Community development

Rural Wisdom Get-together

As a part of the Rural Wisdom project Outside the Box are exploring ways to make rural areas work better for older people. They’re going to be holding a series of events across Scotland for anyone who is interested in this work to come together, to share thoughts, to hear from others and to build the network around the country.

The first of these events will be happening on Tuesday 9 May in Perth.

The day will include:

The Woolfords, Auchengray and Tarbrax Improvement Foundation (WAT IF?) has awarded its first driving lesson grant.

Residents in the area can apply for a grant of up to £250 from the development trust to help cover the costs of learning to drive.

The first grant has recently been awarded to 18-year-old Rebecca Black. She said:

Scottish Rural Action have a number of volunteering opportunities available.

Scottish Rural Action (SRA) is a non-profit, apolitical organisation which is completely independent of Government. They are a company formed with the dual purpose of developing and organising Scotland’s Rural Parliament and supporting the development of a rural movement.

The organisation is currently seeking volunteers for a number of roles.

Shared studio spaces are now available to rent within a large bright, newly refurbished former classroom on the island of Bressay.

The studio overlooks Lerwick harbour and is situated within walking distance of Bressay’s glorious rural views, lochs, beaches, seabird cliffs and many sites of archaeological interest along with easy access to Shetland’s main town.

Four individual spaces with access to a sink and large walk in store cupboard offer a superb environment for creative work.

Community groups and charities in Scotmid's North region can now apply to be considered for a Community Connect Award.

Community Connect enables Scotmid members to give back to their communities. Three Good Cause Groups from Scotmid’s North Member Region will receive a financial award of up to £15,000 following a vote by Scotmid members.

Volunteers are wanted for the Contin Community Fund Panel in Ross-shire.

The panel will be a group of local volunteers which will meet twice each year to make decisions on the applications to the community fund linked to the EDF-ER Corriemoillie Wind Farm. 

The Scottish Charity Awards 2017 are now open for nominations and entries in eight categories.

The awards are organised by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and are a chance to celebrate a special person, organisation or project. 

The award categories are:

Skiffs, trails and augmented reality. You might ask what these three things have in common.  Well, they were among the many ideas discussed at the LEADER Cooperation Exchange event on 15 and 16 March in Ayrshire. 

The first funding round for the Scottish Government's Aspiring Communities Fund closes on 7 April 2017. 

The new Fund is intended to enable community bodies and third sector organisations in Scotland's most deprived communities to develop and deliver long-term local solutions that address local priorities and needs and build on the assets of local communities.

A free two day training workshop run by Scottish Rural Action, the organisation behind the Scottish Rural Parliament, seeks to train and support new and existing rural campaigners.

The training is supported by the Voluntary Action Fund and led by the Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK), which has 12 years’ experience of training and supporting campaigners across the UK and Europe.

At the end of the two days participants will gain an understanding of:

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