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22nd April 2020
‘Britain has had enough of experts’. Not so long ago this was a popular view amongst politicians of a certain hue. Coronavirus has at least put paid to that. Sometimes quite literally hiding behind their scientists and medical experts, our politicians have, for the moment at least, lost much of their old bluster and hubris. They, like the rest of us, are placing their trust in the experts to save our lives. And ironically it is trust, such a fickle thing at the best of times, that could be one of the few winners in this crisis. Perhaps because so many of the old rules that have shaped our lives are being stripped away, we’re beginning to appreciate anew what it means to trust others and what’s more, to be trusted. Scottish Government has made available millions of pounds to support communities and households during this crisis. It’s worth mentioning that a large element of that support package is underpinned by an acknowledgement within Scottish Government that communities should be trusted to know what they need and simply allowed to get on with it. Communities are their own trusted local experts. Let’s not forget that when this crisis is finally over.
In the most recent briefing…
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On the ground
Read moreThe diversity of Scotland’s community sector is certain to produce some very different responses to coronavirus. That said, we can also expect to see some consistent themes running across all communities and it will be important to find ways to share that knowledge and experience. The ever popular Community Learning Exchange has, for obvious reasons, had to be put into temporary cold storage but virtual exchanges are already popping up. Fablevision Studios are currently looking for projects that want to share their story. if you’re interested contact: info@fablevision.org. And in the meantime, here’s three very different local responses.
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On the ground
Read moreThe lexicon of policy makers evolves over time at a fairly steady rate. Important not to chop and change too much lest they be accused of lacking continuity but equally important to freshen it up every so often with the introduction of new buzzwords to keep our attention. A word cloud created out of policy over the past couple of years would have ‘place’ pretty near its centre. In fact ‘place’ is so commonly used these days that there’s a risk of it losing all meaning. Frank Rennie, an academic from the Isle of Lewis reflects on what makes a place.
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On the ground
Read moreWith the passing of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, there was some expectation that the interests of island communities would feature more prominently in national decision-making and that the National Islands Plan, published towards the end of last year, would reflect this. No surprise that improving transport links with the mainland is a key priority of the plan. But it’s also no surprise that so many island communities are now up in arms about the decision of the mainland-based Airports Authority to downgrade the air traffic control system on the islands. A petition has been raised in Parliament.
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On the ground
Read moreTimes like this tend to produce a lot of charitable giving which can range from just a few pennies to a few pounds and sometimes much more than that. The research seems to show that those with the least to spare are relatively speaking, the most generous. Donating money or indeed food (as has become the norm) is a normal human response to someone else’s need, but it can, and often does obscure, chronic underfunding by the Government. Ben Wray, writing in the consistently excellent daily bulletin Source Direct, highlights inherent contradictions in the business of giving.
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Policy talk
Read moreOne of the more welcome byproducts of the lockdown has been its impact on pollution levels – a glimpse perhaps of what life could be like. A few years ago, Kate Raworth published some work on what she called Doughnut Economics which was essentially an attempt to demonstrate how the needs of everyone could be met within the finite resources of the planet. It drew a lot of interest at the time but the challenge was always to demonstrate how the theory might be converted into practice. Looks like Amsterdam is about to take the plunge.
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Policy talk
Read moreThe roll out of Universal Credit has been by common consent an unmitigated disaster causing misery and distress along the way. But so much political capital has been spent in defending its ‘merits’ it’s surely inconceivable the Government would ever back away. And yet now with millions more now being compelled to sign up for it because the entire economy is in a state of hibernation, it seems that there might actually be an opportunity to consider more radical solutions. Our own First Minister has even called it ‘the right thing to do’. Reform Scotland lays out the case.
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Policy talk
Read moreAs the Government becomes increasingly anxious to find a way out of lockdown, one can only hope that the route planners will plump for a more enlightened strategy than simply reaching for reverse gear and backing us all the way to where we were before the virus struck. Not only has this crisis starkly demonstrated what we must do to prepare for the next pandemic, it has also pointed to the crucial role of community focused infrastructure. Simon Jenkins argues, not for the first time, that a Beveridge style blueprint for communities is required.
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Policy talk
Read moreBefore coronavirus changed everything, a set of ideas around community wealth building was beginning to attract a lot of attention. By shifting the focus of economic regeneration away from the national towards the scale of local authorities and by harnessing the spending power of local ‘anchor institutions’ such as hospitals, universities and councils, some compelling evidence was beginning to emerge. Working to the old adage that you should never waste a good crisis, the think tank that’s been driving these ideas has been busy.
Featured anchor organisation:
Out of the Blue Arts & Education Trust
Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust is based in the Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh. Our vision is that Edinburgh becomes a creative, participative city in which everyone is able to access the spaces and resources they require to pursue their own creativity, no matter who they are and what form it may take. Our mission is to provide affordable and appropriate spaces, resources, projects and opportunities for the residents of Edinburgh to be creative. Out of the Blue has established a reputation as an independent, dynamic and innovative cultural social enterprise. Out…
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