New this week...
Visit to wildlife tourism project offered, Rural Direct roadshow, Planning guidance for Community Developments, Funding for forestry
***Stop
press*** Scottish Land Fund to be re-opened
Would you or your project, initiative or enterprise benefit from visiting an award winning charity which seeks to inspire people to appreciate and care for wildlife and the environment? Would you like to share ideas and experiences of wildlife tourism with a group of like minded people? If so then the visit organised by Rural Network to The Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick on Tuesday 27th March might be for you. Places will be limited for this visit, so anyone interested in attending is invited to submit an online application of interest to the Rural Network by the 7th March deadline. You can find out more, including a handy project host summary and the link to the online registration of interest form, by visiting our Wildlife Tourism project visit page on the Rural Network website.
Rural Direct is on the road this winter, running a series of roadshow events across Scotland aimed at helping rural communities to develop local projects and get the funding they need to make them work. Rural Direct doesn't provide funding, but it does offer information and support from an expert team of advisors who can help community groups to find their way through the rural development funding maze. At each event, an expert team of advisors will be on hand to help people find out more about rural development funding and to plan, develop and access funding for local projects.There are roadshows confirmed for Croy, Galashiels, Maybole, West Calder, Castle Douglas, Sanqhuhar, Balloch and Banff, with others still to be finalised.
Funding for fishing communities - the Scottish Government has allocated nearly £1.1 million to Aberdeenshire from the European Fisheries Fund Axis 4. The money will be matched by an equal sum from the public sector, meaning there will be a total of around £2.2 million available for local initiatives.The purpose of the European fund is to promote sustainable development of fisheries areas by supporting measures to build skills and knowledge and generally increase the capacity of local fishing communities and business networks through innovation, collaboration and diversification. For more information and to complete an Interest form please click here. Anyone with an interest in AEFF is invited to download, complete and submit the AEFF Expression of Interest form on the council website. See more information on the announcement on the Scottish Government's website.
Some interesting information from the Scottish Land Network:
Have trouble navigate the planning system? Then Planning Aid Scotland's new guide which aims to help people navigate the planning system as they develop community assets will be for you! .The guide provides people who are trying to develop community assets with an introduction to the planning issues they'll face, including advice on development management and community engagement, as well as information on specific topics such as renewable energy and allotments. It's particularly aimed at Development Trusts, Social Enterprises, Hall Associations and Community Councils. It's called Planning for Community Developments and you can download a copy here.
A new grant for planning productive forestry is being piloted this year. The grant is paid at £100/hectare for planting proposals which are greater than 30 hectares. It's designed to help cover the costs of undertaking special assessments when preparing planting proposals such as landscape design assessments, historic and cultural assessments and establishing stakeholder interests. The grant will be focused on productive conifers, but can also be used for productive broadleaves and Foresetry Commission Scotland hope it will help to encourage more productive forestry. You can read more about the grant here.
Grimble's
Green Grants - upto £2,000 available for
green projects. On-line application and closing date of
30th November so get cracking! Click here
for more information.
Aberdeen
City and Aberdeenshire Councils are hosting a How
to Win (more) Tenders and Influence People training event.
Designed for companies with experience of bidding for work
who want to improve their tender performance, quality of
their bids or aspire to bidding for bigger contracts. The
event is free of charge and places will be allocated on
a first come basis.Tuesday 8th November 2011; 9.30am - 4.00pm
with registration, tea and coffee from 09.00am and Tuesday
22nd November. (A light lunch will also be provided).Both
at Woodhill House. For more information contact Gemma Brown,
e: gemma.brown@drs.glasgow.gov.uk or t: 0141 287 727
Cycling
Scotland's Cycle Friendly & Sustainable Communities
Fund is now open. Grants of up to £10,000
are available to community-led projects aiming to increase
the number of trips made by bicycle Full details, including
application form, can be found here.The
deadline for applications to go before the first selection
panel is the 20th November 2011. Applicants
are encouraged to discuss their proposal ahead of submission
- contact Christopher Johnson from Cycling Scotland on 0141
229 5353.
Attention
Social Enterprises! Social EnterpriseLive has announced
the arc project, a free service for social enterprises,
providing the best expert support and business opportunities
to help you grow.An initiative of Business in the Community
in partnership with Social Enterprise UK, supported by BP
and Deloitte , arc will provide a unique, comprehensive
package of in-depth long-term engagement with large established
businesses to help you expand your business. BUT
Social enterprises have until Friday November 4th 2011 to
apply for this unique package of support, which will
begin in December 2011
Dormant
Bank account monies. It looks like it won't be
long now before the much-talked-about dormant bank account
money may finally be on its way to communities. . The Scottish
government has given formal instructions to the Big lottery
fund on the themes to be used when distributing the money.
The four themes are:
Opportunities for children and young people
Addressing health inequalities through increased activity
Bridging the gap between older and young people
Creating community based employment opportunities
It's hoped that the first grants might be going out by spring
2012 and we will keep you upt to date with progress in the
BDP newspage!
Zero
Waste Scotland has launched its Community Engagement
Fund which aims to help community-based projects with zero
waste aims fund resources and undertaking training. Successful
projects are likely to be related to waste prevention and
reduction, litter, food waste or recycling. Funding of up
to £10,000 is available per group and applications
can be submitted at the end of each month between now and
January 2012. Full details on the Toolbox
Group
of young people looking for funding? Then LIVE
UnLtd awards might just be for you. They offer up to £5,000
to help deliver ideas from 11-21 year olds which could change
their communities for the better. For more details click
here.
Voting
now open for projects under RBS CommunityForce Funding.
Why not have a look to see what's going on where you live?
You can find out more, volunteer, or vote for your favourite
projects by clicking here.
Village
SOS Competition—Deadline extended to the
20th October 2011. Projects in rural areas with fewer than
3,000 inhabitants. A total of £5.3 million in funding
is available through the competition to support the setting
up of 250 community businesses with awards of between £10,000
and £30,000 particularly to support enterprising ideas
that will use the skills of local people, and the area's
natural resources, land and buildings.For more information
click here,
Voluntary
Action Fund (VAF) Community Chest can provide grants
of up to £1,000 and free training to groups with an
annual income under £25,000. Groups can apply for
funding for a wide range of activities or operational costs.
VAF are also keen to fund groups in West Dunbartonshire,
South Lanarkshire or North Ayrshire; work with disability
or health related issues; whose beneficiaries might be disadvantaged
through their ethnicity, disability, gender or sexual orientation;
and provide childcare. The next deadline is the 15th January
2012. For more information click here
Registered
charities and community organisations in Scotland can once
again apply for up to £100,000 from the People’s
Postcode Trust to deliver a new and innovative
12-month project that meets one of the following funding
criteria:
• Helping Communities Lead an Active Life
• Helping to Involve Volunteers
• Helping to Tackle Climate Change
All applications must be submitted by at least two organisations,
one of which must be a registered charity.Deadline: 2 December
2011. Winners will be announced on 31 January 2012. click
here for
information.
Yorkshire
and Clydesdale Bank Foundation funds charities
and community groups in areas close to Clydesdale Bank branches
with financial support for projects that meet one or more
of the following priorities:
• The advancement of environmental protection or improvement
• The advancement of citizenship through initiatives
that support and promote volunteering
• The advancement of financial education including
initiatives that promote accessibility to both financial
education and financial services
• The advancement of community development through
initiatives that build and strengthen local communities.
Click here
for further information..
Does
your project aim to combat fuel poverty? If so
you can apply for up to £50000 through the Scottish
Power Energy People Trust. As well as funds to manage crisis
and helping income maximisation, a main focus is on Energy
Efficiency measures and advice - for example, improving
home energy efficiency through draught proofing, insulating
and offering energy efficiency advice. Priority will be
given to projects aimed at helping families with young children
and young people. The next closing date for applications
is the 18th October 2011. For more information go to the
Toolbox
link.
It
is always good to celebrate achievements and get awards
so here is ome information from the Scottish Community Land
Network's latest e-newsletter on different awards you could
nominate a project for:
The
Big Society awards are now into their second year
and look to acknowledge individuals and organisations who
are promoting social action, empowering communities and
opening up public services. The next deadline for nominations
is October 4th and you can find further details here.The
Ashden awards celebrate practical, local
energy solutions. Applications have to be submitted by October
25th, 2011 and judges will be looking for projects that
meet a variety of criteria. You can find all the application
details here.
The Black Horse community venture award is
for projects with a social benefit in the Edinburgh, Lothians
and Fife area. Successful projects could receive up to 100
days of volunteering time and £5,000. You can find
the very simple application form here.
Triodos bank sponsor a social enterprise
photo competition. There are cash prizes for both the photographer
and the social enterprise. This year's competition closes
on October 31st, so time to get snapping. You can find entry
details here.
Whilst
rail travel remains the safest form of transport, there
are still an alarming number of incidents attributed to
either malicious acts or lack of awareness in relation to
safe practice in and around the railway infrastructure.
Small grants (up to £500) and larger grants
(up to £2,000) are available through the
Scottish Community Safety Network to
provide opportunities for Network Rail to engage with communities
and community projects while delivering safety messages
around rail safety.
Deadline: Deadlines are quarterly. The next deadline is
28 October 2011. You should hear the outcome within a month.
Attention
Arts and Crafts groups in Aberdeenshire! Your
help is need to take part in a National Voluntary Arts Survey
(created by Voluntary Arts Scotland in partnership with
Aberdeenshire Council Arts Team) to find out the size, range
and functions of the voluntary arts and crafts sector in
Scotland. They are especially keen to secure a high response
rate from groups within Aberdeenshire. This can be done
either online at www.vascotland.org.uk/15542 or by post.
Contact Cassandra email:research@vascotland.org.uk or tel:
0131 225 9790 for details. The deadline is 7 October 2011.
Each group that completes the survey will be entered into
a prize draw, with the chance to win £300 to put towards
their activities.
The
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)
guidance on charity accounts (link below) has been updated
to reflect new regulations The principal change is that
the threshold for producing Receipts & Payments Accounts
has been raised to £250,000 for charities which are
not companies. Charity trustees must prepare accounts that
comply with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland)
Act 2005 and Regulations and subject them to the appropriate
external scrutiny. For more information click here.
.
Bank
of Scotland Foundation's Small Grants Programme
has opened applications for its 3rd round. Grants of up
to £20,000 are available for charities registered
in Scotland. It particularly seeks to help with:
• Developing and improving local communities
• Financial literacy and financial inclusion
Further information and application forms can be found on
the Toolbox.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm, Friday
14th October 2011.
The
Prince's Countryside Fund has re-opened with a deadline
of Friday 14th October for applications. to help rural areas
in the United Kingdom to become more sustainable .The total
amount of funding available in each round is approximately£250,000.
The maximum level of funding for individual projects will
be £50,000 Applications will be accepted from organisations
that can demonstrate the support of the community which
will benefit from the project and show evidence of consulting
the community
Coalfields
Community Challenge (Deadline: 30th September
2011) The Coalfields
Regeneration Trust is looking for up to 10 would be
entrepreneurs living or working in former coal mining areas,
who want to launch their own new social business. The Programme
aims to support people with new, imaginative and innovative
ideas that create jobs and respond to worklessness in Scotland's
coalfield areas. To register, please call David Wright on
(01259) 272127 or visit www.coalfields-regen.org.uk
Want
to find out more about Employment Law and Regulations?
A FREE workshop for 3rd Sector Organisations has been organised
by Business Gaeway to help you understand best practice
in the recruitment, management and development of your employees.
The workshop will be held on Thursday 6th October
– 6.30 – 9.30pm at the Enterprise Business
Centre, Admiral Course, Poynernook Road, Aberdeen AB11 5QX.
To book your place contact Shirley at the CVS Training Initiative
Tel: 01358 722205 Email: admin@cvstraininginitiative.org.uk
An
interesting new online approach to fundraising called "Crowdfunding"
has been set up by SoLoCo. Popular in the USA it connects
communities online, allowing projects or causes the chance
to appeal directly to the public for funds for a specific
campaign. The project uploads its crowdfunding campaign
to the SoLoCo website and they then have 60 days in which
to fundraise, with a heavy focus on social media. For more
information and to look at projects already uploaded click
here.
Creative
Scotland is
hosting Investment Surgeries across Scotland. Meet Creative
Scotland staff face-to-face to talk about your project and
their Investment Programmes. September’s surgeries
will be held in:Creative
Scotland office, Glasgow – 15 September (2pm-4pm),
Eden Court, Inverness – 15 September (4pm –
6pm), Macphail Centre, Ullapool – 16 September (12noon
– 2pm)
There are many, varied programmes so you should read the
guidelines for the programme you are interested in before
your surgery to ensure that you and your project meet the
criteria for investment. To book an appointment, email:
pmo@creativescotland.com
CashBack
for Communities Small Grants Scheme Roadshows are taking
place in the coming months to help you find out more about
the scheme, give advice , help and practical support on
how to apply. Locations are MidLothian, Boders, Shetland
and Orkney- for dates, times and exact locations For more
information, please contact Youth Scotland on 0131 554 2561
or email office@youthscotland.org.uk
If
you are interested in seeing what rural social entrepreneurs
are doing in the rest of the world and capture some good
practice then you might be interested in the new Rural Entrepreneurship
Gateway whcih has been launched by the European Network
for Rural Development. The aim of the online resource is
to allow you to find information on a wide range of issues
connected to rural entrepreneurship. Find out more in New
Rural Enterpreneurship Gateway online.
Village
SOS - have you been watching the BBC programmes
following communities who won money to develop their projects
- fascinating! A smaller pot of funding has just been announced
for rural communities - upto £30,000 to develop an
enterprise project. Closing date is 5th October and full
information can be found by clicking here.
Last
chance for Comic Relief Funding - Comic
Relief has just announced its last round of funding
under the current priorities. There are different closing
dates for the various strands but all are in October. So
if you have a project that fits with the current criteria
then get it in by then. The programme will then close until
the new strategy launch in spring 2013 with grant making
resuming in summer 2013
Enterprise
Growth Fund
now
launched. This supports business development in the 3rd
Sector. but note that a deadline for submission
of on-line Initial Enquiry forms has been set for 5pm on
Monday 19th September 2011
New
guide on Community Shares - Locality and Co-operatives
UK have produced a new guide to community shares.The resource
is written as a 'practitioners' guide, and includes sections
on business models, community engagement, governance and
share offers. You can download a copy of the guide for free
here
Interested
in support for your communtiy group? The Scottish
Community Development Centre (SCDC) is looking for applications
for its Achieving Community Empowerment support programme.The
programme provides at least 10 days of support to selected
community groups over a year. The support focuses on helping
groups to identify their strengths and weaknesses; developing
a plan of action and reviewing achievements. Any community
group can apply and applications needs to be received by
August 31st, 2011. To get a copy of the application form
and guidance notes, email aileen@scdc.org.uk.
Do
you run your village hall? If so you might be interested
in the quality awards scheme that has been launched by SCVO
for village halls and community buildings.
The KeyStone scheme includes a guide to best practice, which
covers topics such as managing people, managing money, legislation
and regulation. It provides a series of check lists and
other resources and recognises progression through the awards
scheme. It's free to take part and you can find further
details here.
Attention
all Community Council members! The Association
of Scottish Community Councils has just announced their
new online training programmes and accredited training courses
as part of their continuing support to Community Councils
across the country. The On- Line Training and Tutorial Web
Site contains lessons and tutorials for Community Councils
and their members, along with toolkits and resources to
assist in daily governance. To find out more about what
is on offer click here.
Looking
for free advice, grant funding and finance for renewable
energy projects developed by community groups? Have
a look at the Community
Energy Scotland page on the Toolbox.
Development
Trusts Association for Scotland (DTAS) annual conference
open for bookings.
The theme of the conference - which is to be held on 4th/5th
September at Westerwood Hotel & Conference Centre, Cumbernauld–
is “Development Trusts - Creating the Future”
and has 15 workshop sessions ranging from inspiring member
stories to new opportunities for development trusts, and
from legal advice and funding to the community ownership
of assets, with more than enough time built into the programme
to network with other development trust colleagues. For
the full programme, or to book a place(s) on line click
here.
New
support and funding for Social Enterprises. The
Scottish Government has launched a new support mechanism
for social enterprises called Just
Enterprise, with a complimentary funding package to
be found in the Enterprise
Growth Fund to be launched at the end of August. Full
information can be found on our Toolbox by clicking on the
links.
Looking
for Health and safety training? . CVS
are running a series of ESF funded free courses for volunteers
and staff of social enterprises in Aberdeen city and shire
in September - November. Topics covered will include Food
Hygiene, Health and Safety and First Aid. Closing date to
register for bookings is 1st August and thereafter will
be opened to the rest of the voluntary sector. For full
information and details on booking click here.
2011
SURF Awards Entries are now being accepted for
the 2011 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration.
If you are aware of a project or initiative that you believe
deserves particular recognition,why not consider nominating
it for a 2011 SURF Award in one of four categories: People,
Place, Partnership and Employability for All. The
application process is designed to be simple and straightforward,
and the closing date this year is Monday 12th September
2011. For more information click here,
Doing
a bit of outdoor work this summer? The CSV Action
Earth grants are currently open for applications.
There are three types of grant: easy access £50 grants
for groups of volunteers wanting to carry out practical
environmental work in their community; £250 grants
for projects that are improving or creating habitats for
wildlife which will enhance biodiversity in Scotland and
£500 grants for work on Local Nature Reserves. The
grants are distributed on a first come, first served basis
and you can find further details here.
If
you need funding for green energy projects have a look at
Scottish Power Green
Energy Trust and EDF
Green Fund
BT
Community Connections has re-opened again to provide
12 months' free broadband from BT for community groups who
want to help people access the internet and improve their
ICT skills. Full details available here
The closing date for applications is Thursday 15th September
2011 at 5.30pm.
New
Big Lottery Fund - Community Spaces Scotland - has just
opened. This is aimed at helping communities take
responsibility for, their local environment, communal spaces
and places. HOWEVER it is aimed at the areas of greatest
need in Scotland so check out your eligibility on their
postcode checker before going any further. All details
available on the Toolbox.
The
Community Food and Health Scotland (CFHS) has announced
that their small grant scheme
is now open to applications. Grants from £500 to £3,000
are available to groups and agencies
who would like to tackle one or more of the barriers to
healthy eating, such as affordability or
availability The deadline for applications is the 12th August
2011.
For more information click here.
Having
trouble funding transport to visit outdoor places of interest?
Then the new Outdoors4all fund might help.
Run by Buchan Countryside Group on behalf of SNH this grant
of 50% is available for community/voluntary groups to help
meet the costs of bus hire to take non-school "clients"
to a local site where there are facilities and/or opportunities
for enjoying the natural heritage. For more details click
here.
Some
closing dates:
European
Year of Volunteering Small Grant Fund - applications
close on 15th September.
Fairer
Scotland Fund closing dates announced for the
rest of the year - 1st July, 29th August, 21st September.
Social
Enterprise in Scotland - A Guide to Who’s
Who in Scotland 2011 has been published by Senscot
and Highland and Islands Enterprise. It provides an introduction
to Scotland’s social enterprise sector. View the guide
here.
Great
opportunities for FREE training from Business Gateway for
start-up or growing businesses in Aberdeen city and shsire.
For the latest training programme for May to September for
start-up click here.
and for Growth click
here.
Are
you engages with the development of community energy projects
in Aberdeenshire? If so Eric Wells, the Renewable Energy
Development co-ordinator would like to hear from you The
objective would be to provide a forum for the exchange of
knowledge and experience between groups that are involved
in developing wind, hydro or other community energy projects.
You can give your thoughts and comments by taking part in
a survey at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FCQBBWG For more information
you can contact Eric on eric.wells@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Tel: 01224 664734
Community
Transport Project Visit to Badenoch & Strathspey
Community Transport Company, Aviemore on Thursday 21st July.
Would you benefit from visiting a community transport project
that is working towards similar goals to your own project,
initiative or enterprise? If the answer is “yes”
then this trip organised by the Scottish National Rural
Network may be for you. For more details on how to book
your place (by 19th June) click here
Attention
all campaigners! The Sheila McKechnie Foundation
offers annual awards for people starting out in campaigning.
The winner will receive help with his/her campaign in a
variety of ways: notably he/she will receive one-to-one
coaching from someone especially chosen with experience
in the campaigner’s preferred field; participation
in an interactive residential skills building weekend; and
attendance at a high-profile awards ceremony, to be hosted
by Jon Snow. There are nine categories in the 2011 Campaigner
Awards (although some apply to England only) . For more
information about the Awards and details on applying click
here. Closing
date is 20th June.
Aberdeenshire
Social Enterprise Network is a recently established
network of local social enterprises offering peer support
and sharing.. It operates as an informal group and membership
is open to anyone with an interest in social enterprise
in Aberdeenshire. The next meeting of the Network is on
Thursday 2nd June 2011 at 10.00 a.m. at Grampian
Housing, 74 Huntly Street, Aberdeen. For more information
or to join the networkEmail: admin@cvstraininginitiative.org.uk
or Telephone: 01358 722205
Funding
for projects in Aberdeen city and shire, Fife and Angus.
Shell, through their partnership with the Scottish Community
Foundation, have established the Shell
U.K. Limited Community Awards Charitable Fund. The
Fund will support registered charities and constituted community
projects with a focus on:Education, Arts, Music and Culture,
Environment, Safety, Social inclusion, IT. Grants of £250
to £2,000 are available, and will be administered
through Scottish
Community Foundation's Express Grants programme.
The
CARES Loan Fund has opened for business providing
loans to community organisations interested in developing
renewable energy schemes. The Fund is particularly targeted
at the high risk , pre-planning stages of renewable energy
projects which have “significant community engagement
and benefit”. Click here for
more information
The
Bank of Scotland's Small Grants Programme accepts
applications up to and including £20,000 from charities
registered in Scotland. The Foundation focuses its investment
strategy around two themes:
* Developing and improving local communities (for example,
projects which bring people back into the community who
may have been excluded; Enhancing learning opportunities
across all ages and sectors.
* Financial Literacy, Financial Inclusion and Social Housing
The next deadline is Tuesday 19th July Click here
for further information.
This
year's Development Trusts Association for Scotland
(DTAS) ANNUAL CONFERENCE, 2011
is entitled “Development Trusts: Creating the Future”
and will take place over 4/5 September in the Westerwood
Hotel, Cumbernauld. The programme will include visits to
projects, a Civic reception and conference dinner with an
exciting mix of speakers, workshops, discussions and networking
opportunities. Get the date in your diary now for this always
informative and inspiring conference.
The
Deutsche Bank Fund has been created to support
community organisations in Glasgow and Edinburgh. It supports
projects focusing on education and community development,
including sport in the community, employment, homelessness
and neighbourhood renewal. Community groups, local charities
and voluntary organisations are all encouraged to apply.
This fund is managed as part of the Scottish Community Foundation's
Community Grants Programme. Click here
for information.
Some
interesting information from the latest SCotLaNd ebulletin
The
Waterways Trust is offering grants of up to £2,000
for restoration work in woodlands which are located next
to a navigable waterway. The grants can be used for work
such as tree planting, coppicing, surveys or controlling
invasive species. The woodland must be next to a river or
canal which can be navigated by boats.
The deadline for applications is 30th April, 2011 and you
can download a copy of the application form here
.
Woodland
Trust: Community groups can still apply for the
Trust's free tree planting packs, for planting in autumn
2011. with packs of either 105 trees or 420 trees and there
are also special Jubilee packs which include a royal sapling
grown from seed collected on royal estates. The packs are
for planting by community groups on land that is open to
everyone. The planting work should also be an open invite
event so that local people can take part and the trees are
delivered as young whips, 30 to 40cm in height. To apply
for a free pack, have a look at the Woodland
Trust website . Applications for autumn planting will
close on September 30th, 2011.
Attention
Aberdeenshire community groups! Find out what support
is available to you as community and voluntary groups at
a series of information and networking events being held
across the shire throughout May by Aberdeenshire Voluntary
Action. You will have an opportunity to tell them what support
you need and network with others in your area A light Lunch
will be provided. All events run betweeen 12 noon and 2pm.
For details of venues, dates and to book your place click
here.
Sustainable
Design Grants - A limited number of grants up to
£7,000 are available for community groups who are
putting sustainable design into practice.
Examples of ways in which the grants can be used include
a contribution towards design innovation / analysis, feasibility
studies or the cost of producing funding applications for
the use of renewable energy. They can also be used as match
funding with other grants. There's only limited details
available at present, but the Sust.org
website contains an application form for finding out
further information.
The
first round of British Gas Energyshare fund has
opened to fund community renewable energy projects. Up to
£100,000 can be applied for and the application is
quite innovative as a group has to gain support on a webpage
they create on the site. The closing date for this round
is May 31st. Click here
for more information
Could
your community group benefit from £2K?
You are invited to a short half-day event to find out more
about how The Co-operative is good for the community in
the Grampian area. Tuesday 12th April , The Douglas Hotel,
Market Street, Aberdeen Booking essential All community
and voluntary organisations welcome. Limited places . Please
register by emailing: Shirley.Ann.Watson@co-operative.coop
Tel: 01463 861348
The
Chartered Institute of Marketing have created an online
Marketing-Planning Tool to help Social Enterprises.
2011
is the year of Active Scotland, a time to celebrate
and promote the benefits of an Active Scotland. During 2011,
EventScotland will be supporting a diverse range of events
in a
national programme which encourage and inspire Scots
and visitors alike. There is a small amount of additional
funding available for events which provide opportunities
for participation and which promote Scotland as an Active
destination to the widest possible audience.For more information
click here.
If you have a proposal which you think might fit the bill
please contact EventScotland:Phone 0131 472 2430 email:
information@eventscotland.org
A
new £4.5 million fund for projects which benefit Scotland's
coastal communities was announced this week. The
funds are being made available through Axis 4 of the European
Fisheries Fund for projects that improve the quality of
life and promote economic diversification in fishing communities
across Scotland. Find out more in
New funding for projects in fishing communities.
A
new OSCR guidance - Independence
in Charities - on the issue of independence and
control in Scottish charities has just been published setting
out key principles and potential risk areas , and provides
real life examples as illustrations. It also sets out the
duties of charity trustees and explains how the principles
of the charity test dictate the way in which those running
a charity must behave. A "must-read" for all charities.
The
long-awaited Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation
(SCIO) - a new legal form which will allow Scottish charities
to incorporate without becoming companies. is launching
on 1st April. Click here
for more information.
Attention
Youth workers and youth work volunteers in
Aberdeenshire. Dont miss the opportunity to book your place
on Youth Scotland's Training
Essentials event, taking place on Saturday
26th March in Woodhill House, Committee Rooms, Aberdeen
AB16 5GB from 10.00am - 4.30pm. The event is free with light
lunch provided (but note there is a £25 charge if
you book and don't turn up) . For more information and to
download a booking form click here.
Social
Enterprise Development Workshops in Aberdeenshire.
Firstport will be delivering the following Social Enterprise
Development Workshops in the Aberdeenshire area in April,
May and June. Topics covered include Sales and Marketing,
Legal Structures and writing a business plan. For full information
on costs, venues and how to book click here.
BT
relauches free web-hosting service aimed at the
voluntary sector. Charities and not-for-profit community
groups can access a free web-hosting and design service
through the communications company BT and their Community
Web Kit. Click here
for further details.
Want
to run a playscheme this summer? The LankellyChase
Foundation has funding available o support summer playschemes
for children between the ages of 5 - 17 years.Preference
is given to small local playschemes lasting 4 - 6 weeks,
and groups planning special activities for youngsters who
are disadvantaged. Preference will be given to applications
from organisations affiliated to a relevant nationally recognised
body and adhering to national standards of practice. The
closing date for applications is the 13th May 2011.For more
information click here
Attention
Social Enterprises in Aberdeenshire.CVS are carrying
out a survey ot training needs for this year. Click here
to complete the form with YOUR training needs.
ABERDEENSHIRE
EMPLOYABILITY AND FINANCIAL INCLUSION WORKSHOP Tuesday 29th
March 2011 Lochter, 10am - 3pm This workshop will be an
opportunity for front line staff to review and
share examples of practice from the employability and financial
inclusion
sector in Aberdeenshire and to help shape future partnership
action. To register click here.
Free
Training to Help Your Business Grow - Tender Ready in 10
steps training - a series of three weekly half-day
sessions which will help you understand the public sector
tendering process and how to maximise your business's chances
of winning contracts. Monday 21st March 2011; 2.00pm - 5.00pm
with registration from 1.30pm @Aberdeenshire Council HQ,
Woodhill House, Westburn Road, Aberdeen AB16 5GB.
The following workshop dates are Monday 28th March (pm)
and Monday 4th April
(pm) both at Woodhill House.The event is free. To book a
place click here.
Careful
use of key statistics can be very powerful. Many
statistics on your postcode area, including population broken
down by percentages of children, working age and pension
age, income deprived, jobseekers, unemployed, female smokers,
hospital admissions for alcohol, house ownership, health,
education, crime and geographic deprivation index, time
to access local services, are all available from the Scottish
Neighbourhood Statistics website
Some
interesting information as ever from the latest Scottish
Community Land Network newsletter:
Good
news for Renewable energy projects - Although details
are still sketchy, the Scottish Government has launched
the Communities and Renewable Energy
Scheme (CARES) Loan Fund.
The fund will be fully operational from April 2011 and aims
to provide loans towards the cost of the high risk, pre-planning
consent stages of renewable energy projects. The scheme
will be open to community groups as well as to land-managers
and farmers, provided there's some community benefit from
their proposals. Loans of up to £150,000 will cover
up to 90% of the costs of the pre-planning stages. The loans
are then repayable at commercial rates if the project is
successful, but are written off if the project fails to
gain planning consent.
You can complete an expression of interest in the fund here
and read the full Scottish Government press release here
.
Community
Energy Scotland and the Scottish Community Foundation have
published a series of case studies looking at how community
groups have been investing financially for community benefit.
The report is intended to help groups who may be receiving
funds through renewable energy developments, which they
need to invest for the future benefit of their communities.
It includes case studies of groups such as Stòras
Uibhist, Galeri Caernarfon Cyf from Caernarfon in Wales
and the Flax Trust in Northern Ireland. Prepared by DTAS'
The Pool Consultancy the case studies look at the organisational
structure of the groups, their investment process and the
impacts of their investments. You can download a copy of
the report here
.
A
new guide - Pillars of the Community - on transferring heritage
assets to community ownership has been published
in England but it's possible to pick out some general sections
which are equally relevant for community groups north of
the border. For example, it includes advice, checklists
and tips on maintaining long-term viability of a heritage
asset; building an effective organisation and managing risks.
The guide has been produced by English Heritage in association
with the Development Trusts Association and you can download
a copy here
.
Why
not nominate your charity for the Scottish charity awards
2011? These awards aim to recognise excellence
in the third sector in Scotland. Categories include charity
and campaign of the year, as well as a community action
award for a community-led project which has made a significant
contribution to a local area. Entries need to be submitted
by April 8th, 2011 and you can find further
details here
.
Want
to find out more about running a community shop
or other asset. Check out The
Plunkett Foundation for a wealth of information on all
matters to due with rural community ownership.
The
Climate
Challenge Fund has now been extended to 31st
March 2012, with substantial funding available for community
groups who wish to make a real difference by reducing carbon
emissions in their local area.
Applications are now being invited from Scottish communities
for activities that will take place between 1 April 2011
and 31 March 2012. If you are a new applicant you
will urgently need to obtain and submit an Expression
of Interest (EoI) Form. It is important that
you submit your EoI immediately to allow the development
of a full application before the submission deadline of
5pm the 25th February 2011.
LLoyds
TSB Foundation for Scotland Funding Surgeries are
being held across Scotland during 2011 giving local recognised
charities an opportunity to have a one-to-one session with
one of their Assessors, and to discuss how to go about putting
an application to the Foundation.Surgeries are being held
. For a list of locations and dates click
here. (Surgeries in Aberdeen are on 13th April and
18th October)If you wish to attend one of the surgeries
detailed below, call 0131 444 4020 to arrange an appointment.
The
Scottish Charity Awards recognise excellence in
the Scotland's third sector. This year, it is more important
than ever that organisations demonstrate their value to
the public, funders and government. If you believe that
your organisation has achieved something special this year
then enter now. Deadline for entries is 8 April 2011. Find
out more about how to enter here.
BITES
(Buchan IT and ELearning Service) has
launched its Spring programme with the usual wide range
of courses catering for everyone from complete beginners
to the more experienced. New courses this session includes
one on Facebook safety for parents. For full information
on the courses available click here
or contact BITES on 01771 619181
Here's
a chance to share with or learn from other groups how to
get things done! A new website - called Know
How Non Profit - is packed with Know-How guides
that allows you to share your knowledge or discover best
practice from across the voluntary sector. The guides cover
a range of topics under various themes eg How to set up
a blog or how to write better fund-raising letters. Click
here
to see what guides they have and contribute one of your
own.
Latest
Aberdeenshire Community Planning e-bulletin
available by clicking here.
CVS
Training Initiative - Core Skills for Business
- 1 Day Course on Monday 14 March 2011 Time:
10a.m – 4.00p.m. Venue: BSolutions,
Commercial Training Centre, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn
(off the airport roundabout) Cost: £68
(voluntary/community sector) £102 (other). Topics
covered include minute taking, writing skills, preparing
articles for media. There are still places available on
this course, but please note the closing date of 14th February.
To book contact Shirley Leask Tel: 01358 722205 Email: admin@cvstraininginitiative.org.uk
Northsound
Cash For Kids aima to help children and young people
under 18 throughout the Grampian area:As well as individual
family grants they also distribute funding to a wide range
of deserving children's groups and support agencies throughout
the North East of Scotland. The application form can be
found on their website
The closing date for applications is Monday 28th February
2011.
Union
Square Community Bursary has just been launched
with a £20,000 giveaway to help support small community
groups and charities in Aberdeen City and Shire. Up to £2,000
available for community projects. Closing date of Friday
25th March. Click here
for details on how to apply.
Have
you got a good idea for running a local service more efficiently?Then
you will be interested in Age Unlimited Scotland:
Cash for Great Ideas
Nesta is looking for a team or individual with a seed of
an idea for a new locally run service which can be scaled
and replicated in other areas of Scotland; save the public
purse by offering services that are more cost-effective,
or for which clients would be willing to pay a small amount;
and are genuinely innovative and do not duplicate what is
already in the community.
For more information, please visit www.nesta.org.uk
Deadline: Monday 7th February 2011
Free
Training in Aberdeenshire - Tuesday 1st Feb, Introduction
to Coaching, Inverurie and Wednesday 23rd February, SpeakUpSpeakOut
(confidence building) in Mintlaw. To book a place on any
of these courses, contact Shirley/Diane by email: admin@cvstraininginitiative.org.uk.
Limited availability - First come, first served!.
Would
you benefit from visiting a rural project that is working
towards similar goals to your own project, initiative or
enterprise? Would you like to share ideas and experiences
with a group of like minded people?The Rural Network is
organising a series of five project visits, taking place
this March and April, and is now seeking applications from
people interested in attending. The visits are based around
Environment and Renewables, Food and Drink, Tourism, Community
Enterprise and Village Halls and Community Buildings. There
will be no fee to attend and the Rural Network will provide
all meals and accommodation. There will also be some limited
support available for travelling expenses. For details of
locations, dates and to complete an online application form
click here.
HURRY as places will go fast!
Do
you need volunteers to help with your project?
Scottish Business in the Community in Grampian have been
approached by several local companies seeking team volunteering
projects during 2011.
Does your organisation have a project which could be done
by between 4 and 25 volunteers
which would help create an enhanced garden or outside play
area, repaint premises or provide
extra hands to undertake any work which would make a positive
difference to your work?
If you wish to discuss this further please contact local
SBC Manager Alex Gauld on
07717200472 or e-mail him at alexgauld@sbcscot.com
As
part of their Promoting Asset Transfer programme Developments
Trusts Association for Scotland is holding a series of seminars
across Scotland for communities entitled THE TRANSFER
OF PUBLIC ASSETS INTO COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP - VIABILITY
NOT LIABILITY!
A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR COMMUNITIES. Although already fully
subscribed in some areas there are still spaces on Saturday
5th February in Maud Village Hall, Maud, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire
and Friday 25th February in Hawick, running
from 10am until 3pm. These events are free
and invaluable for those who are interested in taking over
the running of an asset . To book your place contact Aileen
Tulloch at DTAS on 0131 220 2456 or email: assets@dtascot.org.uk
Comic
Relief has announced that their UK Grants Programme
will reopen for applications on the
8th April 2011 and will close for applications on the 1st
July 2011 (except for their Older People
Programme which has a closing date of the 10th June 2011).
The
Climate
Challenge Fund has been extended and is now open for
applications from communities for the 2011/12 round of funding.
Closing dates 14th Feb (for those already in receipt of
CCF ) abd 25th Feb for new applicants.
Cashback
for Communities has an extra £500k to give
out to support local volunteer-led youth organisations attached
to The Scottish Council The Scout Association,Girlguiding
Scotland, Boys' Brigade, The Girls' Brigade in Scotland,
Clubs for Young People (Scotland) and Youth Scotland.. Up
to £2k is available for project costs, or £1k
for start-up costs. Closing date for the next round is 1st
March. For more information click here.
CashBack
for Communities is a programme of diversionary activities
for young people to increase the opportunities they have
to develop their interests and skills in an enjoyable, fulfilling
and supported way, using funds recovered from criminals
.It includes a range of partnerships with Scottish sporting,
arts and youth associations to provide diversionary activities
for young people in Scottish communities. For more information
about these organisations click here.
Active
and over 50 brimming with ideas to improve your community?
Then Age Unlimited Scotland are looking for people like
you, in their 50s and 60s, with the spark of a good idea
to make their communities a better place. The Age Unlimited
Scotland programme gives small teams and
individuals the training, support and opportunity to gain
funding to help bring their good ideas to light. You can
find out how to apply and the criteria here.
To
mark the Queen's diamond Jubilee in 2012, the Big Lottery
Fund will be re-branding the People's Millions fund as the
Jubilee People's Millions. The scheme will
be for projects that will improve local places and the lives
of local people, and you can apply for up to £60,000
of funding. Short-listed projects will be featured on ITV
regional news with viewers invited to vote for their preferred
option. Applications need to be submitted by February 4th,
2011 and you can find further details here
.
View
the December Aberdeenshire
Community Planning E-Bulletin:. This bulletin provides
you with the latest news and developments in Community Planning
in the shire.
Funding
for Property Asset Purchase: SIS and Triodos are
teaming up to offer a new one-stop, loan package for third
sector organisations looking to purchase property. The package
would see Triodos lending up to 70% of the value of a property
and SIS providing the additional 30%. This new initiative
will initially have up to £5 million available. For
more information click here.
Grants
for International Women’s Day 2010 Around
the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) marks a
celebration of the economic, social, cultural and political
achievements for women. Funding will be available for projects
which celebrate International Women’s Day, 8 March
2010, in Scotland, where they meet the general Scottish
Community Foundation's Women’s Fund criteria Click
here for details on the Toolbox.
Looking
for Small Grants for your Youth Groups - Youth
Scotland have gathered lots of information on to their website
with funding oppportunities for all sorts of youth activities.
as well as lots of related information eg Disclosure info,
Health and Safety, Insurance etc. Click
here.
BT
Community Connections has just reopened for business!
It is an award scheme which offers community groupsthe chance
to get online and help people discover the wonders of the
internet.If your group helps the community access the internet
and improves people’s ICT skills, you could be eligible
to apply for a year’s free broadband.
Click
here for details.
More
interesting information from this month's newsletter from
Tamsin at the Scottish Community Land Network
Planning
Aid for Scotland has launched a new on-line map
which helps users to find out what's going on in the planning
sector where they live.
The map is on the Planning Aid for Scotland website and
is designed so you can click on your local council area.
It then provides contact detail information, links to current
development plans for the area and a timetable for the delivery
of future plans, which saves you searching through all the
local authority websites.
You can find the map here
.
The
Scottish National Party (SNP) is holding a consultation
to gather people's views on the way forward for Scotland.
Included within their plans is a community empowerment and
renewal bill which they say would strengthen communities
across Scotland. Within the bill they would include a new
streamlined route to enable community purchase of some public
sector assets and options to help communities deal with
derelict and dormant land or buildings in their areas. Other
options are suggested within the communities section, and,
perhaps not surprisingly given the economic conditions,
consultees are asked to prioritise which options should
be delivered in the future.
You can read the consultation and suggest your priorities
here
.
Celebrating
island culture A new initiative has been launched
to which aims to raise the profile of Scotland's islands.
The initiative, called Scotland's Islands, is centred around
a year of events and activities which will get underway
in April 2011. It's being developed through a partnership
of the six local authorities which have island communities
and funding is available to support activities which help
to raise the profile of the islands. The next deadline for
submitting applications is 14 February 2011 and you can
find further details here
.
Esmee
Fairbairn Funding
Strands closing - but Main
Grant Fund remains open.
The strands are 3 year programmes which are now ending (except
for "Food") but more strands will be developed
for 2011 and will be put on the Toolbox when information
becomes available. The Main Grant Fund remains open for
applications.
BITES
Christmas Party and Information event - an Invitation
is extended to all to drop in on Friday 17th December between
10am and 2pm to the Community Service Centre, Maud to chat
with staff and other visitors whilst enjoying some festive
cheer. You can hear about all the new programmes planned
for 2011 too. RSVP by 10th December to Tel: 01771 619181or
email denise@bitesonline.org.
Keep
up to date with Community Planning in Buchan by
signing up for a weekly email full of all the new information
passed onto community planning for circulation. 'Buttons
and Links' are provided for your convenience to accompanying
web-pages now present on the community planning website
at www.ouraberdeenshire.org.uk/buchan.If
you would like to have any information circulated within
our weekly email, please contact either caroline.smith@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
or steph.swales@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.
Need
training in committee skills? Upper Deeside Community
Learning are offering a session on committeemembership,
aimed at anyone who's involved in an organisation and who
would like more information on being involved in a committee
and running a committee. The course, entitled Committee
Skills will be held at the George Beaton Room, Victoria
& Albert Halls, Ballater on Monday 6th December from
6.30 - 9 pm. To book, contact Deeside Community Centre,
Aboyne - telephone 013398 86222. The cost will be £7.50
with concessions available at £3.75 - places are limited
so book early.
Opportunity
for Social Enterprises! S2S: The Social Enterprise
Event of the Year to be held on Wednesday 20th April 2011,
Edinburgh Corn Exchange is now open for bookings. It offers
the biggest platform for social enterprises in Scotland
to trade, participate in workshops, network and make new
business connections. Bookings are now open for both exhibition
stands and delegate places. To take advantage of special
early bird rates and to qualify for discounted membership
of the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition book before
28th January 2011. Exhibition stands are allocated on a
first come first serve basis so booking quickly ensures
priority stand placement. All the information you need about
the fair and details on how to book can be found on the
website www.s2sfair.com.
If you have any further questions about the event or wish
to discuss your requirements phone on 0131 557 5767
BBC
Children in Need funding - the north east
is a priority area of this funding so check out
the Toolbox page
if you are working with young people under the age of 18
to see if you are eligible. Closing date for next round
is 15th January 2011. Anyone who would like to discuss this
grants programme, can contact Maureen Stephen of BRIDGE
CVS at the details below. Email:maureen.stephen@bridgecvs.org
Tel: 01771 624787
Free
Community Tree Planting Packs for next Spring or
Autumn. Woodland Trust community tree planting packs are
designed to help community groups to plant more trees, hedges
and copses in their local shared spaces. To sign up for
your 2011 packs click here.
The
Prince's Countryside Fund is now open for grant
applications. Projects have to deliver at least one of the
Fund's core objectives: Improving the sustainability of
British farming and rural communities, targeting the areas
of greatest need; and reconnecting consumers with countryside
issues. The deadline is 5pm on 1st December 2010
but the next round is expected to take place in April 2011.
. You can get more information in Prince's
Countryside Fund open for grant applications
Attention
Aberdeen city and shire! A few places remain on
the autumn programme of Funding Briefing Days from ACVO.
Please circulate
Introduction to Fundraising and Good Governance 11 November
Introduction to Charitable Trusts and Foundations 16th November
Introduction to Working with Corporates 23rd November
Introduction to Business Planning 1st December
For more information and to book online visit:
www.aberdeenccn.info/Events/ACVOFundingDay.asp
If you have any difficulties in booking please contact our
Admin team on 01224 686058
I'm
dreaming of a ...... well, dream no longer of that
elusive funding for the perfect project. You may have a
chance to fund it if it involves encouraging volunteers
or a healthy lifestyle or will tackle climate change. People's
Postcode Trust have just launched the Dream
Fund which will give up to £100,000 for that dream
project. Hurry as applications will close on 17th December
2010.
Thanks
to Tamsin and Chris from the excellent ScotLaNd newsletter
for this information.
The
Scottish Allotment and Gardens Society have published
a plot-holders guide for allotments which includes information
for existing plot-holders, but also contains advice for
those looking to establish a new allotments site. It covers
topics like health and safety on allotments; bee-keeping
and other livestock; rents; funding and legislation. You
can download a copy of the guide here
.
Making Local Food Work have published a
guide to finance for community owned shops.
The community shops guide is a training manual on financial
management. It includes a glossary of finance terms, information
on general financial management and some specific topics
relevant to running a community shop. You can find a copy
of the guide here
Volunteering
opportunities for young people are being developed
by Project Scotland for young people 16- 25 year olds across
Aberdeenshire. In the first project they have 12 placements
being developed for young people some are already on line
and can be found at www.projectscotland.co.uk.
All placements are for 3 months.The young people will then
go onto an employability training course for a further 2
weeks to support them into further opportunities. To download
details of the opportunities click here.
The Paths
for All, Walking for Health Volunteer Support Grant
can provide up to £1,000 to support initiatives which
aim to reward, recognise, value and assist volunteers within
Walking for Health projects. Innovative ideas are encouraged
which can test new approaches to volunteer support and recognition.
Any organisation or group which is currently managing a
Walking for Health project can apply for a grant, for example;
community groups, voluntary organisations, local health
walks groups, local authorities, health boards. Applications
will be considered from anywhere in Scotland and will be
open until 1 March 2011.
For more information and an application form contact frances.bain@pathsforall.org.uk
or cal 01463 725125.
Funding
for Arts and theatre? Creative Scotland has now
taken over the funding and investment strands of the Scottish
Arts Council. They have launched a new website which features
opportunities to apply for investment funds across the arts,
screen and creative industries. Full information and links
are available on the Toolbox by clicking here.
The
latest Community Planning in Aberdeenshire e-bulletin which
provides you with the latest news and developments in Community
Planning is available by clicking here.
Are
you a beginner at renewable energy? Want to know what is
available, the costs, get advice? Then go along to Renewable
Energy Fair for homeowners and small businesses
being held at Thainstone Mart, Inverurie
on Saturday 9th October from 11am to 4pm.
The event, organised by Aberdeenshire Environmental Forum,
is free. More information here.
New
funding database launched! Funding
Scotland is a new free funding database of funding opportunities.
You can search it for Lottery funders, statutory and european
organisations, corporate foundations and charitable trusts.
The funding opportunities include grants, contracts, loans
and in kind support. It is operated as a social enterprise
but is free for fund seekers to use.
Scottish
Rural Development Programme - Rural Priorities
assessment rounds deferred from the autumn 2010 assessment
round will be now be considered in February 2011. The timetable
for the February 2011 Assessment Round is: Submit deadline
- 8th November 2010
Commit deadline - 10th December 2010 RPACs - 3rd - 11th
February 2011
You can get more information on this funding by clicking
here
and following the links.
If you are a constituted community group you can contact
the free Rural Direct service on 0845 838 8598 or email
info@ruraldirect.org.uk.
Training
Support for Scottish Businesses, including voluntary
organisations, with under 50 employees can be applied for
through the Flexible Training Opportunities, Up to £5,000
towards employee training costs (£500 for up to 10
employees). For more information,click here.
The
Social Enterprise Academy is running a residential
for social enterprises over the weekend 29th Oct
- 1st Nov. This event is targeted at social enterprises
that are looking to scale up (beyond start up but not y
et firing on all cylinders). The residential will help 20
social entrepreneurs identify key motivations, clarify goals,
and plan the next steps for organisation growth. It is FREE.
The closing date for applications is 27 September
2010. Successful applicants will be notified shortly
after. Forms available from: jayne@theacademy-ssea.org
/ 0131 243 2670 / http://www.theacademy-ssea.org
Tender
Ready in Three Steps - a series of 3 half-day workshops
in Aberdeen in October for SMEs with little or no experience
of Public Sector tendering. Candidates must be registered
with SDP www.sdpscotland.co.uk
prior to registering attendance with Margaret.Swinburne@glasgow.gov.uk
Talk
Talk Digital Heroes Awards open for operation but
hurry as the closing date for nominations is 30th September.Open
to individuals who are making a difference in their community
using digital technology. Click here
for detail on how to apply.
SITA
Trust have made some changes to their Enhancing
Communities Fund, renaming the funds and fast-tracking the
Small Grants (now Fast Track) fund to a 60 day turnaround.
For more details click
here.
Lots
of interesting information available in the latest edition
of the e-bulletin of the Scottish
Community Land Network, some of which is highlighted
below. it is well worth signing up to receive this if your
interested in land, rural, environmental issues.
Funding
for local path development - Paths
for All Partnership have launched a time limited grant
scheme to help communities work on their local paths. Groups
can apply for up to £1000 from the Paths for All fund
to help establish a path group, purchase basic tools, create
promotional material for path networks or anything else
that will make a positive difference to local paths. Any
community organisation, path group, or community council
is eligible to apply but applications have to be received
by November 30th, 2010 and work needs to be completed by
February 14th, 2011 .You can get further details by contacting
info@pathsforall.org.uk.
Are
you generating renewable electricity? In a move
that will give clarity to community groups considering renewable
energy projects, the government have announced that it is
possible for grant-aided projects generating renewable electricity
to receive Feed-in Tarriff payments (FiTs).
The FiTs are payable to anyone generating renewable electricity,
but previous guidance suggested that under State Aid rules
they couldn't be paid to any generators who'd received grant
money. However, revised guidance from the Department for
Energy and Climate Change (DECC) now says that organisations
can received grant funding and FiTs, providing the total
amount received within 3 years remains below 200,000 Euros.
To read the full text of the new DECC guidance, see their
website .
Aberdeenshire
Libraries are highlighting their Healthy
Reading range of self help books designed to help
you cope with everyday issues.Topics covered include addiction,
anxiety, bereavement, caring, healthy living, sleep problems
and many more and are aimed at anyone nterested in mental
and emotional wellbeing, family members and friends.
All books are available through your libary and if the library
does not have the book required this can be requested as
inter-library loan. The service is confidential and no information
about who is borrowing the books will be disclosed.
An informal open session is planned for Tuesday
19th October 2010 in Peterhead Public Library from
10 – 12 noon. A Health Adviser will be on hand. All
Welcome.
Do
YOU want to speak up for Rural Scotland? The Scottish
Government, in partnership with the Scottish National Rural
Network, invite you to take part in a series of consultation
events around rural Scotland to discuss the Speak
Up for Rural Scotland consultation. All events
will take place from 7pm to 9pm, with tea, coffee and biscuits
available from 6.30pm. The dates and locations of the events
are:
Inverness, The Spectrum Centre, Wed 29th September
Oban, Corran Halls, Mon 4th October
Perth, Dewars Centre, Mon 11th October
Dumfries, Easterbrook Hall, Mon 18th October
You can get more information in Speak
Up for Rural Scotland consultation events.
Are
you a young entrepreneur who would like to win £500?
Between now and November you could have the chance
to pitch your idea to make your community a better place
or improve sport or art. . To find out more and to get an
application pack email: awards@firstport.org.uk
or telephone 0131 220 0511
Last
chance to book for the following courses run by CVS Training:
Elementary Food Hygiene: Laurencekirk 4th October; Introduction
to Social Accounting: Turriff 5th October; For further information
or to book a place contact:Diane/Shirley - 01358 722205
or email admin@cvstraininginitiative.org.uk
Want
to learn some tradition skills? The Scottish Traditional
Skills Training Centre will be running the following courses
at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire during the month of October
2010: - 7th & 8th October 2010 Building Drystone Walls
and 28th & 29th October 2010Surveying the Condition
and Assessing the Conservation, Repair and Maintenance Requirements
of Traditional Buildings Limited spaces are available, so
If you would like to book a place contact Sarah Cordiner,
Project Manager
at The Scottish Traditional Skills Training Centre Tel:
01888 511 347 / Email: soundcraft@towiebarclay.co.uk
The
Big Lottery Investing in Communities team have
organised information days at around forty
locations across Scotland, where you can find out more about
the new programme as well as get details on the other Big
funding programmes. The sessions take place between now
and the end of October and you need to register to attend.
You can find a full listing of all the events
here .
Senscot
Legal Services (SLS) is now open for business.
SLS has been set up to provide Scotland's social enterprise
community and wider third sector
with accessible and affordable legal services. Their lead
solicitor, Alan Dunipace, is now in post and operating from
new premises in Bath Street in Glasgow. Whilst there's still
some setting up to be done, Alan will be out and about over
the next couple of weeks making some initial contacts. You
can reach Alan at alan@se-legal.net
See more, http://www.se-legal.net
Guide
to Small Grants for Youth Groups is now available
to download from Youth Scotland. Click
here.
A
Networking Event for Social Enterprises in Aberdeenshire
at Lochter Activity Centre, Oldmeldrum AB51 0DZ from 10.00
a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Cost: £12
An opportunity for local social enterprises, and budding
social enterprises, to:
h ear about national (Scottish) initiatives and support,
and discuss how they can help you; give you an opportunity
to talk to, and learn from, each other. and Identify and
plan for future needs and a shared way forward locally Detailed
information will be available soon but if you wish to note
an interest please
contact Diane/Shirley on (01358) 722205 or e-mail admin@cvstraininginitiative.org.uk
Aberdeenshire
Council's Community Asset Fund has now re-opened.
The fund is available to help social and community enterprises
in Aberdeenshire develop an asset or new service that will
lead to an additional income stream. For information on
how to apply click here.
Are
you involved in regenerating an open space in your local
area? DTA Scotland is partnering with The Glass-House
Community Led Design to provide a FREE two-day interactive
design training course, delivered by bureau – design
+ research. This is an exciting hands-on course for community
groups, who are in the early stages of regenerating a communal
space, park or play area in their neighbourhood. The course
provides a practical exploration of the design process of
an open space, and enables participants to apply design
skills to the space they are working on, as well as learn
from professionals and other community groups.Place:
Braeport Centre, Dunblane Date: 9 & 10 September 2010.
Fee: FREE
To apply: Please visit the Glass-House
website and fill in the application form
DTAS
may have some funds available for help towards travel and
accommodation costs – contact aileen@dtascot.org.uk
once you have spoken to the Glass-House and decided that
you would like to attend the course.
Thinking
about becoming a charity? If so the OSCR publication
"Becoming a Charity in Scotland " will be helpful.
The leaflet provides a simple introduction and helpful advice
to organisations and individuals thinking about starting
a charity in Scotland. You can download a copy of the document
here.
BITES
(Buchan IT and ELearning Services) Autumn Programme
now available. A host of courses are starting again this
Autumn including Computing for beginners, ECDL, Digital
photography and lots more. ILEA funding accepted on all
courses To book your place call now……. phone
01771 619181. For further details on this or any of their
training packages please contact denise@bitesonline.org
PVG
(Protection for Vulnerable Groups) Training in Inverurie,
Aberdeenshire. A one-off opportunity to
access local training to help understand requirements and
oblications under the new scheme which will be up and running
by 30th November. To be held in Wyness Hall, Inverurie on
Tues 31st August 10am - 4pm. Cost £10 pp to cover
refreshments and admin costs. For further information or
to book a place contact Shirley/Diane, CVS Training Initiative
01358 722205 or admin@cvstraininginitiative.org.uk
For
all the latest news and developments in Community Planning
in Aberdeenshire download the August E-Bulletin here.
Do
you have strong views on the future of rural Scotland?
The "Speak up for Rural Scotland" consultation
has just been launched by the Scottish Govt. Communities
are being urged to speak up for rural Scotland and join
the debate into its future. A three month consultation has
been launched on plans devised by the Rural Development
Council to help economic recovery. To see the consultation
document and have your say click here.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
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
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.
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
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
CSV
Action Earth programme is open for 2010 - up to £250
for environmental projects. For more information click here.
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
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 )
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.
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.
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 .
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Some
new or updated funds to check out on the Toolbox - Healthy
Hearts, Children
in Need.
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.
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.
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
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.
New Heritage
Lottery Fund - Skills for the Future Programme
to increase heritage skills eg dry stone walling, masonry,
thatching etc. Only one chance to apply for this fund
- the closing date is in March. For more information go
to our page on the Toolbox by clicking here.
An extension to the
deadline for Rural Priorities applications has
been announced. Applicants now have until 25th
January 2010 to submit for the next round instead
of 11th January.
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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 .
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)
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!.
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.
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
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)
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
The Mary Salmond Trust now has a website from which application forms can be downloaded. Click here for further details from our Toolbox.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
.
Computer
technology for registered charities - Registered
charities can take part in the Charity Technology Exchange
scheme, which gives them access to donated technology
products from organisations such as Microsoft and Cisco.
Charities
need to register with the scheme first, to confirm they
are eligible. Once accepted, 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 here
.
Are you a community
or charitable organisation that is looking for
IT equipment and wants to get online? If so,
you can apply for a BT Community Connections award today.
Find out how to go about it by clicking here
to take you to the relevant page on our Toolbox
WOODLAND
CONSULTATION COMMENCES on Aden Country Park and Nether
Aden woodland strips. The consultatation ended
on 14th September but it might still be possible to input
by contacting the number below.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
.
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.
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.
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
.
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
.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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:
_________________________________________________________________________
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.
___________________________________________________________________
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
_______________________________________________________________________________
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.
____________________________________________________________________
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
____________________________________________________________________________
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.
____________________________________________________________________________
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.
________________________________________________________________________________________
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
______________________________________________________________________________
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
DP
Newsflash 