Community development

If you'd like to train as a forestry volunteer, Forestry Commission Scotland's Voluntary Community Champion (VCC) Programme could be for you.

Delivered in partnership with CEMVO Scotland (Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations), this one-year initiative trains people from minority groups to lead events and activities in woodlands and forests.

Community researchers, University of Stirling researchers and Age Scotland want to hear your views on quality of life in later years.

They are currently carrying out online surveys to gather the views of people in Scotland who are aged over 50 years.

Funding from Angus LEADER has helped to enhance rural advice services in the area.

The Angus Financial Inclusion Partnership (AFIP) received an award of £4,000 from the Angus LEADER Programme, via Angus Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), to help carry out a rural advice feasibility study. The Partnership has been looking at ways to break down financial barriers faced by rural residents when accessing services.

Information from the European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) workshop on social inclusion is now available online.

The 'Social Hubs in Rural Europe' event took place in Brussels on 9 February 2017. 

At the workshop, people from across Europe discussed ways to respond to demographic change and promote the social inclusion of migrants and refugees, Roma, youth and women in rural areas, including through arts and culture.

A unique five-year projects is helping to increase volunteering in Scotland's National Parks.

The Mountains and the People Project launched in the summer of 2015, with the vision of involving the people of Scotland and beyond in the enhancement and protection of the wild and special qualities of the mountains within the country's two National Parks.

Ten UK towns, including Whitburn in West Lothian, have been selected for a new domestic ‘twinning’ project undertaken by the Carnegie UK Trust.

The trial is designed to reinvigorate local economies by pairing towns with others within the UK facing similar challenges. The idea is that over the coming 18 months the towns will build their connections, receive support, and devise a twinning action plan to access funding to kick-start new commercial, voluntary and social enterprise activities - building positive growth for both.

DG Unlimited, an organisation that promotes and supports the creative industries across Dumfries and Galloway has just launched it’s new ‘Get Involved, Get Inspired’ fund.

Aimed at supporting a wide range of cultural and creative events and activities in local communities, the £8,000 fund can make awards of up to £500 to support events and activities that offer greater opportunities for participation in high quality arts experiences for people who would not normally get involved.

David McDonald, Arts Development Director said:

After a successful Local Action Group (LAG) assessment meeting on Tuesday 24 January when eight further project applications were approved, Scottish Borders LEADER have now committed to funding totalling £705,000. 

So far Scottish Borders LEADER LAG have awarded grants to 15 projects: