Community development

Community Councils webinar on rural and islands poverty

Join the Improvement Service and representatives from the Poverty Alliance for this webinar on poverty in rural and islands communities.

Over the last couple of years Scottish Rural Network have been funding the Improvement Service to build the capacity of Scottish rural and island community councils to help them support their communities more effectively and to enable them to tackle emerging priorities, including poverty which is often a hidden issue within rural and island communities. 

Views are being sought on ways to improve how communities will receive additional benefits from renewable energy developments.

‘Community benefits’ are provided by developers to local groups and can include funding, actions such as in-kind works, the direct support of projects, or other site-specific benefits – such as a reduction in energy bills through local electricity discount schemes or building affordable housing.

Rural SEN - Tackling Energy Cost Challenges

Join the online Rural SEN event on 22 January: Tackling Energy Cost Challenges

Led by Utility Aid & Business Energy Scotland, this session is a great chance to share your experiences, learn more about reducing energy costs, and if you are struggling discover what all support mechanisms are available.

Knowledge share: community-led placemaking

Join the Scottish Civic Trust at the launch of their My Place Awards 2025, join us in hearing from inspiring community-led placemaking projects across Scotland.

Agenda

The Community Ownership Fund is still open to applications until 31 March 2025.

The £150 million fund is being run over 4 years and supports community groups across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales to take ownership of assets which are at risk of being lost to the community.

Exchange Visit to Dunnet Community Forest

On the back of recent successful site visits at the Community Woodlands Association October Conference.

CWA are excited to announce our Exchange Visit to Dunnet Community Forest  - our most northerly community woodland group, set on the North Coast 500 route in Caithness.  

The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has awarded 10 grants across the country totalling nearly £2m this year to community groups.

The Fund supports rural and urban communities to become more resilient and sustainable through the ownership and management of land and land assets.

The National Lottery Community Fund (Scotland) has today unveiled two new funding streams: Fairer Life Chances, and Community Action. Both funds are open to applications now, with no deadlines currently in sight.

Community Action and Fairer Life Chances will both focus on helping communities to tackle poverty, disadvantage, and discrimination, and ask groups to demonstrate how they will reach and support people facing these challenges.

Scottish Rural Action (SRA) have announced a first for Scotland!

They are taking part in the Village Halls Week from March 17-23, 2025 together with the English village halls network run by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) and are calling on rural and island Scottish village halls and community hubs to take part in the celebration.  

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