Tag: communities

Your challenge: ‘make Scotland the best place to grow up’

Children & Young People’s Summit  to build on referendum energy

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Communities up and down the country have a role to play in truly making Scotland ‘the best place to grow up’, Education Secretary Mile Russell said yesterday.

Speaking at Education Scotland’s two-day Scottish Learning Festival at the SECC in Glasgow, Mr  Russell announced that a Children and Young People’s Summit is to be held, to build on the “reaffirmed desire of millions of Scots to participate in democracy”.

Mr Russell said: “The people of Scotland have shown overwhelmingly that our community spirit and our desire to participate towards the betterment of the nation are stronger than ever.

“If the grassroots movements of the last two years – people of all parties and none – have shown anything, it is that what unites us all is a fervent wish for a better future for our children, our families and our communities.

“We have two things to do. We have to make sure – all of us – that promises made to the people of Scotland are honoured in full, within pledged timescales. Also, we have to move forward involving the whole of Scotland in decision making, including decisions that will improve life for children and young people in our own communities and beyond.

“To help that process on, today I’m announcing a Children’s Summit for Scotland. Bringing together children, young people, those who support them and wider civic society, this gathering will, I hope, be the beginning of a process that will see a Children and Young People’s Conversation take place around the country – harnessing the renewed interest in positive, energising, consented improvement that we’ve seen over the last two years.

“The Scottish Government will convene the summit but the participants will determine the most effective way to involve interested citizens at grassroots level in improving services for children and young people. Ultimately the Children and Young People’s Conversation will inform Ministers and drive improvement in community services for children and young people.”

The Education Secretary has asked Schools Minister Alasdair Allan and Children’s Minister Aileen Campbell to oversee the process.

Mr Russell added: “Right now our schools benefit from the participation of parents and teachers. Sports teams and youth clubs rely on dedicated volunteers and parents everywhere are active in their communities.

“But the reaffirmed desire of millions of Scots to participate in democracy could help transform our country for the better – and Scotland’s children and young people are rightly the main beneficiaries of this reawakened desire among the public to shape our national life.

“The challenges we face – and the obstacles to overcoming them – didn’t change last week. Our ambition remains undimmed and the challenge to our communities is clear – do your part to help make Scotland the best place to grow up.”

Community Empowerment Bill: what’s it all about?

grimsoThe Scottish Government is currently consulting on the Community Empowerment Bill and Granton Improvement Society have organised a public meeting to explain the Bill and how it affects communities.

The Scottish Government’s objectives are:

1. Empower community bodies through the ownership of land and building and strengthening their voices in the decisions that matter to them, and

2. Support an increase in the pace and scale of Public Service Reform by cementing the focus on achieveing outcomes and improving the process of community planning

An ‘easy-read’ version of the Bill can be found below.

The Community Empowerment Bill public meeting will take place 

this Thursday (11 September) at 7pm

in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, Pilton Drive North.

Speaker will be Angus Hardie, Director of Scottish Community Alliance

Come and have your say about community assets – all welcome!

Empowerment Bill easy read

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Searching for the Great British High Street

High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt today urged town and cities across Britain to get their applications in for the Great British High Street competition before it closes on 30 August.

s300_Great_British_high_street_960x640The minister has written to all town teams and the local community to encourage them to take part in the competition, run by the Future High Street Forum, to find Britain’s best high streets. Many town teams have already entered the 7 separate categories: city centres, town centres, market towns, coastal communities, villages, parades and London.

The minister said this national competition was a fantastic way to celebrate the nation’s greatest high streets and it was essential that all parts of the United Kingdom are represented.

The winners will win £50,000 of prize money and dedicated support and mentoring from industry experts. This could range from one to one coaching to advice on creating business plans to attending workshops on digital marketing.

The government is committed to high streets as part of it long-term economic plan. It is supporting local shops and businesses with a billion pound package of investment that includes targeted business rate discounts, sensible planning changes and action that reins in over-zealous parking practices.

High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt said: “This competition is about celebrating the work local people do to make their high streets great places to live, work and shop. Our high streets are bustling again and we want to find the hidden gems the country has to offer and share their tips for success.

So if your area hasn’t entered already then get cracking – don’t miss the chance to be named the Great British High Street.”

So, where do you call home?

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Do you live in the capital? If so, which area do you call home? This is the question that the City of Edinburgh Council is asking in a bid to help define the city’s natural neighbourhoods:

Residents can identify their local neighbourhood through a quick survey and also sketch their “home patch” online to help the Council make sure that services are being directed across the city in the best way possible.

Anyone taking part will be put forward for the chance to win from a selection of prints of beautiful old maps of Edinburgh from Our Town Stories, and can also try their hand at a fun Auld Reekie heritage quiz.

The replies will also inform consultations such as an ongoing review of Council wards, and the Scottish Government’s consultation on data zones.

They should help services to identify areas that are more meaningful to their clients. For example, if a service involves home visits, in most cases it would make sense to ensure that each neighbourhood is served by a single team – although many service areas reflect current natural neighbourhoods, some service boundaries are based on historical areas and the city has been changing markedly over the last few years.

Cllr Maureen Child, Communities and Neighbourhoods Convener, said: “Whether it’s Broughton or Barnton, Craiglockhart or Comiston, we all have some idea of which area of Edinburgh we belong to. Some of these areas are not so clearly defined though, and having a better idea will help the Council to deliver services more effectively.

“When it comes to gathering the data, there isn’t any right or wrong answer, the project aims to look at how people choose to define where they live, rather than any official definition of a neighbourhood.

“If you live in Pilrig, does that mean you live in part of Leith? Or if you stay near Lothian Road – do you live in the Tollcross area or possibly Fountainbridge? It’s the kind of thing that most people have a view on and we’re seeking to capture these views to map the natural neighbourhoods in the city.”

So when does Muirhouse become Silverknowes or Clermiston become Greater Corstorphine? It’s over to you!

Cashback to create more goal-den opportunities

Criminals’ cash to fund future football stars

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Millions of pounds confiscated from criminals is to be invested in Scottish football for young people as part of the CashBack for Communities Scheme. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill announced yesterday that the Scottish Football Association (SFA) is to receive £2.25 million over the next three years to provide free football activities for children and young people throughout Scotland.

Mr MacAskill unveiled the new funding on a visit to Shawlands Academy, Glasgow, to see young people train as part of the Glasgow All Nations Sports and Recreation (ANSAR) Easter holiday football programme.

The programme is supported by the SFA Equity Project, a unique initiative aimed at increasing the number of people from ethnic minorities participating in the game which has received £467,475 of CashBack funding since 2011.

Mr MacAskill said: “The CashBack for Communities programme has been incredibly successful in using money seized from criminals to fund projects in every part of Scotland. Today’s announcement brings the total amount we have invested and committed to encouraging young people into footballing activity through the SFA to more than £7.5m – with £74 million invested or committed through Cashback overall since 2008.

“CashBack has made significant investments in Scottish sport and our commitment to helping grass roots programmes is underlined by today’s announcement. This £2.25million award will help more than 50 clubs and groups continue their excellent work providing free sporting activities for their local community.

“As one of our CashBack partners, the Scottish FA is helping us ensure that the ill-gotten gains of criminals can be put to good use by keeping youngsters out of trouble and hopefully unearthing future star strikers for the Scotland football squad!”

The Scottish FA has undertaken significant investment in equity projects with 1,400 individuals from 43 diverse ethnic groups across Scotland now taking part activities including playing, coaching and volunteering.

Welcoming the investment, the SFA’S Director of Football Development Jim Fleeting said: “The Scottish FA is grateful for the continued support from the Scottish Government via CashBack for Communities funding.

“The grant will enable us to continue our objective to grow the national sport at grassroots level and in particular to make the game accessible to all, regardless of ability, sex, religion or ethnicity.

“I am delighted to be at Shawlands Academy to recognise and endorse the great work undertaken by Glasgow Ansar. This kind of activity highlights the work of our Equity officers and today’s announcement by the Cabinet Secretary will enable us to help clubs such as Glasgow Ansar to access coach education, volunteering and funding support.”

Community Councils: get involved!

A drive is under way to encourage more people to join their local community council and help represent the views of residents in their area.

Elections for all of Edinburgh’s community councils are due to take place in September, but some have struggled in the past to attract new members and all are keen to have fresh input. A campaign is now underway to seek nominations to ensure that community councils can continue to thrive and play an important role in the health of the capital’s neighbourhoods.

Maureen Child

Cllr Maureen Child (pictured above) , Convener of the Communities and Neighbourhoods committee, urged people to get involved: “It’s all about local residents working together to make a difference to where they live. In my experience, the best community councils involve folk of all ages and backgrounds, but they rely on people putting themselves forward. I completely understand it may be a little daunting for those who haven’t been involved in anything like this before, but help and advice is available.”

Jim Henry, the chair of Liberton & District Community Council, said: “Community councils act as a voice that gives residents an opportunity to use their local knowledge to influence the future of their area. We also get involved in a wide range of activities to improve our communities, including clean-ups and gala days. Without the work of community councils, the city and its neighbourhoods would be a poorer place.”

Community Councils receive a grant to cover running costs and training is available. They are represented on each of the 12 Neighbourhood Partnerships established across the city and work alongside elected members, representatives from NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, the voluntary sector and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to improve the local area and allocate local grants.

Anyone aged 16 years or older and registered to vote can join. People can find their local community council using the Council’s interactive map.

More information and advice is available from:

What’s your experience of Community Councils? Do they make a difference? Let us know!

Edinburgh

Government cash to support families in need

The work being carried out by Pilton-based Circle Scotland was praised by Aileen Campbell, the Minister for Children and Young People, during a visit to the project yesterday. Ms Campbell also announced details of £10 million Strategic Partnership Funding for voluntary sector organisations working with children and families.

Families across Scotland will benefit from better support services with 45 third sector organisations receiving a funding boost from the Scottish Government. This £10 million of Strategic Partnership Funding will strengthen the work of young people’s organisations working across Scotland, in areas such as adoption, vulnerable families, child health, literacy, bereavement counselling and parental support.

Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell (pictured below, right) said: “We are working to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up, including increasing the level of free early learning and childcare through the Children and Young People Bill, which will save families equivalent to around £700 per child. Scottish families already benefit from a wide range of support and the organisations receiving a share of this £10 million will help to improve what is on offer. Thanks to our investment, great organisations like Circle, which I am visiting today, will be able to take their work further into the community, helping families in need across Scotland get access to the right information and resources.”

Funding of £20 million through the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund and £10 million through Strategic Funding Partnerships was announced last month.

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The following 45 organisations will receive support through the Strategic Funding Partnerships to enhance or develop work focussed on supporting the needs of young people and their families:

Article 12 in Scotland, Asthma UK Scotland, Birthlink, British Association for Adoption and Fostering Scotland, Capability Scotland, Care and Learning Alliance, Comann nam Pàrant (Nàiseanta), Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland, Dyslexia Scotland, Families Need Fathers Scotland, Family Service Unit Scotland (Circle), Fathers Network Scotland (FNS), Genetic Alliance UK, Girlguiding Scotland, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, Hearts and Minds, John Muir Trust, Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, Lead Scotland, Learning Link Scotland, LGBT Youth Scotland, National Day Nurseries Association, Parent Network Scotland, Partners in Advocacy, Relationships Scotland Core, Relationships Scotland Project, Scotland’s Learning Partnership, Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs, Scottish Community Development Centre, Scottish Environmental & Outdoor Education Centres Association, Scottish Marriage Care, Scottish Trades Union Congress, Scottish Youth Parliament, Sense Scotland, Sleep Scotland, The Boys’ Brigade, The Girls Brigade in Scotland, The Iona Community, The Mentor Foundation UK (Mentor), Working On Wheels , The Princes Trust, The Scout Association, Woodcraft Folk , Workers’ Educational Association and YWCA Scotland.

Power to the people?

A proposed bill to give more power to Scotland’s communities could see the biggest transfer of power since devolution. The proposed Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill would give more power to Scotland’s communities. The exploratory consultation on the Bill, which was debated at the Scottish Parliament yesterday, is currently seeking views on a range of ideas which could see more power in the hands of communities:

  • Urban right to buy – extending the right that currently exists for rural communities to buy land to urban communities.
  • Right to take over unused or underused public sector land and buildings – either the right to request a transfer, or possibly a presumptive right to take over a public sector asset when it can be shown it is unused or underused and the asset owner was not able to show plans for future use.
  • Right to use and access unused land – where it can be shown that land, in public or private sector ownership, is unused or underused and the asset owner is not able to show plans for future use. This could include a “community right to grow”, giving communities a right to access unused land and plant flowers, crops or trees.
  • Community compulsory purchase – communities often identify areas of land or a building in their area that are unused and causing problems and could be brought back into use. Currently local authorities have powers to compulsorily purchase property if it is in the public interest to do so; communities could be given similar powers.
  • Participatory budgeting – giving communities more direct control over how public sector money is spent in local areas.
  • Overarching duty to engage – to replace individual duties to engage with communities placed on different public sector bodies with one overarching duty.

Local Government Minister Derek Mackay said: “The Community Empowerment and Renewal bill is potentially the biggest transfer of power since devolution, transferring power from central and local Government to Scotland’s communities. We believe that the people of Scotland are best placed to take decisions about their future – both at a national and a local level.

“Scotland’s people are its greatest asset and are a rich source of creativity and talent. The Scottish Government wants to see all Scots having a greater say in shaping and deciding their own futures. This exploratory consultation sets out a range of ideas to support Scotland’s communities to take independent action to achieve their goals and aspirations and to have their voices heard in the decisions that affect them.

“Travelling across Scotland I have seen at first hand the strong foundation of active communities we already have, and I want this proposed legislation to build on this. The ideas in this consultation are designed to strengthen community participation, unlock enterprising community development and renew our communities. These ideas were developed following discussions with the wider public, private, third and community sectors.

“We want to explore these ideas and see how we can remove bureaucratic barriers and develop a meaningful and effective legislative framework to support community activity. We are determined that we develop effective legislation that will make a difference in practice.

“Working with our partners in Local Government, we will listen carefully to people’s views and ideas to help meet our shared goal of empowering more of Scotland’s communities.  The views we hear will help determine what we take forward in our draft Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill.”