We use this Newsflash to keep you up to date with funding information, interesting websites, any deadlines for consultations,training events or any other information that we think will be of interest to groups across Scotland. Any information that is specifically for the Aberdeenshire area will be in italics. Just follow the links below to find out more.

New this week... More BIG lottery announcements, funding for information events on digital switchover in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeenshire Local Plan consultation, SURF Awards open for nominations.

***Stop press*** Fill in survey on what YOU would like to see in Aden Country Park, Mintlaw. See item 3 below.

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The Big Lottery Fund Investing in Ideas has re-opened for applications with a new application form and guidance. The basis of Investing in Ideas has remained the same and it will still fund organisations looking to develop new ideas. However, the requirement that ideas must fit with an Investing in Communities Investment Area has been removed. The application process has also changed to be in-line with BIG's other funding programmes. It means that signatures or any supporting documents are not required at the application stage.
Investing in Ideas awards grants of £500 to £10,000 to test and develop ideas that could eventually become fully-fledged projects or lead to improved service delivery. Investing in Ideas could pay for the things that can turn your basic idea into a well-planned project including market research, feasibility studies, business planning, community consultations and professional advice. For more information click here.

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The Big Lottery Fund has announced that its 2014 Communities fund has changed. The maximum grant available has doubled to £2,000 and the application process has also been simplified making the grants easier to access. Local sports clubs, voluntary and community organisations, community councils and schools can apply for grants of £300 to £2,000 to support and stimulate grass roots involvement in sport and physical activity. For more information click here.

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Aden Country Park, Mintlaw celebrates its 30th birthday this year and to celebrate Buchan Development Partnership and Aberdeenshire Council are working in partnership to help establish ways in which residents can make the most of the much-loved Country Park. Neil Shirran, the development worker there says “It’s really important we hear what people think about Aden Country Park and how they think we can regenerate and maximise its use." Have YOUR say by taking part in the online survey or contact Neil by email

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Digital TV switchover in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire is only 6 weeks away!Are you planning an event for your clients, groups, community to help them deal with the issues? ACVO have access to grants to pay for the cost of venue hire, refreshments, transport, entertainment etc. They can order leaflets, pens, balloons etc. for your event; and, if required, they’ll make a short presentation about the switchover and the help that is available! For further information contact Louise Farmer on (01224) 686059/686058 or Email: lfarmer@acvo.org.uk

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Aberdeenshire's Proposed Local Development Plan has now been published and Aberdeenshire Council wants as many people as possible to have their say on its content.. This is the final chance to comment on the proposed plan, which is now available in libraries and at council area offices together with associated documents. Copies are now available here on the council's website, where you can also respond to the consultation. All sections of the community are welcome to view and comment on
the proposed plan, with the aim of producing a document which is owned by everyone. The 12-
week consultation is now underway and responses are invited before close of business on
Friday, 1st October 2010.

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Does YOUR project deserve an award? Applications are now open for The SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration which is now in its 12th year. Their prestigious annual awards process recognises and promotes best practice in regeneration in Scotland. The SURF Awards is supported by the Scottish Government’s Scottish Centre for Regeneration (SCR), and independently judged by a panel of representatives drawn from relevant national organisations and community groups.If you are aware of a project or initiative that you believe deserves particular recognition, consider nominating it for a 2010 SURF Award in one of four categories:People, Place, Partnership, Health & Employment Partnership. Closing date is Monday 20th September 2010.

For more information and details on how to make an application click here.

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Does your community have an idea for a broadband project? If so, you could bid in to a new one million Euro challenge fund, recently announced by the Scottish Government , which aims to improve the coverage and the speed of broadband in rural areas.The Rural Broadband Challenge Fund will be delivered through the LEADER programme which supports small-scale, community driven projects in rural Scotland. Examples of possible projects for the new challenge fund include the upgrade of exchanges, pilot projects into next generation broadband and supporting a business collective to access better broadband. Aberdeenshire projects: for a link direct to information on the Rural Broadband Challenge fund through Aberdeenshire Leader click here and scroll to bottom of the LEADER page.

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The Reaching Out Project in Peterhead and Fraserburgh is looking for funding applications from Community groups for the Community Voices Fund. This funding is available to local groups and services who can deliver their project within one year. The project must support at least one of the following aims

Skills/Employability – increasing skills & removing barriers to employability;
Youth – increasing the number of young people (aged 12-18), participating in project and/or activities;
Health – increasing the number of people participating in health related projects/activities;
Inclusiveness – reducing the isolation of disadvantaged groups or individuals within the community.

Funding of up to £5000 is available but applications for small local projects or start grants of under £1,000 will be favoured in this round of funding.
Application Forms & Guidance are available by emailing the Reaching Out Project
or on the Funding Page of Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership Website:
If you would like to discuss your project idea with a development worker contact Liz or Diane on 01771 624811
The closing date for applications is the 13th of August 2010.

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BIG Lottery have relaunched their Investing in Communities programme following extensive consultation. Improvements have been made following comments received during this process and funding of between £10,000 and £1 million pounds is available through three programme strands: Growing Community Assets, Life Transitions and Supporting 21st Century Life.

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Do you think YOUR project deserves an award for improving the environment? Why not put your name forward to the Scottish Green Awards which include a category for Best Green Community Initiative. The award will go to an initiative that has improved the environment and has been led by the community, with community-wide support and involvement. Although there's no financial reward attached to the awards, it's a high profile competition that could be used to generate publicity for the successful group.But hurry as nominations for the award need to be made by July 30th.You can find further details here .

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Planning Aid Scotland have launched the new Planning Mentoring Scheme to provide planning advice and guidance to community led development projects across rural Scotland.
The scheme involves the Planning Aid Scotland team of volunteers working with community groups to provide guidance and advice in developing projects, but also leaving transferable skills in communities for future work. They hope that the mentoring process will help community groups increase their understanding of the planning system as well as providing an opportunity for planning professionals to interact with community groups. You can find further information about the scheme on the Toolbox.

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Not connected to the grid? - The Scottish Hydro-Electric Community Trust provide help towards an electricity connection to community groups and residents in the north of Scotland. Up to 30% of connection costs are available. For more information click here.

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Fancy gaining volunteering experience in London? The Wave of Friendship, supported by the Legacy Trust UK, is a volunteer exchange programme that encourages and supports the exchange of volunteers between Scotland and London in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Volunteers can choose any opportunity that takes place between now and September 2012 that demonstrates one or more of these values; Friendship, Respect, Courage, Determination, Equality and Inspiration. Bursaries of up to £500 are available to cover travel, accommodation and other costs involved in the exchange. For more information, visit:
http://www.peoplemakingwaves.org.uk/thewaveoffriendship/about

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Would free WiFi wireless internet help your charity? Freerunner have partnered with JustGiving.com to put free WiFi Internet access where its really needed - charities. If you charity has a broadband connection they will come and install the Freerunner service for free in your location. Its perfect for your community cafe or hub as it gives people another reason to visit. It also gives you the chance to help bridge the digital divide. JustGiving.com and Freerunner have committed to provide this service to 160 charities, totally free of charge.
For more information, please visit http://www.freerunr.com/community

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VAT giving you a headache? Then DTAS' latest Seminar is what you have been waiting for. Due to the popularity of the VAT Seminars they held in Edinburgh and Aviemore (and .also at the Annual Conference) CEiS and DTAS, as part of the Aspire to Enterprise Programme, are working in partnership to host another “Introduction to VAT” Seminar in The Melting Pot, Edinburgh on 25th June 9:30am to 12noon

Trading Income, Capital Builds & VAT an Introduction for Social Economy Organisations (Speaker: Charles Rumbles, CKR VAT Consultancy)
Dealing with VAT can seem a daunting prospect for many social enterprise organisations, particularly as their trading income expands, or as a consideration within capital build projects. This workshop provides an accessible introduction to the issue of VAT – when does it becomes a consideration and how should organisations respond to it when it does. In addition to a general overview, the workshop will offer participants the opportunity to ask questions about their own particular situation.
NB They will contact you in advance of the event for information on specific topics you would like to see covered

To sign up for this event please go the Aspire to Enterprise website

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A Community Wildlife Programme has just been launched. Upto £10,000 is available for environmental projects eg creating paths and making countryside more accessible. There are 3 rounds this year with application closing dates on 21st July, 22nd September and 24th November.

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Buchan IT and E-Learning Services (BITES) Summer Schedule - NEW classes announced, including ECDL, Computing for Beginners,Creating cards, email and many more. All courses are approved for ILA. To book your place contact 01771 619181 or email denise@bitesonline.org.

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Attention - community projects in Peterhead and Fraserburgh areas! All community groups who have been funded by Community Voices funding or those interested in new or future funding are invited to discuss funding opportunities with the Reaching Out Project team. The event will be held on 10th June at 6.00-8.30 at the United Reformed Church, Mid Street, Fraserburgh. Free refreshments and food will be provided by a Community Voices project. Contact Liz or Diane on 01771 624811 or email lizscott99@googlemail.com to reserve your place.

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The Big Challenge competition for 16-25 year olds is open for applications now. It offers the chance to win a share of £65 000 along with support to set up a community project. The project just needs to inspire young people and involve volunteers. You can visit www.bigchallenge.org.uk for full details and the online application. The deadline is 6th July 2010. Big Challenge is a youth-led competition run by UnLtd in partnership with Changemakers and with funding from Vodafone . They are part of Live UnLtd www.liveunltd.com where you can find more opportunities like this for
young people.

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Aberdeenshire Council have produced a Community Groups European Funding leaflet for 2010 - 2013. Other EU funding information is available on the Toolbox by clicking here.

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Looking for funding for children's summer playschemes or breakfast and after school clubs? Check out the Tesco Charity Trust which is offering up to £4,000. But hurry as the closing date is 30th June.

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Interested in applying to Children in Need for funding? BRIDGE CVS has arranged a short presentation by the charity , followed by a Question & Answer session on Wednesday 26th May 2010 at The Hot Spot, 1-3 Kirk Street, Peterhead from 11.30am - 12.30pm
There will also be an opportunity for a small number of groups to have a one-to-one session to discuss applications which may be almost ready to submit, or where groups feel ready to start the application process. These half hour appointments will take place in Fraserburgh on the afternoon of Wednesday 26th May. These will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, so please get in touch as soon as possible to secure an appointment.
If you would be interested in attending either the open session or a one-to-one appointment, please contact Jacquie Milne by phone on 01771 624787 or by email at jacquie@bridgecvs.org.uk

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Cashback for Communities Roadshow (grants up to £2,000 for youth organisations) coming to an area near you! You can attend the free roadshow to find out more about the scheme and get practical help, support and advice on how to apply. Although the Aberdeen event is not being held until 13th October you could attend another one if you want to travel. For full details of dates, locations and to book click here.

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KnowHow NonProfit is a website built solely for people working in not for profit organisations. Completely free and easy to use, it is packed with practical information and resources covering all kinds of topics, from finding funding to strategy planning. If you like tweeting, blogging and researching information on line this may be the site for you!

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Buchan Area Committee's Area Initiatives Fund, administerd by BDP, has just been launched for this year. The funding, generally up to £5,000 maximum is ONLY for community groups in the Buchan area of Aberdeenshire. The closing date for applications is June 18th. and application forms are available from your local Cllr or from BDP offfices. Further information and contact details are available here

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Next deadline for BDP Small Grants is 21st May so make sure your applications are in for then for decision before the summer. Remember the focus is on "community safety". Forms are available from Alison at the BDP office.

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Buchan Local Community Planning Group Funding will help to support Community Projects working to provide the best quality of life for communities within Buchan. The scheme is open to community groups and organisations in the Buchan area. Community Planning Partners will give priority to projects which will be delivered in partnership with Community Planning Partners, which will deliver benefits to the wider community, which evidence best practice and share resources, skills and expertise and that further the work of community planning by working towards outcomes in partnership. Further information and Applications forms are available to download from the Community Planning website at www.ouraberdeenshire.org.uk/buchan or contact: Steph Swales, Community Planning Officer on 01779 483242 or by email steph.swales@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

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Are you a community in Aberdeenshire interested in wind energy development to raise funding for community projects? Then why not book on to the Community Wind Energy Seminar organised by Aberdeenshire Council to be held in Mearns Academy, Laurencekirk on Saturday 15th May from 1pm - 5pm. There will be a variety of speakers including Energy4All and Community Energy Scotland and plenty of time for networking. The event is free but advance registration to Val Webster (01224 664727 or valerie.webster@aberdeenshire.gov.uk) or Eric Wells ( 01224 664734 / Eric.wells@aberdeenshire.gov.uk)

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Good news for communities across Scotland - Lloyds TSB Foundation is opening again for applications, with £2millions available to be disbursed by the end of 2010.This year’s main grant programme will be named ‘The Henry Duncan Awards’ in honour of the Rev Henry Duncan who founded the first Trustee Savings Bank 200 years ago this year.The first deadline for these awards will be May 24, with further deadlines in July and September. The capacity building programme is also now open for applications, and charities can apply for one of these awards at any time. Details on the criteria and other information on how to apply can be found on our Toolbox and the Foundation’s website at www.ltsbfoundationforscotland.org.uk.
The Foundation also hopes to be in a position to continue its work with the Scottish Government
in the successful Partnership Drugs Initiative in 2010.

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As well as their Standard Grant Scheme LLoyds TSB Foundation also operate a Capacity Building Grant - very useful if you are a charity in Scotland looking to improve your Governance. Click here for details.

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SITA Trust has opened a new fund - Young Persons' Volunteering Fund which has been created to assist young people aged 14-25 to volunteer their time to create or enhance facilities that can be enjoyed by the wider community. As with all SITA Trust projects you have to be within 10 miles of one of SITA UK's qualifying Landfill Sites (in Buchan this is Stoney Hill near Cruden Bay). Closing date for first round: 4th June.

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See Me - will grant awards up to £5,000 to groups in certain areas of Scotland (the next round which closes on 28th May, features the Grampian area) tackling the stigma of mental health The grant scheme aims to encourage local organisations to take a lead in changing public attitudes and behaviours towards people with mental health problems. Any type of project can be considered as long as it is led by people with experience of mental ill-health or those providing care and support. You can download a copy of their guidelines from their website www.seemescotland.org.uk or call them on 0131 554 0218 and they will send a copy out to you.

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Are you a Social Enterprise looking to win public sector contracts? The online public procurement course “Winning the Contract” is now a free, nationally available
training resource which all businesses can access.The course provides practical advice to help your
business identify public sector procurement opportunities and a step-by-step guide to the key stages in the tendering process. Access the Winning the Contract course for FREE by registering at www.learndirect-business.com

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Business Know How Showcase Event to be held in Aberdeen Arts Centre on May 27th from 9.15am to 3.30pm.The event aims to give private and voluntary organisations the opportunity to share knowledge and gain a fresh understanding of each other's sectors and is open to organisations of all sizes. The aim and theme of the event is to identify actions that both the private and voluntary sector can take in order to make the North-east 'wealthier and fairer, healthier and greener, safer and stronger and smarter and prouder'. Registration forms are available from the website and completed forms are to be returned by 14th May.

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Are you an ambitious charity or social enterprise based in the North East of Scotland?
Do you want free support to build a sustainable future for your organisation?
Pilotlight Scotland brings together skilled professionals from the business community and
harnesses their talents to create sustainability and growth in small to medium charities and social
enterprises. They offer a uniquely managed capacity-building process, exploring your vision and giving you the skills to develop a strategic Business Plan…and it won’t cost you a penny because they are funded by donations from their business partners.
To find out more you could visit Pilotlight Scotland at the Aberdeen Arts Centre on May 27th
as part of the Business Know How North East Showcase Event - or
visit www.pilotlight.org.uk or call Allan Farmer on (0131) 243 2767 - e-mail
afarmer@pilotlight.org.uk for further details.

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BIG Lottery Fund news! After a gap in its main funding programmes the BIG Lottery Fund Scotland has announced that it will launch new Investing in Communities programmes on 30th June 2010. Around £350 million will be available for 2010-2015. This is more than was expected due to a rise in lottery tickets sales and revised financial forecasting. Investing in Communities will have three familiar investment areas, a new Growing Community Assets programme, Life Transitions and Supporting 21st Century Life. The primary focus will be tackling need, and in particular, addressing inequalities. There will be more defined outcomes and a clearer two stage application process. They also intend to incorporate development support and possibly, development funding into the application process.

Investing in Ideas is still open and will be re-launched to coincide with the new Investing in Communities programmes. Other current Scotland programmes are Awards for All Scotland and 2014 Communities.

All the new details will be put on our Toolbox but you can look at their website for further details in the meantime.

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A "must attend" conference for Development Trusts (by name or ethos!). DTAS Annual Conference will be held from 13th -14th June at the Macdonald Hotels, Aviemore.The annual conference is the major opportunity in the year for new and existing development trusts to get together at a national level, share information and expertise and generally inspire each other, so put the date in your diary. For further information go to the DTAS website.

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New funding... The Naturesave Trust now provides start up 'seed corn' grants for community renewable energy projects, whatever type of renewable power generation you, as a community, are considering. Click here for further information. O2 Think Big for projects run by 13 - 25 year olds.

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Support for Communities - Stronger Communities is a new collaborative initiative run by Forward Scotland, the Scottish Community Foundation and the Scottish Community Development Centre, and funded by The Big Lottery Fund. It offers three ways for groups to access the knowledge and skills they need to make a lasting difference for their communities - Our Community, Our Future; Sus It Out Plus and Achieving Community Empowerment.

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Social Enterprise Workshops - we flagged these up a few weeks ago but details of venues and times are now available. Topics include Sales and Marketing and Cashflow planning on 18th May in Woodhill House, Aberdeen, Getting your message across on 3rd June in Stonehaven, Legal Structures on 15th June in Inverurie, Planning and Delivery 15th June in Inverurie. All courses will be delivered by Firstport and costs are from £25 for one workshop to £55 for all 5 - a bargain! For further information or to book a place contact Diane/Shirley at the CVS Training Initiative on 01358 722205 or email: cvstraininginitiative.org.u

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Interested in Community shops?The Plunkett Foundation has launched a new online network for those involved in community shops across the UK. The website has a range of features, including information on setting up and running a community shop and opportunities to network with other community retailers. You can find out more in New online network for community owned shops.

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YouthLink Cashback for Communities - this fund has reopened in an amended form providing up to £2,000 for uniformed youth organisations (eg Scouts and Boys Brigade) or registered Youth Clubs. A series of Roadshows to help groups with application forms is being held across the country - for dates and locations click here. Closing date for 1st round is June 1st.

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CSV Action Earth programme is open for 2010 - up to £250 for environmental projects. For more information click here.

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Grampain Racial Equalities Council are holding a FREE Funding Awareness Seminar in Aberdeen on 30th March between 11am and 2pm at the Langstane Housing offices, 680 King Street, Aberdeen. To book a place contact Sarah Campbell at GREC as soon as possible Tel: 01224 595505 Email to scampbell@grec.co.uk

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Free Design Training for community physical regeneration projects. The Glass-House is offering free support which can include guidance on design briefs; specialist advice from design / regeneration professionals; study visits and more. The advice could be over the phone, or in the form of a personal visit from an advisor. For further information, have a look at their website . (This information is taken from the excellent SCotLaNd News Digest which drops in to our emailbox every month and is full of interesting information especially on community land Iisues - well worth signing up to )

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People's Millions now open again for applications. Through this fund, BIG wants to fund projects that transform the local environment or provide opportunities or facilities to allow people to take part and enjoy their local area. BIG are particularly interested in supporting community-based projects that can show that they will increase community involvement or help people who are most in need. Closing date is 14th May. Full information available here.

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Running a Summer Playscheme? Two possible sources of funding: Grants of up to £1,000 for Summer Playschemes are offered to charities by the Woodward Trust. Applications must be in by the beginning of April. Also Lankelly Chase provide 120 grants up to £500 each if you are specifically working with children escaping domestic violence or who are carers.

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New round announced! The People's Postcode Trust have funding of between £500 to £10,000 available for three-month projects. Funded through the the People's postcode lottery, the funding is available for projects which can show visible results after around three months. The Trust has six subject areas where it wants to focus its money, including environmental protection and community development. Applications to the current round of funding need to be submitted by April 23rd 2010 and you can find further information on our Toolbox by clicking here .

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Got a project that works across the generations? The Scottish Centre for Intergenerational Practice is making available a limited number of grants to small organisations in Scotland, from £250 to £750, through our one-off Micro Grants
But hurry as the Programme has a closing date of 31st March 2010.
Full details can be found at http://www.scotcip.org.uk/Microgrant.html

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CVS Training Courses for April- A variety of courses are being held across Aberdeenshire including Health and Safety and Risk Assessment, Management Committee Skills and Fit for Funding.For full details of costs, venues etc contact: Diane/Shirley at CVS on 01358 722205 or admin@cvstraininginitiative.org.uk

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Aberdeenshire Council’s draft revised Parks and Open Spaces Strategy is now available for public consultation. The consultation period will run from 5th March until 16th April 2010. Members of the public are being asked to respond using a questionnaire which is available on the Council’s website, together with the Strategy document and accompanying SEA - http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/parks/index.asp. Anyone who does not have access to a computer, or would prefer to view a hard copy of the document, is advised to contact the Open Space Strategy
team on 01467-627613. Copies of the material can then be made available at your nearest library.

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Want to learn to Skye, Twitter, Email, Facebook, on-line banking? Then sign up for one of the Small Bytes courses being advertised in Buchan IT and E-Learning Service (BITES) Spring Schedule.As well as these new ventures a wide variety of classes are scheduled including the popular Publisher, Powerpoint, ECDL, Digital photography and many others. All held at the Community Service Centre in Maud. Classes are small so space is limited. Make sure and sign up soon by contacting BITES on 01771 619181 or for further details on their training packages please contact denise@bitesonline.org

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Great opportunity for Social Enterprises in Aberdeen city and shire. Firstport are offering a series of Business Development Workshops between April and June in Aberdeen and Inverurie. These are FREE for new social enterprises (for criteria see the website link below ), or costs vary from £25 for one workshop to £60 for all six. . Topics include Sales and Marketing, Cash Flow Planning and legal structures. Book direct with Firstport on their website but hurry as these will go quickly! For more information on support for social enterprise follow our Toolbox link here.

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Aspire to Enterprise the Scottish Government business support programme is entering its third year and is looking for a new batch of applicants who meet the following eligibility criteria: Are already trading, Have a minimum total turnover of £60K per annum and an upper limit of approx £800k and can benefit from tailored development assistance prior to accessing mainstream support?

Those successful in accessing the programme will receive a business health check and a tailored programme of support to develop their trading capacity. Support could cover Business planning, financial planning, Market research and marketing, Investment readiness and raising finance and Legal support.

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Inter Community Visits Fund: There is still some funding available from Transition Scotland for individuals or groups to visit projects in Scotland that they'd like to learn from.
So get in touch and let them know what you'd like to do, from getting a bus down the road to look at the new recycling scheme to hiring a minibus for your whole group to do a tour of community garden projects and they'll foot the bill. Contact Eva at.eva@transitionscotland.org.

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Are you involved, or interested in, community paths? Then the Local People, Local Paths conference may be for you. The event will be held at SNH's Battleby Conference Centre on Wednesday 24th March, and will provide an opportunity for community groups and agencies that are developing, managing or promoting paths to meet, share experiences and ideas and plan ahead. But hurry as places are limited. The deadline for bookings is Monday 1st March 2010. To book a place contact: 01259 218 888 . Email: info@pathsforall.org.uk

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Are you in your 50s or 60s with an new idea that could be turned into live community projects which would improve the lives of older people (in their 70s or 80s? NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) has funding for such projects in Scotland called Age Unlimited. But closing date is the 1st March so click here now to register for one of their workshops where applications are discussed.

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The Lankelly Chase Foundation has a funding programme entitled Local people, local places, which aims to help local organisations find long term solutions to local issues and engage individuals to transform communities for the benefit of all. Applications are sought from community owned and managed organisations for either revenue or capital grants up to £50,000. Their guidelines state that priority for capital grants will be given to organisations working in more remote rural areas of the UK. You can find further information on our Toolbox.

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How to write a Tender - Are you a Third Sector organisation interested in getting public service contracts but don't know how to write a tender? Then this is a great opportunity for you. Free interactive workshops are being offered by CEIS this year will include contributions from experts, including procurement practitioners and organisations with experience of successful tender writing. The programme has been designed for introductory, intermediate and advanced levels. Venues and dates across Scotland. Click here for further details and to book your place, or phone 0141 425 2946.

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Is your organisation is an enterprising third sector body? Then you can find out about Scottish Government support here.. But don't forget to check out our Social Enterprise pages on the Toolbox.

Also you can register for free on the

- Public Contracts Scotland website http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk - registering means that you will automatically be made aware of contract opportunities on the theme(s) in which you have expressed an interest
- Suppliers Development Programme http://www.sdpscotland.co.uk/home.aspx - this will give you opportunities to receive support to help you develop as a supplier of services to the public sector

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A Celebration of Volunteering, organised by Banff and Buchan Community Planning Partnership, is being held at the United Reform Church, Mid St, Fraserburgh on Saturday 20th March from 10am - 3pm. A wide range of workshops will be on offer ranging from advice on doing Risk Assessments to Assertiveness Techniques. This event is free. For more information on all the workshops on offer and further details click here.

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CVS Training Courses for March - Disciplinary and Grievance and Termination of Employment on 16th March in Stonehaven (closing date for registration 2nd March); First Aid on 25th March in Peterhead (closing date for registration 11th March); An Introduction to Social Accounting on 14th April in Laurencekirk (closing date for registration 6th April). For full details of costs, venues etc contact: Diane/Shirley at CVS on 01358 722205 or admin@cvstraininginitiative.org.uk

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The latest North Aberdeenshire Health Newsletter (NOAH) is available here. It is full of information on a wealth of health issues, workshops, consultations, course information etc.

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Sink or Swim: The Future of Community Owned Leisure Facilities
Oban 11 & 12 March 2010 - the first ever national conference for social enterprises that run swimming pools or leisure centres. For further information email mike.geraghty@absen.org.uk

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Are you a volunteer driver for voluntary and statutory organisations? Then this course organised by DAB plus c.i.c. and to be held in Maud may be for you MiDAS for Cars and MPV’s , 18th February 2010 , 09:00 – 16:00, £50.00 per person, Tea, coffee and light lunch provided. Anyone interested in taking part in the course should contact the office direct on 01771 619191, or e-mail admin@dialabus.org.uk

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Do you want to inspire YOUR community to take action on Sustainability and Climate Change? If so you might be interested in taking part in the BTCV Scotland Sustainable Communities Mentorship Programme which aims to develop a network of Sustainable Community Mentors throughout Scotland through a series of regional training and support programmes. During the 2 day FREE workshops participants will work on developing their own unique skills, producing Action Plans for their communities and learning tools to take forward practical Community Projects to improve the local environment and take action for a more sustainable planet. One course will be held in Aberdeen on 11th and 12th of March with a closing date for applications of 26th February. For more information, contact Kerry Riddell, 01848 200381 or k.riddell@btcv.org.uk To download an application form click here.

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YouthScotland's Training events in Aberdeenshire for the first 6 months of 2010 have been announced. Aimed at youth leaders or young people they offer a wide range of topics including: Emergency First Aid, Conflict Resulution,Board Meetings for workers, Self esteem. For a list of dates or to make a reservation on the course Michele Meehan, YouthScotland, on (0131) 554 2561, e-mail: michele.meehan@youthscotland.org.uk or download
a copy of the booking form at www.youthscotland.org.uk/training/training.htm.

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Third Sector Forums is a free to join, highly active, UK-focused online-community bringing together social entrepreneurs, volunteers and charity professionals. The site has over 600 members and almost 4000 posts have been created on a variety of topics including funding, governance, campaigning and social media. Third sector organisations can also list events and training opportunities on the site for free. For more information visit www.thirdsectorforums.co.uk

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Attention all registered Charities!Are you sure that you are keeping up to date with OSCR regulations? Remember that Charities have a duty to inform OSCR about the following changes no later than three months after the change has taken place.if the Principal contact changes; if the contact details of the existing Principal Contact changes; if the accounting year end date has changed; if changes unrelated to purposes are made to the constitution; when any change consented to by OSCR is implemented. To brush up on your responsibilities go to the OSCR website www.oscr.org.uk and sign up for their regular newsletter at the same time.

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Some new or updated funds to check out on the Toolbox - Healthy Hearts, Children in Need.

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Need funding for Church or Church hall repairs or developments? - go to the National Churches Trust page on the Toolbox for information on how you can access funding to improve your place of worship.

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Grants for planting Trees - The Tree Council's funding programme is now open for 2010 with a closing date of mid-March for applications. Click here for details.

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New IT training events at Buchan IT & E-Learning Service (Bites) at the Community Service Centre in Maud. beginning February 2010 include:- Computers don’t bite (XP and Vista) 8 week 2 hour sessions; Computers don’t bite plus (XP and Vista) 8 week 2 hour sessions; Digital Photography (Picassa and Photoshop) 8 weeks 2 hour sessions; Easter special - cards, leaflets and labels (Word/Pub) 8 weeks 2 hour sessions; ECDL classes daytime and evening (limited spaces available) - weekly

A full range of training opportunities is scheduled for the Spring of 2010, contact staff for advice and information on your individual requirements on 01771 619181 or by email: denise@bitesonline.org

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Is there a branch of the Alliance and Leicester or Santander near you? If so you could apply to the Santander Foundation for a grant of up to £10,000 to work with disadvantaged people on education, training or to improve financial capability. Check out the Toolbox information here.

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The Business Know How North East Partners have announced their programme of Knowledge-Exchange workshops for 2010.But HURRY as these are filling up FAST!These interactive workshops are for third sector delegates from Aberdeen City and Shire and are suitable for organisations of all sizes aspiring to diverse their income streams and more effectively pursue their aims. Half day events are free (limited to 2 delegates per organisation) and full day events cost £10 but that includes lunch. Topics include Introduction to Fundraising and Intro to Charitable trusts and a variety of Business Know-How workshops. For full details of courses go to their website or to book places email funding@acvo.org.uk

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BBC Children in Need Small Grants - up to £10,000 for groups working to make a real difference in the lives of those under 18 years of age. The grant can cover capital or revenue costs. For more information click here.

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NCVO's Trustee and Governance Information Centre has now been launched. It contains a wealth of information for trustees, boards and anyone working in third sector governance. Click here for website

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MIDAS Training dates with spaces available in 2010 (run by Buchan Dial-A-Community Bus). Monday 15th February; Wednesday; 10th March;Thursday 8th April ;Monday 10th May;Tuesday 15th June; Wednesday 14th July;Thursday 12th August; Monday 20th September; Tuesday 19th October; Monday 22nd November; Thursday 16th December

All training above is to be carried out at DAB offices in Maud. If you wish to organise training at your own venue, please contact them to arrange dates; additional dates can be added at request.

Cost: Full Accessible £70 Standard £60 Refresher £50 If you wish to use one of their buses for a MiDAS drive, there is an additional charge of £20.00

If you wish to arrange either a theory only, or a drive only, please contact the office. All courses will commence at 08:45 for a registration period and finish at 16:00 Light lunch and refreshments provided 10% discount offered for 6 or more delegates from one organisation .

To book your place contact the DAB office on 01771 619191 or email admin@dialabus.org.uk

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Business Gateway are running fully funded workshops for Business Startups and for Growing Business between January and March 2010 in Aberdeen city and shire. All courses are delivered FREE OF CHARGE but PRE BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL
Please advise them well in advance of any specific requirements
To look at the programme and to book a place on any of the Business Gateway workshops go to www.bgateway.com/events or call 01224 289725

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Youth Consultation in Buchan - Fit Div Ye Think Aboot Far Ye Bide! As part of the Youth Consultation youth work staff, Young People from Central Buchan Youth Forum and Grampian Police will be visiting the following villages to carry out focus group interviews. This an open invitation for representatives from the local Community Councils and the local Community Planning group to join them to find out the thoughts and views of the local young people. Wednesday 20th January New Pitsligo 7pm - 9pm; Wednesday 27th January Longside 7pm - 9pm; Wednesday 3rd February New Deer 7pm - 9pm; Wednesday 10th February Hatton 7pm - 9pm. If you are interested you can contact Audrey Douglas, Senior Community Learning worker on 01771 622254 who will then keep you up to date with venues etc.

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The Development Trust Association for Scotland latest e-newsletter is now available on their website and is fulll of interesting information about training opportunities, new funding and how to download useful Memorandum and Articles. Click here to follow the link.

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The People's Postcode Trust have funding of between £500 to £10,000 available for three-month projects. Funded through the the People's postcode lottery, the funding is available for projects which can show visible results after around three months. The Trust has six subject areas where it wants to focus its money, including environmental protection and community development. Applications to the current round of funding need to be submitted by April 23rd 2010 and you can find further information on our Toolbox by clicking here .

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BDP know from Planning for Real exercises that the issue of Dog Fouling is top of the problem list. If this is your concern you might be interested in being proactive in setting up a Green Dog Walkers Scheme devised by a community group in Denny. and now rolled out across Falkirk Council's area. It involves signing "a pledge" to be a responsible dog owner , wearing a green arm band to signify support and encouraging others to do likewise. Further information is available here. If you are interested in setting up a local groupthen contact your local Community Planning Officer ( in Buchan - Steph Swales steph.swales@aberdeenshire.gov.uk)

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Attention 10 - 14 yr olds! Get a chance to turn your project in to reality through attending a 3 day training course and get £200 in funding towards your idea. Network Rail's NO MESSIN' programme is just the thing for you. Download details today!.

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BT Community Connections scheme. If your group is looking to get online you can apply for a laptop and year’s free broadband connection today in Round 2 of the BT Community Connections Scheme.! (But you have to go online to do so!). More information available on the Toolbox by clicking here or you can apply at www.btcommunityconnections.com. Just remember to complete your application by Thursday 7 January 2010 at 17.30. A list of all winners will be available on the website on Monday 8 March 2010.

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Funding available for winter celebrations! If you run a group for older people why not apply for a Winter Celebration Grant from Age Concern. Upto £500 is available towards the cost of winter celebrations‚ outings‚ or one-off events - for example‚ theatre trips‚ day outings‚ parties‚ and dinners. Download an application form here or contact them for a form on 020 8765 7738, but hurry as the closing date is 11th December

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All SCVO member Village Halls can now purchase their energy collectively using their ability to buy directly from the wholesale markets dramatically reducing their risk and exposure to this volatile To help reduce your costs SCVO has teamed up with Utility Aid, specialist energy consultants to the charity and not-for-profit sector. Utility Aid provide a FREE energy procurement service and have recently set up a new market leading energy purchasing scheme which allows you to buy your gas and electricity directly from the wholesale market. Recently halls in the Highlands joined this scheme to great results. To take advantage of this scheme.All you need to do is send a copy of your latest utility bills along with the attached letter of authority to ; Utility Aid Ltd, 6 Market Street. Sleaford. Lincolnshire NG34 7SF

Utility Aid will then send you a contract for entry into the wholesale energy basket scheme which commences again on 1st April 2010,

NB CLOSING DATE 25.12.2009

If your existing contract is not aligned, please don't worry because Utility Aid will procure a short term contract for you at the cheapest price available that will align you to the wholesale basket.If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact Paul or his team on the details listed below;

VISIT : www.utility-aid.co.uk/charityenergybasket/ For full details or contact Lotte Harrison
Sales Executive T: 0808 178 8170 (freephone)

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Training for Social Enterprises - Aberdeenshire CVS Training Initiative ,through liaison with Social Enterprise Academy, First Port and Social Firms Scotland, is organising a range of training in 2010 targeted at the Social Enterprise Sector. But they need to know what the need is and what sort of training you are looking for . If you are interested contact Shirley Leask by 30th November on 01358 722205.

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New Funding streams open - Sport for Change, Computers for Rural People, The Scottish Community Foundation whose donors include some with a particular interest in the Aberdeen/shire area,and would welcome applications to supportprojects in the area that it might match to their funds. Bovril has announced a new fund - Repair the Great Outdoors - to help communities repair outside facilities. You nominate and then vote for projects and the 5 projects with most votes get the funding. There are not many nominations for Scotland yet. It is worth looking at the website just for the fun value!. UnLtd 2010 Millennium Awards (Level 2) competition for Social Entrepreneurs is now open with closing date of 22nd March 2010. Looking for funding for Arts and Crafts in the community - check out the Making a Splash grant.

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Third Sector Resilience Fund just opened for 5 week period - must close on 4th December!. This Government fund has the potential to give immediate help to Third Sector organisations to mitigate the twin impacts of recession on some organisations of increased demand for their services and cash flow difficulties. Grants of between £10,000 and £100,000 will potentially be available to Third Sector organisations which can demonstrate how the recession has led to increased demand or significantly undermined their services. The fund could cover core costs, overheads, marketing but not buildings.

You will need to hurry to apply - all the guidance notes and application forms are available on the website. For further information you can contact one of the team - Polly Chapman - 01463 663 918;
Mary Lyden - 0141 305 4176; Gareth Allen - 0141 271 3775; Ricky Gachagan - 0141 271 3740;
Guthrie Handley - 0141 305 4172

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Do you live in the Formartine area of Aberdeenshire? If so, you will want to sign up for Formartine Partnership Ltd's newly re-launched E- Bulletin which will be emailed out 5 or 6 times a year filled with news of the Partnership and community groups in the area and packed with useful information. To join the mailing list contact Rod Gunson on rod.gunson@formartine.org.uk or telephone 01358 726452.

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Interested in Environmental Issues around the coastal area? Why not attend East Grampain Coastal Partnership's (EGCP) Annual Forum and AGM on Tuesday, 24th November at the Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen from 10am (for AGM ) or Regstration from 10.30am until 3.40pm. The morning session will focus on the upcoming Marine Bill, while the afternoon will be dedicated to Green Tourism with a number of workshops and speakers. The event is free of charge. To register contact Ian Hay on 01224 395151 or email i.hay@macaulay.ac.uk. Please state any dietary requirements.

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The BBC has announced that the next funding round of the BBC Children in Needis now open for applications; the next closing date will be the 15th January 2010, with grant decisions and notifications in late April 2010.

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The Scottish Government has announced a major change to the way that rural community facilities will be funded through the Scotland Rural Development Programme. The Rural Community Services and Facilities option will shortly be transferred from Rural Priorities into the LEADER programme. More information will appear on the Toolbox when available

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Go Play is a new programme being run by Inspiring Scotland in partnership with the Scottish Government which aims to help registered charities within the play sector in Scotland grow and offer increased opportunities for play to children in Scotland aged 5 to13 years. Not all of the funding strands apply to Aberdeenshire but full information on what you can apply for can be found on our Toolbox by clicking here. A closing date is being set for the beginning of November so it is important to get off the mark as soon as possible!

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The Mary Salmond Trust now has a website from which application forms can be downloaded. Click here for further details from our Toolbox.

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Need some Software? Eligible charities can register with the Charity Technology Exchange scheme, which gives them access to donated technology products from organisations such as Microsoft andCisco. The charity can select suitable products from an on-line catalogue and apply
to receive them. An administrative fee is charged for each application, but you can still expect to make
savings of over 90% on standard retail prices. You can find further information and eligibility
details at http://www.ctxchange.org

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Scottish Arts Council - has a number of new awards available including Amb:IT:ion Scotland a new programme aimed at helping arts organisations achieve sustainable organisational change and improve their capacity for audience engagement, through implementing integrated IT and digital development; Writing and Storytelling Fellowships and Scotland's Artist in Residence programme. Much of the funding is for professional groups but some is suitable for community groups.Check out our Toolbox page.

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Ellon Rotary Community Grant - up to a maximum £1,000 is available for projects in the area covered by Ellon Rotary (this includes the south of Buchan) developing initiatives and improvement within the following sectors:-Education, Community,Environmental, Local Charities and any other socially responsible areas. Details available from our Toolbox by clicking here.

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Good news for funding for Community facilities - there has been a substantial rise in Community Grant Rates within Scottish Rural Development Programme.

Following the recommendations of Peter Cook, whose review was published in June, the Governmenthas announed changes to the grant rate for community projects. All new applications coming in under the Community Services and Facilities (CSF) option will be considered for a 90% grant rather than the 50% currently in operation. The new grant rate will apply to projects approved from Spring 2010 onwards. Further details of dates for 2010 assessment rounds will be announced shortly but information on all the strands of SRDP funding can be found on our Toolbox.

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Want to plant some trees? The Woodland Trust in Scotland has launched a new scheme to encourage as many people as possible to plant new native woodlands. Successful applicants will get assistance with the design of new woodlands and with the submission of a funding application to the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP). If the SRDP application is successful the Trust will then organise contractors to undertake the planting and maintenance work. The scheme is available to all landowners in Scotland who wish to plant up a minimum of one hectare of land. You can find further details here .

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Aberdeenshire Council is developing a series of woodland management plans for Council owned woods across Aberdeenshire, including those at Aden, which will : List the features of the woodland; Identify the management objectives for the site; Set priorities for action over the next five years

Aberdeenshire Council would like to hear the views of local residents on these woodlands to help inform and identify priorities for future management as well as the resources required over the next 5 years.A short questionnaire is available by request from Aberdeenshire Council: e-mail: wiat@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or Telephone number: 01467 628574.

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Paths for All are currently trying to find out about any groups that are working to develop, maintain, and promote paths in their local area. They want to improve the support they can offer such groups and gather some feedback about a networking conference they will be organising for next year. If you would like to be on their database and input in to the planned conference contact fiona.mcinally@pathsforall.org.uk

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Business Know How North East - are offering two new programmes providing access to business skillsto help develop your organisation and its financial sustainability - .Realise Mentoring and Business on Board. Full details are available on our Toolbox.

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Funding for Tourism. The National Events Programme, run by EventScotland, offers funding to support events taking place outside Edinburgh and Glasgow which increase tourism and raise the profile of Scotland's regions.

The next funding round closes on October 2nd and will provide support for events taking place between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2011. Events should have some confirmed financial support from appropriate agencies; inspire and involve local communities and generate economic benefits amongst other criteria. For further information, click here to the Toolbox Link.

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Changes to Rural Priorities, part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme Applicants to the scheme can now bypass the Statement of Intent assessment stage if they choose. The bypass is at your own risk as you get no feedback on your proposals, but it does significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to get a proposal completed. It looks like there may be plans to provide an option to completely bypass the Statement of Intent stage in the future.

Forestry projects will now be assessed on an on-going basis, rather than just at the committee meetings - again this should speed things up as the assessment committees only meet three times a year. It'll only apply to non-contenious applications with a total value of £250,000 or less. For all other projects, the deadline for the next assessment round is fast approaching, with applications needing to be submitted by August 31st and committed by September 21st. You can find further information on the Toolbox.

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Announcing a new publication by Andy Wightman (who has spoken at our BDP Forum) - Community Land Rights. A Citizen's Guide. It provides an overview of land rights belonging to communities, sources and techniques for undertaking research and a series of short case studies. It is of use to anyone seeking to investigate local land rights either on behalf of their community on on a personal basis. It includes

• an overview of community land rights
• research sources and techniques including how to interrogate the only ever comprehensive map-based survey of landownership in GB and Ireland - the Lloyd George 1910 Land Valuation Survey
• a series of case studies

Copies at £15 plus £2 p&p are available from http://www.andywightman.com/shop.htm

from where you can download a contents page.

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Has your community got the "X Factor"? If you have you will be interested to know that moves are afoot to gauge interest in an inter-community competition in Aberdeenshire provisionally called Oor Talent. The idea would be that each Community will hold their own Oor Talent Competition and from their own deciding concert, the top three acts will compete against winners from all the other areas. The final winner and runners up, including the last 12 acts from this, will form a touring concert and perform throughout Aberdeenshire in each of the areas that signs up to this idea.

DO NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY to help your local talent be recognised. The more people that sign up, the more finance will be available and remember, you will be engaging and helping your Community. So sign up now by contacting John Lewis, Chair of Donside Community Council either by post or email 2, Hay's Court, Alford, Aberdeenshire AB33 8GE Email johnlewis101@btinternet.com

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We all know of people in Buchan who have made an outstanding contribution to their community. Then why not nominate them for THE QUEEN'S AWARD FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE? The Award is a national honour equivalent to the MBE but it relies on nominations.Check out their website or telephone them for more details.
Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, Consolidated, 22 Endell Street, London WC2H 9AD
Telephone: 020 7781 2397
Email: queensaward@consolidatedpr.com
http://www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk

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Interested in Tourism? If so, why don't you have a look at the Tourism!nnovat!onGroup website (yes, it does have those exclamation marks in the title!) It is full of details of different tourism initiatives in Scotland which might give you some ideas and you can sign up for a e-newsletter which will keep you up to date with all the latest developments in Tourism.

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Some new funding opportunties have been put on the Toolbox. Click on the links for more information - Cruden Foundation Grants Fund - for community groups; Unltd Sports Relief Programme - to help young people participate in sport; Scottish International Education Trust - helps individuals and community groups contribute to the cultural, social and economic wellbeing of Scotland.

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Land reform (Scotland) Act: Community Right To Buy - The Scottish Government's Community Assets Branch has recently published revised guidance on using Part 2 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 (Community right to buy provisions). For an electronic copy click here.

The Scottish Government have also produced a Rural Communities Mapping Tool, designed to help Community Bodies identify their communities. It can be used to identify areas of excluded land, postcode units and sectors and settlement areas. The Mapping Tool is available on-line by clicking here

They have also produced a revised application form for registrations of interest under the community right to buy legislation, which is the same form for re-registrations. To download a copy visit the Scottish Government website

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Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership (ACPP) latest e-bulletin is available by clicking here. If you haven't already discovered it have a look at the the ACPP website ouraberdeenshire.org.uk which is full of very useful information, from shire wide policy information down to local initiatives.

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People's Postcode Trust - has recently opened and provides funding up to £2,000 for non-charities and up to £10,000 for a wide range of community projects. Check out the Toolbox for full details

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BIGLottery Fund - following a major consultation process the BIG has unveiled its funding strategy for the next six years. In Scotland they plan to continue with some elements of the Investing in Communities programme and will link in with the Scottish Government's priorities. There is still some "improving and refocusing" to be done so the programme won't open for applications until June 2010. In the meantime, Awards for All and Investing in Ideas will continue to take applications in Scotland for grants of up to £10,000. Full details of these are on our Toolbox.

You can find a full copy of the strategy here and the Scotland specific details can be found on page 17

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OSCR news. The Scottish charity regulator (OSCR) and the Institute of Fundraising have published new guidance on charity fundraising in Scotland. The guidance is in response to the Charities and Benevolent Fundraising (Scotland) regulations which came into force on July 1st, 2009. The regulations specify how charity fundraisers must operate in terms of both the charity itself and the donating public. The guidance covers street fundraising, door-to-door collections and telephone fundraising. Further information on cash and goods collections is expected to be clarified in additional regulations, due for production in 2010.

You can find further information on the new regulations and a copy of the guidance here .

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Business Gateway are providing fully funded workshops for Start-up Businesses and Growing Businesses in the North East. To be held in Aberdeen, Inverurie and Peterhead between July and September, the topics will included Start-up, finances and grants, taxes, employing people and many others. For more information on how to book visit the website.

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A new resource for Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprises - A major new web resource for social entrepreneurs has just gone live in the form of www.socialenterpriselive.com - the new website for Social Enterprise magazine.

Social Enterprise aims to be the most engaging, informative and useful resource for people who are passionate about changing lives, building communities and nurturing the environment through business and entrepreneurship.

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Are you a Charity worried about the effects of the current recession? The Charity Commission and the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) have joined forces to produce a checklist of fifteen questions which they believe charities should consider, to help them survive the current recession.

Although the Charity Commission only regulates charities in England and Wales, the questions are pertinent to any organisation that needs to keep its head above the financial waters. They cover strategy, governance, financial health and use of resources and are headlined as 'Big Board Talk - the conversation all charities need to have'. You can find the questions and some pointers to further information (but be aware that some links will be England and Wales specific) here .

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Free mentoring support for enterprising third sector organisations. Support in the form of mentoring is available for third sector organisations who want to develop their skills.Supported by a range of organisations including the Scottish Government, groups can access confidential mentoring from business mentors with various backgrounds. The assistance can last for up to twelve months and can be on a one-to-one, group or on-line basis. To get further information and find out if your organisation is eligible, have a look at their website .

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Big Issue Invest is launching a Social Enterprise Investment Fund. This will provide risk capital for social enterprises that have the capacity for scale, profitability and significant social impact. They will be looking to finance the growth of existing social enterprises and businesses, but will also consider early stage businesses that have a strong business model and management. Investment may be used for a variety of purposes, for example, working capital, asset purchase or acquisitions of other businesses, converting them into social enterprises. Investments will be from £50,000 to £500,000, with the possibility of additional future investment depending on the success of the business. They seek to be actively involved as a strategic partner, typically through Board representation. Fuller details will be posted on the Toolbox when they become available but in the meantime you can keep an eye on their website for further details.

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150 stacking hall chairs available from Harvest Church, Peterhead in quite good condition - FREE but to be collected. Contact Margaret Baird on 01779 838797 or by email: margaret.w.baird@btinternet.com

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Comic Relief Funding Programme announced - Click here to view the new Programmes. . The funding for community project has been devolved to the Scottish Community Foundation and comprises a Main programme and Express Grants for amounts up to £2,000.

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BBC Children in Need - Fun and Friendship, a grant programme for disabled young people. This has opened for short period with final closing dates on 31st July. All information can be found on the Fun and Friendship website.

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18 funding surgeries are being held across Scotland to help youth organisations apply to the CashBack for Communities Fund (up to £10,000 available for grants for projects which support young people who are currently involved or at risk of becoming involved in violence, alcohol, drugs and or anti-social behaviour.)

First time applicants are strongly encouraged to attend a surgery before submitting an application form.Participants can attend any surgery, however to reserve a place they must email Hazel Selby at
hselby@youthlink.co.uk providing their contact details and indicating which surgery they wish
to attend. Details of the surgery locations and times are available here.
NB Organisations seeking funding for summer school holiday projects must submit
an application immediately so that an assessment and decision can be made as soon as
possible. This will enable their award to be processed for a July start.

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Unltd Advantage - is a premier investment readiness programme in the social enterprise sector, preparing social enterprises for introduction to the appropriate investment provider. For more information on how this could benefit your social enterprise click here.

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Funding for Rural Communities - A further two funding rounds for Rural Priorities will take place in 2009 - one in August and one in November The deadline for completed applications to be assessed in August is June 22 and for November it will be September 21. Details of the SRDP programme can be found on our Toolbox by clicking here.

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Village SOS! We're sure there are communities in Buchan who could apply for this!

The search is on for six UK villages with fewer than 3,000 people with a great business idea that will bring new life to their community. The best ideas will receive funding of up to £400,000 each from the Big Lottery Fund. Go to the BIG Lottery website for information

They are also looking for six Village Champions, enterprising individuals who will work with the successful villages to launch and run their brand new businesses.The BBC is looking for individuals with a can-do attitude and a track record of running a successful enterprise or project. Village Champions will move to their new community for a year and will each receive a £30,000 pa salary. Click here to apply.

Their stories will be followed for a major primetime series for BBC One in winter 2010. Closing date for both applications is 14th August.

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Are you looking for specialised help with your project? Why not contact The Pool which is Development Trust Association Scotland's (DTAS) new practitioner consultancy service, a collaboration between DTAS and its member trusts. It draws on the unique and very valuable asset that lies within DTAS members, staff and wider contacts - a wealth of grassroots expertise and knowledge of community regeneration, asset development and cultivating local enterprise. It has been established to give communities a consultancy service made up of experts in their field and at the same time further the aims and objectives of ,and generate income fo, DTAS and member trusts. For full details click here.

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Aberdeenshire Health Improvement Fund has just opened. The sole purpose of the fund is to support Health Improvement work and address inequalities in health across Aberdeenshire. The fund can be accessed by anyone who is working towards improving the health of the local community or communities of interest in a way that meets local needs and reflects local circumstances. Grants normally up to £1,000. Guidance on the applications including full details on Criteria can be found here, together with details of the area contacts for the Public Health Co-ordinators who can provide application forms and discuss your project. Closing date for applications is Friday 26th June

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ILA (Individual Learning Acccount) Funded training now available at Bites which has now become an approved ILA centre. Please contact ILA Scotland on 0808 100 1090 to see if you eligible to apply for up to £200.00 towards a course.

Forthcoming training courses at Bites include Digital Photography, Computers don’t Bite, Computer Husbandry, MS applications (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher), ECDL. NB you must have ILA funding before registering on any funded course.

For further information on any of BITES courses, contact Denise or Janet 01771 619181.

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Village Halls - if you run a village/community hall have you checked out SCVO's dedicated Village Halls website? It's a one stop shop for news, information and networking for anyone involved in managing a village hall or community building in Scotland. There are lots of examples of successful hall projects looking at funding, using renewable energy and even how to process your bookings. Go to their website to see what they have to offer.

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Some new funding......Looking for funding for a Feasibility Study? - then have a look on the Toolbox at the Scottish Community Projects Grant which can fund up to £2,000 for Architect's fees as part of this.

Or for a small amount of funding (upto £750) with few strings attached and a wide criteria the Wakeham Trust might be for you.

East Grampian Coastal Partnership's (EGCP) Community Grant Scheme provides upto £1,000 for environmental work in their area.

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Help with Renewable Energy projects - The Scottish Government has developed a Community Renewable Energy Toolkit packed with information on how to decide on the best type of renewable energy for your community project. It does not assume any detailed knowledge of the topic and so allows you to decide where to start - whether this means looking at the basics of energy generation and use, or at specific detail of a particular renewable energy technology. For more information and a link to the Toolkit click here. You will also find information on this page relating directly to Aberdeenshire Council's advice on renewable energy and to the Energy 4All Scotland page which may be of interest if you are interested in linking with others doing renewable energy projects.

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All those interested in renewable energy will know of the Scottish Government's SCHRI Fund. This has now been rebranded as CARES (Communities and Renewable Energy Scheme) for communities, with help for individual householders being provided by Energy Saving Trust.

All the latest information on funding for renewable energy can be found on the Environment section ofour Toolbox.

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Have a look at the newly expanded Social Enterprise Section which can be found under the Support for Small Business section of the Toolbox (by clicking on the section to the left of this page). Some recently added funding information includes the Bridges Social Entrepreneurs Fund

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Thinking of starting a social enterprise but feeling you could benefit from some extra guidance? If so, the 'Starting your social enterprise' programme could be just what you need.... and at a bargain price of £100 for an 8 day programme.

Run by the Social Enterprise Academy, in conjunction with Firstport and Scotland UnLtd, the programme is taking place in both Edinburgh and Glasgow this summer. It's an eight day programme, spread over four two-day sessions with the first session starting in Edinburgh this month. Sessions include understanding social enterprise; developing your social enterprise; financial issues and action planning and a final presentation of your business plan in the dragon's den. Thanks to a subsidy from the Scottish Government, costs are capped at £100 per participant. You can find further information and booking details here .

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Future Jobs Fund - last month's budget included an announcement about the Future Jobs Fund, which aims to create jobs for those aged 18 - 24 who are at risk of becoming long-term unemployed. A key element of the scheme is that the jobs created should also bring some community benefit. Large organisations and partnerships of groups have been invited to bid for delivering the jobs and the Government are keen to see Social Enterprises working in partnership with other Enterprises or Local Authorities to bid for the funding. More details are on the Futures Jobs Fund page on the Toolbox.

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Fetterangus Community Association success!

A Growing Community Assets award of £380,443 will allow the Fetterangus Community Association (FCA) to take forward its ‘PUFF power’ project. This will enable the local community take its first steps towards independent green energy creation by purchasing and operating a wind turbine to generate a sustainable income stream for the community. Some of this income will be used to develop the community hall run by FCA including a new kitchen that will enable the group to set up a social enterprise called Puff Pastry providing healthy low cost meals to local residents. The project will also improve energy awareness by helping local households with energy efficiency measures, such as insulation and advice specific to their homes. The whole project arose from two Planning for Real(R) exercises carried out by FCA in recent years - it just shows what can be done when the community comes together to identify need and works together to take ideas forward.

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Attention all Social Enterprises! Social Investment Scotland is conducting a survey to find out about the needs of social enterprise for investment funding. By completing the survey, you will be contributing to the improvement and accessibility of investment funding for social enterprises throughout Scotland, including, hopefully, your own. As an additional incentive, they are offering a website audit by Bannerman Technology through a prize draw. The names of all organisations that complete the questionnaire will be entered inthe prize draw.
The intention of the survey is to improve investment products for social enterprise, so that
packages are more relevant, more sector specific and more affordable. The findings from the
survey results will be published on the SIS website and will be the focus for discussions about
improving funding for social enterprise with Scottish Government, social enterprises and
intermediaries with a social enterprise support role.
All information provided will be treated as confidential and will not be used in any way that allows
the details of individual social enterprises to be identified. The survey is being conducted by
means of an on-line questionnaire. The questionnaire seeks your opinions about investment
funding. It mainly requires tick responses to the questions. They estimate that it will take about 15
minutes to complete. The deadline for returns is Wednesday 20th May 2009. You can go straight
to the questionnaire at www.socialinvestmentscotland.com/survey.cfm

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Scottish Government Town Centre Regeneration Fund - The Government are putting funds in to supporting the development of Town Centres. For details on who can apply and for what click here.

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New Fund for Sustainable Development Projects - The E.ON Sustainable Energy Fund has been developed to support community energy projects which either result in the production of energy from a sustainable source or which reduce the amount of energy used by a community organisation. Grants up to £20,000 available. Full details can be found by clicking on theToolbox link here.

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Funding for Forestry Projects - Details of two funds for forestry projects have been posted on the Toolbox, one for landowners nr towns Woodlands In and Around Towns and one for community groups Forestry For People Challenge Funds

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New online Aberdeenshire Disability Forum launched. Aberdeenshire Disability Action (ADA) has been hard at work developing a new forum for everyone to use. The new forum is being launched to enable and empower disabled people across the shire to have a platform to air their views, concerns and issues.Click here to access the site and take part in discussions - www.aberdeenshiredisabilityaction.org.

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Launch of the new Scotland National Rural Network website, which replaces the Rural Gateway website, has just been launched. It aims to connect rural Scotland in all its diversity to promote economic growth and community development.It provides news, information and networking opportunities for everyone living and working in rural Scotland, and helps them to keep in touch with similar communities in the rest of the UK, Europe and beyond. Through the use of interactive communication tools, it aims to facilitate the sharing of common issues and examples of good practice by rural development practitioners and stakeholders.

The site provides help with finding out about funding opportunities for a wide range of rural projects. It publicises events in Scotland and throughout the UK and Europe which will help promote sustainability and economic growth, and it disseminates information about innovative social, economic and environmental initiatives.

You can access the website and sign up to receive their email newsletter by clicking here.

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Attention all Charities - why not sign up for OSCR news. You can get all the uptodate news from OSCR if you sign up to receive their free two-monthly OSCR Recorder. Register to receive it by completing the simple online form at www.oscr.org.uk - it's quick and easy and keeps your charity up to speed.

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The Carnegie UK Trust UK has just published "Steps to successful Community-led Service Provision in Rural Areas". This is the result of a couple of years of research and features some interesting examples of community/sports centres that are being successfully run by communities.Click here to download the study. One of the aims of the research is "to advocate for a change in thinking and policy among government, statutory agencies, and funding bodies that allows them to enter into true, positive, forward thinking equal partnerships with community initiatives that between them have the ability, enthusiasm
and drive to create and sustain vibrant rural communities." It would be good if the results of this research contributed to that.

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Tourism - some new funding information for Tourism initiatives has been put on to the Toolbox so check them out if you are looking for funding for a project that will encourage more visitors to Scotland - VisitScotland Growth Fund and theTourism Innovation Fund. You might like to look at the Tourism Intelligence Scotland website which has a number of helpful publications on tourism that you can download.

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BDP’s Contribution to a major new Scottish Government Plan. On Monday the Scottish Govt launched its 'Community Empowerment Action Plan' in which the importance of strong local (anchor) organisations and asset ownership is clearly recognised. BDP was one of 12 groups selected from across Scotland to contribute to this document and Maud Village Trust features as one of the examples of excellent community development. You can have a look at the document here. Although there is no money set aside by the Government to specifically develop the actions identified in the plan the fact that Scottish Gov and COSLA have signed this joint statement of intent is in itself no small achievement.

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BTCV and BTCV Green Gym Activity Programme
BTCV Conservation volunteers work a full day on sites throughout Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. They aim to improve the local environment and access to it and increase biodiversity and encourage wildlife across our area. An excellent way to keep fit and do some good.
If you would like to find out more have a look at their activity programme for April to June 2009:

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Interested in Community Land issues and the Environment? Sign up to receive the Scottish Community Land Network e-bulletin which contains lots of interesting information. Go to their website to sign up.

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Help reduce your community’s carbon footprint and save money!

Does your community have any groups who want to work together to help improve the quality of life for present and future generations?

The Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) helps communities to realise their own projects for reduction of carbon emissions, and so bring about environmental, social and economic benefit.

Rural Partnerships in Aberdeenshire - including BDP - are looking for communities who want to be part of an Aberdeenshire-wide joint project which will also involve SCARF (Save Cash and Reduce Fuel) and the Macaulay Institute. It is intended to be a two-stage project. The first stage is to apply to CCF to fund a Project officer who will work with the communities who come forward, to develop their own projects and who will apply for funding for the second phase, to put these projects into fruition.

Some communities are developing projects of their own. However, one of the main benefits of participating in a joint application is that communities will have the potential to learn from, and support, each other and share expertise.

Examples of initiatives your community group could undertake:
• Help people in your village/town to save money with information on how to use less energy in their homes;
• Smart meters;
• Renewable energy projects;
• Improved insulation;
• Encourage people to walk and cycle more;
• Pilot low carbon food initiatives.

If you feel this is something groups in your community would like to be involved in, or if you just want to find out a bit more about the proposed Aberdeenshire application, please contact Dawn at BDP on 01771 613584 or by email

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New funding information is being added weekly to our Funding pages so keep checking them out. Latest information includes an update on the Voluntary Action Fund: Community Chest which provides up to £1,000 and free training. Click here for information. For bigger projects have a look at the Scottish Investment Fund recently launched by the Scottish Government.

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Make the most of YOUR right to know! The Scottish Information Commissioner has launched a new resource to support the voluntary sector in using the 'right to information' provided by Scotland's freedom of information laws. The new resource includes a web-portal with guidance on how to use freedom of information effectively and a telephone and email enquirey service. Visit their web-portal or call their enquiry service on 01334 464610 or email

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Do you want to see walking and cycling encouraged in Aberdeenshire? Then you might like to comment on a draft Walking and Cycling Action Plan which has been prepared by Aberdeenshire Council outlining the actions and policies that the Council will seek to implement to achieve its objectives for increased levels of walking and cycling, both or trips to work and leisure purposes.

The draft Action Plan is now subject to a six-week period of final public consultation and can be accessed from the Council's website www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/walkingandcycling

Written comments on the document are invited by email or by post to:
Mr Philip McKay, Strategy Manager, Walking and Cycling Action Plan,
Transportation and Infrastructure, Aberdeenshire Council, Woodhill House,
Aberdeen, AB16 5GB.
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Attention all Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprises in Aberdeenshire! Have a look at the new Networks 1st web portal which is designed to reflect the collective identity of the Local Social Enterprise Networks (LSENs) across Scotland. It provides SENs with the opportunity to share information and resources online but it also takes the form of gatherings, both regional and national. It is a platform where issues of common interest to all SENs can be aired. It acts as a broker and exchange of practical help and support and can help with the establishment of a SEN in an area.

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Conservation of woodlands: you can sign up to the Woodland Trust to receive all their latest information

To keep up with all that is going on within Scottish Government including all the latest deadlines on consultations and funding information click here

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Attention all Hall Committees: Marr Area Partnership has produced an excellent publication called Your Hall : A manual showing how to run your hall according to
Public Entertainment Licence regulations and customise the information to meet your needs. This will be available in late Spring on the MAP website but contact Dawn at the BDP office for more information in the meantime.

Latest Community Planning matters - you can click here to get the latest Community Planning bulletin for Aberdeenshire