CLLDNet continues to develop

Local Action Group (LAG) representatives from across rural and island Scotland gathered over two days, 4^th and 5^th November 2025, to inform the development of creating a new national network for community-led local development.

United by the goal of achieving change, the workshop was a buzzing, creative, and collaborative event that invigorated and energised discussions.

The network is being created to benefit the LAGs. But it needs clear vision and objectives and an enabling structure to meet this ultimate goal. A compact agenda of policy context and thematic group discussions is moving us closer to the goal of establishing the network next year, thanks to everyone participating working together to generate multiple actions and select priorities.

Collaboration and cooperation at the heart

Bringing colleagues together, online and in-person at The Social Hub, a vibrant B-Corp-certified co-working space in Glasgow’s Merchant City, gave us the opportunity to speak individually and to form a collective voice.

Over 40 LAG representatives joined 42 group discussions covering six themes that are essential to how the network is created, governed, operates, and is sustained well into the future.

The level of ambition is clear and energised everyone involved. Connections are visible and relationships are strengthening through networking, conversation, and sharing ideas.

Whilst recognising some real and present challenges, not least the difficult funding environment in the context of Scotland’s competing priorities for public spending, desire met practicality when it came to concluding discussions and identifying next steps towards:

• A collective understanding of how LAGs can evolve to represent their communities even better
• Ensuring participation, representation, and a clear youth voice to help the network create the ‘art of the possible’
• Co-designing the national network purpose, priorities, roles, and functions
• Creating buy-in among LAGs to ensure strong foundations and future commitments
• Building a programme of development to enhance capacity, strengthen organisational resilience, and build credible, robust policy advocacy on behalf of Scotland’s rural and island communities

High-functioning LAGs supported by a well-functioning network

CLLD in rural and island Scotland is bold and forward-thinking, looking to a positive future that creates community benefit and outcomes through robust and passionate organisations.

Inclusion and representation lie at the core of participatory and empowered LAGs. Data-driven aims, objectives, and priorities provide credibility for decisions. Organisational competency enables efficacy in delivery whilst the valued membership creates the dynamic needed for strategy. Strong working relationships complement the ability of all LAGs to work with their communities to get the best value from Scottish Government investment in community-led projects. An understanding of evolving Scottish and rural and island policy enable advocacy, negotiation, and influence where it’s needed most.

The door is open

The workshop has opened the door to accelerated development because of the collective commitment, passion, experience, and knowledge of all those involved.

The national workshop was supported by Dundee-based consultancy Urban Foresight, commissioned by the Cairngorms Trust on behalf of the LAGs and funded through the Scottish Rural Network.

From governance structures to international collaboration, from communications to the network’s financial sustainability, from capacity building to network operations, the plan of what to take forward, how, and when is being formed.

What happens next?

We are on a journey to a true collective voice for our rural and island’s communities with a potential to negotiate and influence policy and decision makers with credibility, authenticity, and expertise.

Watch this space for updates on next steps between now and Spring 2026.

You can find the slide deck from the event here

For more information, please contact CLLDNet@urbanforesight.com