Community development

The Dornoch Area Community Interest Company (DACIC) has become the new owner of the former Dornoch Police Station following a successful Asset Transfer Request from Police Scotland.

The transfer which included a 5% discount from market valuation in acknowledgement of the significant community benefit that will ensue from the community ownership of the building. The acquisition was funded by the Scottish Land Fund.

In this article, Community Action Lanarkshire tell us about a project that's encouraging active travel in rural Clydesdale. 

Communities in rural Clydesdale have been sharing their local knowledge to create a series of new local travel maps and signage to promote walking, cycling and sustainable travel.

The Scottish Land Fund has awarded £1,586,398 to 11 community ownership projects.

A community development company on the island of Colonsay, population 135, has been awarded £390,000 to buy land to build affordable housing and to create a site for affordable business units. The money will be used to buy two areas of land around the settlement of Scalasaig as part of a project to build homes for island residents.

In our Hands: Community Ownership in the South of Scotland

Full programme

The South of Scotland is now one of the fastest growing areas for community ownership in Scotland and communities are purchasing a wide range of assets including shops, estates, forestry, harbours, community centres, business and retail space and land for housing – to name but a few.

The Tesco Bags of Help Fund is now open for applications.

Community groups, schools, charities, local authorities and not for profits can all apply for grants of up to £2,000 for projects that bring benefits to communities. This includes:

The Scottish Government has started early engagement on the development of Scotland's fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4).

The National Planning Framework is a long term plan for development and investment across Scotland.

Community Owned Shops and Pubs - Making It Easy

Has your community shop or pub recently closed or is it considered at risk? Would your community like to take action to secure its future?

A shop or a pub can be the heart of a community, taking on a role well beyond its function, yet more and more are facing closure. To ensure these vital community assets are preserved, communities from across Scotland are coming together to take their shop or pub into community ownership.

Communities in rural South Lanarkshire are creating a series of new local travel maps and signage to promote walking, cycling and sustainable travel and everyone is invited to contribute their local knowledge at a series of creative mapping workshops, health walks and cycle events.

An upcoming Scottish Rural Action conference will kick start a 'rural movement' to make rural Scotland's voice heard.

Representatives from rural Scotland's communities, businesses and organisations are invited to attend the free event taking place from 26 to 27 February at New Lanark Visitor Centre, the renowned world heritage site.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon recently launched the Scottish Charity Awards 2020, encouraging organisations from across the country to apply. 

The annual awards are organised by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and celebrate the fantastic work that charities and community groups do every day to help those in need and raise awareness of important causes. 

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