Community development

Round 4 of the Coastal Communities Fund closes for stage one applications on 17 August.

The Coastal Communities Fund (CCF) encourages the economic development of UK coastal communities by giving funding to create sustainable economic growth and jobs.

The Big Lottery Fund is delivering the CCF on behalf of UK Government and the Devolved Administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Angus LEADER's first funding award will help transform an old school building into a community hub.

Friockheim Community Hub Ltd will use the funding of £137,930 for their FriockHub project which will convert the old Eastgate School building to a community space providing support, facilities, spaces and services to the community of Friockheim and the surrounding rural areas.

A new European publication on social inclusion in rural areas is available online.

The capacity-building manual for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on 'Promoting the Integration of Migrants and Refugees in Rural Areas' has recently been published by the Euracademy Association.

An empty community-owned schoolhouse in Wester Ross is to be transformed into two affordable homes thanks to an innovative funding package.

Registration is now open for the Scottish Rural Parliament 2016 event.

The Scottish Rural Parliament will bring together 400 people to discuss the issues of greatest importance to rural communities in Scotland.

The event will be held in Brechin, Angus from 6 to 8 October and is free for most people to attend.

The community-led Lanarkshire LEADER Local Development Strategy has been launched.

The strategy sets out the priorities and objectives against which applications for funding will be assessed by the Lanarkshire LEADER Programme until 2020. A new development is the inclusion of part of the North Lanarkshire rural area to the south of Cumbernauld and east of Airdrie and Wishaw.

South Lanarkshire Council Provost, Councillor Eileen Logan unveiled the new strategy at Clydesdale Community Initiatives (CCI) in Lanark recently.

The Scottish Islands Federation (SIF) is pulling together a report on the challenges and opportunities that matter most to Scotland’s island communities and needs as many groups as possible to take part in its survey ‘Meeting the Challenges – Scotland’s Island Communities’.

The Tyne Esk LEADER Programme was formally launched at twin events -  the Haddington Show on the 2 July and the Dalkeith Show on 9 July 2016.

Both events were well attended by, primarily, famers and families and the Tyne Esk LEADER stall was kept busy answering questions and entertaining children.  LEADER LAG members as well as the staff team were on hand at the stall throughout the two days.

The Big Lottery Fund has launched a new multi-million pound programme to support community-led projects to develop or build assets for community use.

Through the new Community Assets fund, groups can apply for grants from £10,000 to £1 million to buy, build or develop buildings and land. Between now and 2020, up to £45 million is available through the fund in Scotland.