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23rd March '22
Fifteen years ago, a few loosely connected networks which represented different parts of Scotland’s community sector, began working together under the shared banner of Local People Leading. It took a while to build trust and a better understanding of who did what, but eventually that loose coalition chose to cement itself into what became constituted as the Scottish Community Alliance. The name may have changed but Local People Leading is still what best describes the glue that draws its members together. The view back then was that the community sector was perennially undervalued and under-resourced, both by local and national government, and that by coming together we might make more headway. So, have we? Some readers may remember an early SCA event – The Future Is Local – a day of debate and celebration held in the Scottish Parliament. Community voices from all over the country and from every part of the sector were heard that day. The mood was optimistic. Community empowerment legislation was on its way. Perhaps the future really would be local. But those ‘dangerous ideas’ we considered on that day are still just ideas and our 2016 Vision remains largely unfulfilled. Much has changed and nothing has changed.
In the most recent briefing…
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On the ground
Read moreMuch has been posted on social media in recent weeks about the decision of the Scottish Government to close Senscot and establish a single intermediary for social enterprise. While the rights and wrongs of that decision will be debated for some time yet, what’s undeniable is the contribution that Senscot has made over the years in shaping the sector. Notwithstanding the big ideas and (sometimes unpopular) views promulgated through its weekly bulletin, Social Enterprise Academy, Firstport and Development Trusts Association Scotland all owe Senscot a debt of gratitude for their very existence. This brief history is worth a read.
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On the ground
Read moreOne of the great frustrations with working in the community sector is that while the view of the Scottish Government, local authorities and most other public bodies is that community led action invariably leads to better outcomes, when it comes to backing public statements with public money, a different picture usually emerges. A recent article in the Herald laid out in great detail how Scotland’s health inequalities would be improved by pushing some of the health budget upstream and into the community led health movement. What’s different this time however, is the Scottish Government’s reaction to the article.
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On the ground
Read moreDespite Scotland’s renowned renewable energy resource – the best in Europe apparently – the extent to which communities have been able to derive direct benefit has been frustratingly limited. In Denmark, 50% of onshore wind is community owned whereas in Scotland that figure is less than 1%. Instead, most communities have had to settle for the crumbs from the developer’s table in the form of community benefit payments – often ‘managed’ on the community’s behalf by a third party funder or local authority. The Ferret has been investigating the true extent of just how paltry these crumbs actually are.
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Policy talk
Read moreFor some time this briefing has argued for the need to protect the space which civil society occupies. Healthy democracy, open debate and free speech depend on that space, and so not only should certain protections be established to safeguard it, but we need to be proactively nurturing and even expanding this vitally important civic realm . A good piece in Social Europe by Anna Donath on how quickly and easily this can be eroded. She identifies a new threat to be wary of – the rise of the GONGO (Government Organised Non Governmental Organisation).
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Policy talk
Read moreMovements for social change require, by definition, momentum. And in order to sustain momentum, a source of energy is required, and that comes from the passion and commitment from within those communities who seek the change. At one point, land reform looked to be losing momentum and running out of ideas. Community Land Scotland has played a major part in reigniting this movement which, with the Land Commission now firmly established, looks to be unstoppable. Earlier this month, Community Land Scotland wrote to the Minister setting out an ambitious agenda for the next piece of the legislative jigsaw.
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Policy talk
Read moreInteresting new report just out from the Sheila McKechnie Foundation. After a 2 year inquiry into the relationship between social change, power and inequalities, the report It’s All About Power, suggests that the voluntary sector is facing an existential threat. The report argues that the sector needs a fundamental reappraisal of how it thinks about power and how it works in partnership with others. The report suggests that parts of the sector have become complacent and lack the culture, and perhaps even the will, to achieve the sort of social change that they claim to want. This might make for some uncomfortable reading.
Featured anchor organisation:
Knoydart Foundation
The Foundation was established in 1997 and with the help of many supporters bought out the remains of the Knoydart estate in 1999.Since then it has created significant assets for the whole community and we have 11 properties which are rented out at affordable rents, support community development, operate a ranger service and provide support for tourists and visitors, run a hydro-electric scheme (no grid connection here) and other services, run a bunkhouse, operate a small shop, have a venison butchery business, lease land and buildings, and manage the wild deer herd. With the support of its trading subsidiaries, The…
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