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About

About us

SCA is a coalition of community based, national networks and intermediaries – each one representing a different aspect of Scotland’s diverse community sector.  While each is very different in terms of their specific interests and areas of specialist knowledge, they all share a commitment to Our Vision for Scotland.

A brief history

In Jan 2007 an informal coalition of four national networks: Development Trust Association Scotland, Community Woodlands Association, Community Recycling Network Scotland and Senscot met to consider their shared concern that Scottish Government policy at the time was insufficiently aligned with the interests of the community sector. These networks also recognised that they shared a similar interest in promoting the emerging policy agenda at that time – community empowerment. Furthermore, these networks also recognised the value of sharing information and resources and, on occasion, collaborating and presenting a more coherent and collective position to Scottish Government.

Initially, whenever this informal gathering of networks came together they used the term Local People Leading as a ‘wrapper’ to give them a collective identity.  Within 2-3 years, Local People Leading a growing number of other networks, all of whom had community based memberships, had asked to ‘join’. Towards the end of 2010, these networks agreed to formalise this loose arrangement by adopting a constitution and renaming itself – Scottish Community Alliance. A founding principle of SCA was that it should remain small in size with the emphasis of its work being reflected through the activities of its member networks. Its primary focus was to add value to the work of its member networks.

In 2023, the members of Scottish Community Alliance collaborated in the publication of a new Vision for Scotland which describes the conditions we believe are necessary for communities to be able to thrive and contribute to a more sustainable Scotland in the future.

Who we are

Membership

Membership is open to any national network or intermediary which has a community based membership that shares the aims and values of Scottish Community Alliance. Any network that wishes to join SCA should intimate their intention to join by emailing info@scottishcommunityalliance.org.uk.  The Executive of SCA (who are the Trustees of the SCIO) consider the application and recommend it be approved or refused at the next full meeting of the Executive.   There is no membership fee.

The following networks currently comprise the membership of the Scottish Community Alliance.

Click on any network logo to find out more about who they represent and the impact they are having on communities across Scotland.