Tag: community development

Funding to help local communities thrive

Boost for North Edinburgh community organisations

More than 80 grassroots initiatives across Scotland will share in over £3 million funding to help deliver more ambitious community projects and activities and enable them to generate their own income.

North Edinburgh’s Heart of Newhaven and R2 are among the projects to be awarded Strengthening Communities Programme funding.

To date the Strengthening Communities Programme has helped hundreds of organisations to develop and improve their work with local communities and boost local economies.

This latest tranche of funding for 2026-27 will back community organisations to deliver local projects including spaces for business, improving access to employability and skills services, family and young people’s activities, and health and wellbeing support.

The First Minister announced the funding on a visit to the Usual Place in Dumfries – a charity that supports young people with learning disabilities to develop skills, gain qualifications and access employment.

First Minister John Swinney said: “Local organisations are best placed to understand what their communities need and how to deliver it. This programme helps to support and empower community initiatives to deliver what their area needs most – whether that is spaces for small businesses, culture and sport activities, or employability support.

“By providing this funding, we are helping organisations to become more financially resilient and develop the means to generate income for themselves. This will not only help boost local economies, but in turn help these projects generate more funds to serve wider community needs.

“The Usual Place is a fantastic example of this type of initiative. Their work to support young people with additional support needs to build community connections and friendships, and develop the skills needed to access employment, helps to improve peoples’ lives and future opportunities. I was pleased to visit the charity and see first-hand the difference it is making for people in Dumfries.”

Craig McEwen, Chief Executive at The Usual Place said: “Following a very difficult year for The Usual Place, we are now in a much better financial position.

“With the interim funding found to give us breathing space and now the success in securing funds through the Strengthening Communities Programme, we have the space to create capacity to implement some strategic changes, decided by the Board of Trustees, to enable us to diversify our income streams to ensure a more stable future for The Usual Place.  Over the past ten years we have put back into the economy of Dumfries and Galloway £9.8m, so our value speaks for itself.

“We thank the First Minister personally, and the Scottish Government for believing in the work we do in reducing the disability employment gap here in Dumfries & Galloway and beyond.”

STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES PROGRAMME

FUNDING BY ORGANISATION 2026/27

Organisation Name / Funding 2026/27

Active Communities £39,461

Annan Harbour Action Group £47,000

Antonine Sports Centre £44,980

Ardrossan Community Development Trust £40,679

Arisaig Community Trust £46,604

Assynt Development Trust £17,000

Belhelvie Community Trust £26,325

Bluevale Community Club £51,952

Bute Community Land Company £17,760

Campsie Memorial Trust £21,750

Castlemilk Community Football Trust £53,000

Community Development Company of Nesting £25,300

Comrie Development Trust £53,000

Cromarty Community Development Trust £33,100

Culbokie Community Trust £30,277

Dalbeattie Community Initiative £53,060

David Livingston Trust, Blantyre £31,500

Development Coll £41,597

Dufftown and District Community Association £18,825

Dunvegan Community Trust £26,661

Eday Partnership £18,000

Glen Urquhart Rural Community Association (GURCA) £8,500

Glengarry Community Woodlands £20,000

Go Golspie £40,000

Gorebridge Community Development Trust £48,169

Grow 73 £18,688

Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust £40,647

Heart of Newhaven £47,356

Helmsdale & District Development Trust £30,000

IG – Great Bernera Community Trust £39,048

Inspired Community Enterprise Trust (ICET) (The Usual Place) £25,402

Isle of Canna Community Development Trust £12,537

Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust £25,355

Isle of Luing Community Trust £27,000

Kilmadock Development Trust £10,049

Kinloch Historical Society £35,000

Kinlochleven Community Trust £24,110

Kinning Park Complex £42,500

Kirkcolm Community Trust £9,500

Kirkcudbright Development Trust £32,500

Kirknewton Community Development Trust £35,000

Lesmahagow Development Trust £60,504

Linlithgow Community Development Trust £34,885

Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust £25,773

Lockerbie Old School £53,500

Maslow’s Community SCIO £44,847

Midsteeple Quarter, Dumfries £56,420

Minginish Community Association £24,000

New Cumnock Development Trust £44,563

Nith Valley Trust £32,444

North Edinburgh R2 Co-ordinator £56,205

North Glasgow Community Food Initiative £29,388

North Ronaldsay Trust £23,000

One Dalkeith £36,057

Pollok United Nethercraigs CIC £46,498

Portgordon Community Trust Limited £28,723

Possilpark People’s Trust £32,700

Rannoch Community Trust £43,722

Roseneath Pennisula West CDT £44,500

Ruchazie Growing 21 £40,000

Sandness Community Development Group £22,028

Scalloway Community Development Company £38,468

Scourie Community Development Company £12,000

Shapinsay Development Trust £20,000

SHAX £50,500

Sleat Community Trust £38,601

South Islay Development Trust £20,000

South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust £33,990

Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry SCIO £10,000

Stow Community Trust £36,382

Stranraer Development Trust £47,000

Stranraer Water Sports Association £35,690

South West Arts & Music Project (SWAMP) £20,000

Take a Bow Development Trust £48,320

Tayport Community Trust £48,638

The Furniture Project, Stranraer £40,500

The Pavilion, Glasgow £37,987

Three Kings Cullen Association £40,800

Tiree Community Development Trust £22,650

Torridon and District Community Association £46,090

Unst Partnership £37,288

Whitburn Community Development Trust £37,195

Wick Development Trust £26,030

Please note that all funding amounts are subject to due diligence.

Sun shines on R2 Garden Party

More than fifty people representing community organisations from across North Edinburgh attended the ‘Garden Party’ held by R2 at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre on Tuesday.

The networking and information event, which was also attended by politicians Ben MacPherson MSP and new MP Tracy Gilbert, was a great success and initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

R2 Coordinator Anita Aggarwal said: “We were more than 50 people and it sounded like there was lots of good chat. 

“Thanks again to everyone who contributed, particularly the team at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Jed for the tunes and Scran for tasty food.  You can see the lovely picture of us all here Facebook

“I also collected a lot of information about what you want from and can offer to R2.  I’ve attached what I have heard so far.

“If you weren’t at the meeting yesterday (or have thought of something else) you can still feedback your thoughts on R2 by completing this short form:

https://forms.office.com/e/V9cabAA4ye

“And one more request for information: I’m trying to build a better sense of what organisations have to offer, so please, if you haven’t already, could you also complete this little table for your organisation – you’ll see some examples in the notes attached.

OrganisationStrengths of my organisation that I could shareStuff that my organisation has that I could lend
Eg  R2Knowledge of organisations in north EdinburghFund raising experienceUnderstanding and experience of Community Development and Participatory Action ResearchPost it notes

“Please respond by end of Monday 26 August.

“I’ll use what you tell me to inform the workplan for R2 for the next few months.”

You can contact Anita at hello@r2northed.org.uk

DAVE P. writes: I had the pleasure of hosting a session where local projects were offered a five-minute opportunity to talk about their activities and share what they are up to with others.

North Edinburgh has a wealth of amazing organisations supporting our community and it was fantastic to learn what is being achieved across the area, despite the many challenges faced by North Edinburgh’s third sector groups.

Many thanks, then, to Adele (North Edinburgh Community Festival), Sarah (NEDAC), Jed (Tinderbox), John (Community Renewal), Lynn and Rebecca (North Edinburgh Childcare), Billy (Royston Wardieburn Community Centre), Anna (Granton Goes Greener), Holly (National Galleries Scotland), Tom (Pianodrome), Debbie (Muirhouse Housing Association) and city council engagement officer Elaine Lennon for your positive contributions!

You can contact Anita at hello@r2northed.org.uk

240806 notesDownload

Positive Futures groups in North Edinburgh

I am a community development worker for Positive Futures (Libertus services). I am currently engaging with people aged 50+ in the Muirhouse, Granton and Pilton areas, to facilitate community led self-supporting activity groups to alleviate social isolation.

We are particularly keen to increase the numbers in our allotment group at Lauriston Farm allotments as well as making contact with  anyone in the area with an sewing skills or learning the same, with a view to starting a new sewing group in the very future at Birnie’s court community room.

Baz Simcock

Positive Futures Community Development Worker
Libertus Service

New Activate community development course starting next month

LINK UP at North Edinburgh Arts is running an Activate course in partnership with the University of Glasgow.

This is a foundation course in community development. It is open to community members young and old, in the North West Locality. The course is fully funded.

There a will be an online information session on 11th February with the course beginning in person on 18th February: 9:30 – 1pm for 12 weeks (times and venue to be confirmed).

Spaces are limited if you have any interest or require further information contact the Link Up team on 07493876130 or by email: fionab@northedinburgharts.co.uk

Coronavirus: Community learning the lessons from the RRR Fund

Foundation Scotland have worked with Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) to produce a final evaluation of their Response, Recovery and Resilience (RRR) Fund.

The evaluation offers insight into the difference the RRR Fund has made to groups and communities across Scotland and the challenges that lay ahead. By the time the fund closed in April 2021, it had supported 1190 organisations across the country. Thanks to the National Emergencies Trust and the generous support of our donors, more than £7.4 million was distributed.

This report is the second evaluation of the RRR Fund. The first Rapid Evaluation of the RRR Fund was published in May 2020 and focussed on the first few weeks of the Response phase.

The July 2021 evaluation focuses on organisations who received funding in the Recovery and Resilience phases and includes survey data from more than 150 grantees plus detailed feedback from several focus groups.

The evaluation includes 14 recommendations and learning points within the following headings:

  • Impact on communities and project beneficiaries
  • Impact on community projects/organisations
  • Impact on Community Infrastructure
  • Challenges and Opportunities

The evaluation also includes several case studies from North Edinburgh’s Fresh Start, the Village Storytelling Centre in Glasgow, Headway in East Lothian, Clifftops Project in West Dunbartonshire and the Whitburn and District Community Development Trust in West Lothian.

Joyce Cattanach, Development Officer for Headway East Lothian, said:”Our Funders were wonderful in their response to the pandemic and the impact social isolation and loneliness would have on our already disadvantaged community.

“We sourced additional funding streams that had set up emergency responses; built up a strategy; and changed our outcomes and activities to respond and enable us to continue to work in a different way.”

The survey data, focus group feedback, and SCDC recommendations within the evaluation will help shape future funding and service development at Foundation Scotland. 

To read more, view or download a copy of the full report using the link below:

RRR-Fund-Final-Evalutation-July-2021Download

Link Up: Working Better Together in Place report released

The Place-based Programme Learning Exchange, a collaboration of national organisations that champion ‘place’ in their practices, has released a report highlighting what works and what doesn’t in place-based approaches.

This report aims to share these key learnings to enhance both the scale and quality of place-based working across Scotland, and draws on over 50 years of combined organisational experience and learning across dozens of urban and rural place settings.

Working-Better-Together-in-Place_PBPLExchange_FINAL_290321Download

Community led action Inquiry appoints independent Co-chairs

A new Scotland wide inquiry into how communities can hold the power to lead on change from within has appointed two independent Co-Chairs with extensive experience of supporting people who are most excluded in society.

The Social Action Inquiry will support communities to take action together, create change and share power, whilst working alongside them to understand what helps and what gets in the way of progress.

Led by people living and working in Scottish communities, this three-year independent inquiry will:

  • Provide money and power to communities to undertake activity, which they direct and lead on.
  • Support people to find their voices, take action and use what they learn to create wider change.
  • Try to make change as it goes along, partly by bringing together people who hold power, and those currently furthest from it.
  • Build evidence for longer term change in Scotland.

Sam Anderson and Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin join the Inquiry as the newly appointed Co-Chairs. They will be passionate advocates for participation, collaboration and shifting power so that change is led by the knowledge held by communities.

Sam is the Founder of The Junction (Young People, Health & Wellbeing), an award-winning charity based in Edinburgh which works with and for young people on a range of health issues. 

She brings extensive experience as a coach, mentor and facilitator supporting people furthest from power to feel understood and heard amongst systems that might otherwise exclude them.

Sam said: “Social Action has been a significant part of my life journey. I am therefore delighted the need for an Independent Social Action Inquiry for Scotland has been recognised and invested in.

“I feel honoured to be able to contribute to this important Inquiry through the role of Co-Chair and to see the potential of Social Action unleashed in our journey towards an equitable Scotland.”

Catherine-Rose is a social researcher with a wealth of professional, research and personal experience of care. Her experiences of kinship care and as an informal carer have inspired her to build a career that explores how the systems we live within could be reimagined.

Catherine-Rose said: “I am honoured to take up the role of Co-chair of the Social Action Inquiry. As someone who has tried to build community around every significant challenge in my life, I’m thrilled to contribute to an Inquiry that will help us galvanize the ways we take action together.

“I’m particularly delighted that we can shine a light on the work that people and communities are already doing in Scotland, to have the resource to strengthen that activity and the support to think about where power can be redistributed to making meaningful change.”

Catherine-Rose and Sam will shortly be recruiting an Inquiry Panel, along with an Inquiry Lead. If you’d like to apply to join the Inquiry Panel to help direct the Inquiry’s activity, or be part of the team as the Inquiry Led, please keep an eye on our website for announcements: https://socialaction.scot/

The Inquiry will also build on the findings and recommendations from the Together We Help research that explored social action in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Find out more about the Social Action Inquiry vision and background here:

 https://socialaction.scot/about/

Speaking on behalf of the partners who have founded the Inquiry – Carnegie UK Trust, Corra Foundation, Foundation Scotland, the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), The National Lottery Community Fund, and The Robertson Trust – Fiona Duncan (CEO of Corra Foundation) said: “This inquiry starts from the idea that social action is a vital part of the solution to the challenges we face as a society – now and in the future.

“The issue is not whether community-led action should be at the heart of creating lasting change, but how everyone can help create the conditions for this to happen, and to flourish.

Collaboration is at the heart of this, and it’s down to the collective efforts of the partners that we’ve reached this point. The partners are delighted to welcome Sam and Catherine-Rose and look forward to the Inquiry taking shape and beginning to help bring about change.”

Ten groups to be supported through Knowledge is Power

Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) is delighted to announce the ten community groups who will be supported to carry out community-led action research and develop their own evidence to influence change in their communities.

We’re also pleased to announce that Corra Foundation and Inspiring Scotland have provided additional funding for projects they support to be involved in Knowledge is Power. This has helped increase the number of supported projects from six to ten. We are also really grateful that Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs will part sponsor one of the local inquiries.

The successful groups are:

  • Aberdeen in Recovery
  • Auchinleck Community Devlopment Initiative
  • Community Action Blackburn
  • Crossroads Youth & Community Association (in partnership with Bridging the Gap)
  • Dunterlie Foodshare
  • Fernhill Community Kitty
  • Friends of Inchyra Park
  • Moray Wellbeing Hub CIC
  • Shetland Community Connections

  • Taking Up Sophie’s Fight
Find out more about all of the groups we’re working with here.

The research evidence generated by the community organisations will be brought together through the Knowledge is Power website and used to help shape policy at a national level across Scotland.

The programme is being delivered by Scottish Community Development Centre and The Poverty Alliance and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and Scottish Government.

Groups thank Lynn with farewell tea party

Community says au revoir to ‘people person’ Lynn

Local groups Power to the People and Spring Chickens got together to arrange a surprise summer tea party for popular community worker Lynn McCabe last month. Lynn has decided to take a career break and friends and colleagues couldn’t let her go without saying thanks for the wonderful work Lynn has carried out over the best part of thirty years in North Edinburgh. Continue reading Groups thank Lynn with farewell tea party

Vacancy at Community Action North

Community Action North (CAN) seeks a Community Development Worker (Fixed term 7 months, 28 hours per week) to develop and implement the community engagement and capacity and capabilities development work required to deliver the Aspiring Communities Fund Programme’s aims.

More information at https://goodmoves.org.uk/vacancy/a4s0n000000y5ycqac-community-development-worker 

or available from admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk tel: 0131 315 2151