly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic

To provide emergency funding to key national partners who identified an urgent need for support, we established an Immediate Priorities Fund which was drawn from both the Food Fund and Wellbeing Fund.

Our mapping tool shows how funding has been allocated across these four funds. Funding is shown by local authority area for each fund, based on total amounts awarded. Other information, including number of awards, is also set out.

An overview map brings all this funding together, also showing the additional resource provided for the Scottish Welfare Fund and other ‘hardship funding’ monies for local authorities to spend on their own COVID-19 priorities. The overview map also shows funding by local authority level on a per capita basis.

Note: These dashboards are provided for general information purposes only and use data from various sources. Due to the nature of the data, and the ongoing status of these funds, we cannot guarantee that at any particular instance it is complete, accurate or up to date.

We recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to tackling poverty and increasing social inclusion in our society.

So we have created a range of funding streams to help agencies and local communities tackle inequalities.

Empowering Communities Fund

The £20 million Empowering Communities Fund, established in 2015, enables communities to tackle poverty and inequality and take forward regeneration in their areas on their own terms. This helps communities find solutions that work for them and to deliver long-term improvements.

The Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund

This £15 million Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund has been awarded to third sector organisations that tackle inequalities and poverty, support parents and carers, improve learning and build skills.

It replaced the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund and Strategic Funding Partnerships and is designed to help children, families and communities across Scotland.