Community development

This week sees the release of the latest edition of the OnFarm podcast supported by the Scottish Rural Network.

In the first of a two part special Lewis crofter and presenter of BBC Alba's An Lot (The Croft) Domhnall Macsween - known to most as 'Sweeny' - takes OnFARM producer Dave Howard on a tour of his community of Ness, on the island’s most northerly tip.

This is the first of two episodes featuring Sweeny and it’s a great listen. 

32nd Orkney International Science Festival - 1-7 September 2022

The 32nd Orkney International Science Festival is put together by a team of people across Orkney and beyond. It is run by a not-for-profit company, whose chairman for more than two decades was the late Eoin Scott. Other members include Josh Gourlay, Bryce Wilson, William Annal, Graham Bichan and Phyllis Brown.

A £970,000 fund designed to support projects and ideas to benefit the environment and local communities has opened for its third round of applications. 

Crown Estate Scotland’s Sustainable Communities Fund, which started in 2020, has already delivered around £620,000 in valuable support to people across the country. It consists of two grant programmes: 

Paths for All’s new £1.5 million Ian Findlay Path Fund for accessible communities will enable more people to walk, wheel or cycle for their everyday journeys to improve air quality, reduce CO2 emissions and improve physical health and mental wellbeing.

The Scottish Government funded Self Build Loan Fund will be extended for an additional five years and will reopen in autumn 2022 following the appointment of a Fund administrator.

The South of Scotland’s largest community buyout is set to double in size having defied the odds and “achieved the impossible” for a second time in two years, following one of the most ambitious community fundraising campaigns ever seen. 

A historic agreement for 5,300 acres of land and three properties between The Langholm Initiative charity and Buccleuch will now go ahead, after the Dumfriesshire town of Langholm successfully reached its goal of £2.2m by the 31 July deadline. 

Lighting A Spark: Sharing Inspiring Stories about Land Use across Scotland

The webinars are an opportunity for people living in rural areas across Scotland to come together and share inspiring stories about land use, land use change and delivering benefits to local people as well as national priorities.

CARES Conference 2022: Community Climate Action

Join Local Energy Scotland for their annual CARES conference, which will take place online. This year they’ll be looking at how communities can take climate action with the support of the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).

The SCVO Community, Capacity and Resilience Fund is open for applications.

The fund is provided by Scottish Government and managed by SCVO. The main objective of the fund is to provide up to 2 years funding to community-based voluntary organisations enabling them to:

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