Crowdfund Scotland launching with LEADER support

In 2017 the Scottish Rural Network facilitated a 'Co-operation Cafe' for Local Action Groups (LAGs) in Scotland. The event was hosted by Greater Renfrewshire LEADER with the aim of developing new ideas and to match potential projects and partnerships. 

One of the projects developed was Crowdfund Scotland, and now the UK's most popular crowdfunding platform, Crowdfunder, have announced a partnership with the support of nine Scottish LEADER areas. The new partnership aims to help crowdfunding projects across Scotland turn their most innovative ideas into reality.

​The two year Crowdfund Scotland programme will provide coaching and support for projects in nine participating LEADER areas: Forth Valley and Lomond, Fife, Scottish Borders, Rural Perth and Kinross, Tyne  Esk, West Lothian, Kelvin Valley and Falkirk, Greater Renfrewshire and Inverclyde and Lanarkshire.

The programme is looking to immediately recruit four full time coaches and one part time coach who will work remotely into a central hub in Stirling.

The coaches will be trained by Crowdfunder’s team of expert coaches and deliver a mix of local workshops and expert one to one coaching in the nine areas.

A crowdfunding portal, Crowdfund Scotland, will also launch on the Crowdfunder platform, featuring crowdfunding LEADER projects and providing information about funding, workshops and support.

LEADER is a bottom-up method of delivering support  to communities for rural development. The aim of LEADER is to increase support to local rural community and business networks, to build knowledge and skills, and encourage innovation and cooperation in order to tackle local development objectives.

Crowdfunding is a way of raising money from the crowd around you. You ask the crowd to support your idea with pledges of money in return for rewards. Projects are also connected with funding partners, including more than 25 local authorities, Santander, Virgin and M&S, who offer them grants and further support.

Crowdfunder's Su Johnston, Rachel Sedman of Kelvin Valley & Falkirk LEADER, Anne Michelle Ketteridge, Forth Valley & Lomond LEADER.

Rachel Sedman, spokeperson for the Kelvin Valley & Falkirk Local Action Group said: “This will provide a great opportunity for projects in remote and rural areas of Scotland."

“We are delighted to be launching Crowdfund Scotland with Scottish LEADER,” said Rob Love, Chief Executive, Crowdfunder. “Crowdfunder’s mission is to tackle society’s challenges by making ideas happen. We look forward to helping some Scottish ideas that might just change the world.”

Crowdfunder’s existing partnerships in Scotland include Angus Council, Aberdeen Council, Ayrshire LEADER and Stirling Council.

Crowdfund Scotland will launch early in 2019, although the coaching programme will start sooner in November 2018.  If your group or business would like to be considered for the coaching programme, please contact crowdfundscotland@crowdfunder.co.uk.