Author: Louise Reilly, East Kilbride News

A CONSULTING company have been commissioned by the Castlemilk and Carmunnock Community Wind Trust to assist in finalising proposals and gaining planning consent for a community wind project at a site on the Cathkin Braes.

The Trust’s urban wind farm project has been a long time coming. They first came together in July 2002 to investigate the feasibility of a community-run and owned project which would generate funds for a Community Managed Trust.

Now, with funding granted under the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), the project should progress to the planning application stage by this spring and they have commissioned Atmos Consulting, an environmental consultancy specialising in renewable energy and sustainable development, to help them.

Atmos Consulting will update available information to determine the best location and size of turbine, undertake a range of technical assessments, and liaise with the regulatory authorities, non-statutory bodies and community groups.

Their technical director Lesley Dinnett explained: “The pre-planning phase of renewables schemes typically involve a relatively large up-front investment, which many community schemes cannot afford.

“The beauty of the CARES scheme is that it provides the finance needed to recruit the right professional help for these early stages at no risk to the community. If the scheme fails to achieve planning consent, then the CARES loan is not repayable.”

At Castlemilk and Carmunnock, the local community’s aim is to provide a long term sustainable ‘green’ income to invest in a variety of local projects and activities, improving the area for all residents.

It has developed an approach that values local training, employment and volunteering opportunities.

In this way, skills and money are retained in the area along with increased civic pride. It is an approach that is proving to be a model for other communities taking advantage of the CARES scheme.

“This is a textbook example of the way the CARES scheme can work,” said Lesley. We are delighted to be able to help and to bring our team’s experience and expertise, gained from working on projects across the UK, to bear.”

Ken McCready, chairman of the Community Trust, noted the “importance of community-based initiatives like this to support locally-based projects to improve opportunities and outcomes for all residents” adding, “it is hoped this project is just the initial stage of a programme of improvements in facilities in the area and the Trust is delighted to be working on this project.”

Monday, March 5, 2012

Executive Summary of “We are Community Builders, Part of The Fabric”: A Review of Community Radio

This Scottish Government report provides an overview of community radio in the UK and abroad. It also outlines findings from research into community radio provision in Scotland specifically.

Scotland has an active community radio infrastructure which primarily uses volunteers to deliver hours of specialist programming to local people across the country. This research was commissioned by the Broadcasting and Creative Industries Policy Team to provide an overview of community radio generally but also to focus on the Scottish sector specifically. The research is intended to assist policy development in support of such services in Scotland.

Although there is a surprising breadth of writing about community radio in Britain and abroad, very little was written about community radio in Scotland. Whilst there is evidence pointing towards the overall benefits of community radio, much of this is anecdotal. There is also a lack of systematic data on listener numbers, profiles and outcomes. The literature review and primary research on community radio in Scotland do, however, suggest that the benefits for volunteers are far reaching. 

Scottish station managers and volunteers also highlighted funding, spectrum coverage, training provision, sector profile, management and governance arrangements, the lack of listener data, and volunteer involvement in decision making as possible areas for improvement. Improving collaboration between community radio and the arts was also identified as an important opportunity, particularly in relation to potential funding revenue, training and shared creative endeavour. 

This review highlights a number of issues of relevance to wider discussions about how best to guide and support community radio provision in Scotland. 

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0038/00389114.pdf

Background

The proposal to develop a Rural Parliament in Scotland was a commitment in the Scottish National Party 2011 election manifesto “to ensure the voice of rural Scotland is heard, we will take forward proposals for a rural parliament to enable rural communities to engage more effectively with government.”  

What is a Rural Parliament?

A ‘Rural Parliament’ is not a formal part of government, but is a process for facilitating involvement and dialogue between the people of rural Scotland and policy makers to enable better understanding, policy and action to address rural issues. It is a process which takes place over a 2-year period, culminating in a special 2-3 day event, the Rural Parliament, which brings together all sectors of rural society and interests to provide a focus on rural issues and to discuss rural priorities with the Government.

The concept of a Rural Parliament was first developed in Sweden, and subsequently inspired similar initiatives in a number of other European countries.  The Rural Parliaments normally function within the context of civil society organisations termed ‘rural’ or ‘village movements’, which provide the network of rural communities and stakeholders and enable the continuity needed to develop, promote and monitor the agenda and results.

A successful rural parliament fulfils several main functions:

• It is a celebration and shop window for the rural areas and their people, making the rich experience and work of the rural communities visible in the national context 

• It is a gathering of the rural communities and stakeholders to focus on the issues of rural areas and to raise the rural profile and voice, putting important issues on the political agenda, influencing and speaking to government about the needs of rural areas 

• It is a meeting place for the rural communities and organisations to exchange experience and to inspire and mobilise.

What is being done to develop a Rural Parliament in Scotland?

Work has now begun to develop the first Rural Parliament in Scotland.

In October 2011, the Scottish Government commissioned the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) to carry out a study of existing Rural Parliaments in Europe.  The aim of the study was to ‘enhance understanding of how and why Rural Parliaments operate, and the outcomes they generate, through examining international examples’.  The report has now been finalised and will soon be available to everyone.

In November 2011, representatives from the Scottish Government met with representatives of the European Rural Community Association (ERCA) at the Dutch Rural Parliament in The Hague.  This enabled an initial introduction to the work of the Rural Movements and Parliaments in Europe.  Following this, Rural Parliaments in six countries were identified for inclusion in the SAC study: Sweden, the Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Hungary and Slovakia. ERCA also offered ongoing assistance to Scotland in developing a Rural Parliament. 

Some early meetings are taking place with key rural networks to discuss the approach to be taken.  An introductory seminar is planned on late May 2012 with stakeholders from the rural areas and interests in Scotland, at which representatives from three of the Rural Parliaments in Europe will present their experience.  Following this the process for developing the Scottish Rural Parliament will be agreed, with the anticipated timing for the event in September 2013.

Author: Brian Wilson, WHFP 14 March 2012

FIFTEEN years ago, Scotland had the most inequitable distribution of land ownership in Europe – a state of affairs which engendered much political rhetoric accompanied by demands for action, usually in response to some particularly dubious transfer of ownership.

In 1997, a Labour government took the first political steps towards addressing that dishonourable legacy of history. The result was a package of useful measures, some of which were acted upon immediately and others which were bequeathed to the incoming Scottish Parliament to be translated into legislation.

But nobody on the land reform side of the fence ever intended that to be the end of the process. Giving crofting communities the right to buy their land, abolishing the feudal system and guaranteeing freedom to roam were the low-hanging fruit of land reform. The hard stuff was supposed to follow.

We are still waiting. Fifteen years later, Scotland continues to have the most inequitable distribution of land ownership in Europe. Not one line of legislation beyond what it inherited has been originated at Holyrood to address that reality. Meanwhile, the political rhetoric has subsided as if the subject had been quietly filed under “gone away”.

But for many communities and individuals throughout Scotland, it has not gone away. They still live under the petty tyrannies of landlordism or see the resources on their doorsteps being squandered in the name of sport. They watch schools and shops close and homes become holiday lets. They seethe quietly because that is the safest way to seethe. Or they leave.

Anyone who does not believe that such things go on in 21st-century Scotland should have been with me in Mull – itself a bastion of capricious private landlordism – this week. I was there for the annual conference of Community Land Scotland, the umbrella body for community-owned estates which now cover 500,000 acres of Scotland, most of it in the West Highlands and Islands.

Put a few people with an interest in this subject together and the horror stories soon begin to flow, particularly from places where there is a stirring of interest in community ownership. Abuses of power, frustration of economic activity, speculation in assets such as forestry and quiet depopulation are all regular ongoing features of life in every corner of landlord-controlled rural Scotland. The land question may have been filed away by Holyrood but it is still very much alive in the real world.

There is an alternative path and, for the past 20 years, communities in the West Highlands and Islands have been clearing it for others to follow. More than 20 community-owned estates now add up to these 500,000 acres, and the results have been unerringly positive. At least another dozen are waiting in the wings. The potential is enormous and could transform the prospects for vast areas of rural Scotland.

At present, there are a lot of anniversaries to celebrate. Community-owned Assynt estate, where the people gave the lead to the politicians, is coming up for its 20th birthday. Revitalised Gigha, which previously was the subject of a cruel game of pass-the-parcel, today celebrates its tenth year of democratic control. The biggest and most ambitious buy-out, South Uist, has just marked its fifth anniversary by finalising a windfarm deal that will bring in £20 million for re-investment in economic development.

Sadly, there will not be many new birthdays to celebrate for a few years. Having plateaued in the middle of the last decade, the community land movement then ran out of momentum – not due to lack of demand but to a total absence of political support. The Scottish Land Fund, which was the engine of the movement, was closed down; its role supposedly to be taken over by the Big Lottery.

That never happened. Of more than 60 applications related to land buyouts, only one has so far succeeded (though there are some still in the pipeline). The Big Lottery doubtless had other worthy priorities, but the inescapable point is that unless there is funding quite specifically devoted to support for land reform, it will not be used for that purpose. 

The old Scottish Land Fund, which did a fantastic job under the chairmanship of David Campbell, was made up of people who – crucially – believed in land reform, and it had a specific remit to “diversify the pattern of land ownership in Scotland”. Nobody doubts that there are other priorities for lottery funders within Scotland and, without such a remit, there is no particular reason why land buyouts should take precedence.

All of this takes on a particular relevance because there is to be a new Scottish Land Fund, eventually conceded by the current Holyrood administration. It is worth £6m over three years, which is not a lot, since land does not come cheap. The fund will cover the whole of Scotland and be co-administered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Big Lottery. Why the Big Lottery is involved in distributing money not raised through the National Lottery is far from clear and, on past form, does not bode well. 

But the bigger point is that the progress of land reform should not depend either on a flea bite from the Scottish Government’s budget or on the vagaries of any lottery. It needs to be driven as a political priority fuelled by an understanding that the current structure of land ownership in Scotland represents a serious problem, both in terms of social justice and economic under-performance.

The SNP administration promised in its last manifesto to establish a land reform review group. If and when that happens, the remit and membership will be crucial. Will it be driven, as happened in 1997, by a belief that reform is necessary and the questions to be addressed are about means rather than ends? Or will the status quo remain an option? If so, it will not get very far.

For the great majority of rural communities which may aspire to controlling their own destinies and throwing off the heavy hand of landlord influence, the option simply does not exist. Outside of crofting areas, there is no community right to buy, far less financial support to advance such ambitions. These are the issues which a land reform review group must address – not the rhetorical question of whether land reform is a good idea.

James Hunter has just written a new book on the history of the community ownership movement in the Highlands and Islands which chronicles the events which have led to these 500,000 acres being under the democratic control of the people who live on them. He points out that all the public money committed to helping to achieve that outcome equates to what has been spent on constructing 600 yards of the Edinburgh tramway. Politics is, as ever, about priorities.

At a time when even the Scottish Football Association has realised that it might make sense for a “fit and proper person” test to be applied before putting up the welcome signs, vast estates still change hands in Scotland without the slightest regard for the implications for those who live on them, or how the land will be used. It is a very stupid way to run a country. Whether anything will have changed in another 15 years from now will have nothing to do with the constitutional debate and everything to do with whether the political will exists.

SCOTLAND’S coastal communities could be handed control of the country’s shorelines under plans that would bring them a multimillion-pound windfall. Devolving both the administration of the seabed off Scotland’s coasts and the booming income from renewable energy leases of up to £50 million annually by 2020 was described as offering the chance of rejuvenation for many remote and marginalised communities. The call, in a report by MPs, was described as “perfect” by Dr Michael Foxley, leader of Highlands Council. It piles pressure on the Treasury to devolve the Crown Estate in Scotland.

Yesterday the document by the Commons Scottish Select Affairs Committee was welcomed by the Scottish Government, and met with huge enthusiasm on the ground by community representatives, and seen as creating a unique opportunity for reform.

Dr Foxley said: “The Secretary of State for Scotland must enter into urgent discussions with the First Minister to ensure devolution of the Crown Estate responsibilities to a local level are implemented as quickly as possible. This is vital to the future well- being of coastline communities in our remote and island locations.”

Philip Maxwell, chairman of community-based Islay Energy Trust, said boosting local wealth by one-fifth would allow job-creation and infrastructure pro-jects, but added: “One should never underestimate how strong Treasury resistance can be but I think it will be very difficult for them because there is now such unanimity of purpose here.”

A Treasury spokesman said: “The Government will consider the recommendations of the report and provide a full response in due course. The Crown Estate is working hard to improve its communications and engagement in local areas and the Government supports this work. We have also set up the Coastal Communities Fund, which will deliver a multimillion-pound boost to coastal communities in Scotland and across the UK.”

Gareth Baird, the Crown Estate’s Scottish commissioner, said: “Our commitment to Scotland and its economy remains full and whole-hearted, and we will be studying the report’s recommendations closely.”

Committee chairman Ian Davidson was critical of the Crown Estate Commission (CEC) and spoke of an “accountability vacuum” in Scotland, adding: “We visited various communities in Orkney, Shetland, Caithness, Argyll and the Western Isles and took evidence from every interested party we could find. Considering the nature and extent of the problems identified to us, almost exclusively in relation to the marine and coastal assets in Scotland, we have had to conclude the CEC should no longer be the body responsible in these areas.”

The Glasgow South West MP said the key was maximising the local benefit from resources, adding: “We are convinced the only way this can be done is by devolving as much of the responsibility – and benefit – down to the level of those local communities as possible.”

The report said devolution to Holyrood should be conditional on the Scottish Government handing down the powers and revenues to communities.

Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead claimed credit for the suggested, two-stage model of devolution. He said: “Our progressive plans, which have also been backed by the Scottish Parliament, would see revenues from Crown Estate invested directly into local communities. The Scottish Government is clear this is the right approach – the communities most affected are the ones which should benefit.”

A Scotland Office spokesman said the report’s conclusions clashed with the previous position of the Scottish Government which offered no guarantee to pass on powers devolved to Edinburgh.

Taxpayers are stumping up half-a-million pounds to buy an ancient Scottish royal park even though it has been in public ownership for centuries.

The 453 acres of King’s Park below Stirling Castle – the last significant ancient property of the Scottish Crown not controlled by Scottish Ministers – is being sold off by the Crown Estate Commissioners for £1 million.

The people of Stirling will pay for more than half the sale price to secure the site for the town’s golf club, despite the public having effectively owned the land since the 12th century. 

Now leading land reform campaigner Andy Wightman is calling for answers from ministers and the local council.

The move comes when there are growing calls for the Crown Estate Commission’s (CEC) functions to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament with the CEC, which sends its income to the UK Treasury, ceasing to operate north of the Border.

According to Mr Wightman, an authority on common land and common good funds, the deal betrays the CEC as an organisation “… out for a quick profit at the expense of Scotland’s heritage”.

He said: “Over the past 50 years the CEC has managed the park as just another part of their commercial rural estate. Which is why, in 2006, it began secret negotiations to sell Stirling Golf Club lands they already leased.

“When news of this private deal broke there was an outcry and Stirling Council stepped in and agreed to acquire the parkland and land at the back of the castle for £600,000, funded with £150,000 from Stirling common good fund and £450,000 from the golf club, which would then be granted a 175-year lease.”

He said local people wanted to know why the fund, a reserve established for the benefit of the community, was being raided to pay for this. 

The community had come up with an imaginative alternative proposal that would restore this historic landscape as part of the wider restoration of Stirling Castle, but both the Secretary of Scotland (Jim Murphy) and the Scottish Government had refused to get drawn into the argument. Progress on the deal stopped with the credit crunch, but now it is back on the table. 

However, this time more land, another 92 acres, is included and the price is over £1m, “… with,” Mr Wightman said, “the common good fund forking out a whopping £567,000. This represents over 60% of its reserves, and for what? This land is crown land. It is Scottish public land. It should be administered by Scottish ministers, as nearly all other historic castles, palaces and royal parks are. 

“No public money should be needed to acquire control of this land, least of all the bulk of Stirling’s common good fund”.

He said it is particularly in-appropriate given the 2014 year of Homecoming and the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn.

“Why, when Scotland is in the midst of such historic times, is the Scottish Government sitting idly by while a common good fund is raided to pay for public land that already belongs to us, to be given away to a private golf club for 175 years? It is time to stop this madness.”

King’s Park Community Council wrote to the council: “In our opinion this is a serious mistake given that the recommendations about to be published in the Scotland Bill give every indication that Crown Estate management in Scotland will be returned to Scottish ministers.”

Alan Laidlaw, CEC’s head of new business development for the rural estate, said: “We have worked in partnership with Stirling Council and Stirling Golf Club to ensure local people benefit from the use of the land.” 

A spokesman for Stirling Council said: “The acquisition of the lands at King’s Park, using common good fund monies, will secure for all time coming the use of these lands by the public for recreational purposes.” 

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “If any party or individual believes public money is not being used properly and effectively, then a complaint can be made to Audit Scotland.”

The Herald sought a comment from Stirling Golf Club, but no-one was available.

In 2010 Iceland’s favorite stand up comedian ‘Jon Gnarr’ stood for the Reykjavik City Council elections, and to everyone’s amazement got in. The film ‘Gnarr’ tells the story of how he gathered together his friends into ‘The Best Party’ taking the local government elections by storm, and has ended up as Mayor.

The film ‘Gnarr’ was shown recently as an inspiration of what is possible in politics when people have had enough of the status quo and stand up for justice. We want people to vote in the Scottish local government elections in May, if there is no one they want to vote for, we are encouraging them to ask someone they trust to stand. Encouraging people who may never before have thought about it to stand on a social justice platform. 

In the 2007 local government elections for Glasgow you needed between 800 and 3,200 first preference votes to get elected. With the multi member wards and the single transferable vote system there is a chance for community leaders of all sorts to take a stand. Think local publican, community hall manager, allotment activist, small business owner, community nurse, event promoter, justice campaigner, gallery curator or social entrepreneur. Everything is possible!

The notice of the local government election in Scotland is published from March 13th, last date to deliver nomination papers for independent candidates 4pm March 29th, its free and easy. You then have 5 weeks to get the word out and speak to your voters before they go to the ballot box.

Initiated by Mark Langdon and Susan Pettie, ‘we just have to do something!’ We are eager for others to get involved, are you interested? Contact mflangdon@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/communitarianmovement

The Creative Place Awards celebrate and recognise the hard work and imagination that contributes to the rich cultural life of a community, as well as its social and economic well-being.

The Awards are part of the Year of Creative Scotland 2012, a year-long celebration of our nation’s cultural and creative strengths. 

Broadcaster Dougie Vipond hosted today’s ceremony with awards presented by the judges to communities of different sizes across three categories. The winners are:

• Wigtown received £50,000 in the category for places with fewer than 2,500 residents. The runners up were Creetown and Kilmartin Glen.  Each year over 15,000 people flock to Wigtown for its hugely successful Book Festival, the award will allow this to be developed into a year-round programme – including a residential creative writing course and a high-profile Wigtown Lecture.

• West Kilbride received £100,000 in the category for places with fewer than 10,000 residents.  The runners up were Huntly and Prestonpans.  The award will allow Craft Town Scotland, a community initiative, to develop a new series of exhibitions for The Barony Centre and develop new programmes to involve younger, and older, members of the community in their creative programme.

• St Andrews received £150,000 in the category for places with fewer than 100,000 residents.  The runners up were Irvine and Perth. St Andrews will be hosting its own Year of Celebration in 2012 and the award will allow the town to promote its already rich cultural programme to the UK and international visitors and to support a new community musical theatre production as the year’s centre piece production.

In addition, the judges made two Special Awards of £40,000 to Creetown and Huntly who impressed with their long-standing creative programmes which involve the whole community.

• Creetown won a Special Award for community engagement and high levels of participation in quality arts and creativity.

• Huntly received a Special Award for its creative use of artists.  Huntly has re-branded the town through the use of arts; many of its projects have been led by top international artists.

Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland and Chair of the Judging panel, said; “The Year of Creative Scotland and the Creative Place Awards provide a unique opportunity to celebrate and reward places across Scotland that contribute to a Scotland’s strength as a creative nation. 

“From the Highlands to the Borders, Scotland is a rich tapestry of thriving and vibrant creative communities.  The awards will allow these communities to enhance their creative programmes, which will in-turn raise their profile nationally and internationally and attract further visitors.

“It was a tough task for the jury to choose just three out of the nine outstanding places nominated, all of which showed substantial vitality, energy and creativity.  

This is the first year of the awards and we hope to see even more places putting themselves forward next year.”

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, said; “Scotland is a creative nation and I am hugely impressed by the wealth of creative communities we have in every corner of the country. To win a Creative Place Award, and in the Year of Creative Scotland 2012, is a great achievement which demonstrates the truly exceptional standard of the successful programmes.

“As well as helping local economies by increasing visitors, the winning projects – which cover a breadth of creative activities – will bring communities together in a common cause that enhances their energy and wellbeing.”

Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive, said: “Our culture is one of our greatest assets and this year offers a tremendous opportunity to harness local creativity from across every part of Scotland and show our visitors what we’re made of.  It’s fantastic to see the winners in the spotlight today and exciting to see the wealth of creative talent demonstrated. Tourism is a hotbed for creativity but it’s only by working together and harnessing enthusiasm that we can truly make the most of the Year of Creative Scotland.”

It was once seen as a jewel in Fife’s crown of stunning visitor attractions, and the scene of many unforgettable school trips for generations of youngsters, but is now only a shadow of its former self after years of neglect.

Now, however, there is fresh hope that the long-term future of Craigtoun Park on the edge of St Andrews can be secured after a public meeting agreed to set up a trust to manage the 41-acre park.

St Andrews Community Council chairman Kyffin Roberts said he was ”delighted” with the turnout of around 50 people at a public meeting in St Andrews Burgh Chambers on Wednesday night.

”Positive energy and enthusiasm was in great abundance!” he said of the meeting hosted by St Andrews Community Council.

However, he has now appealed to residents from St Andrews and the wider Fife/Tayside area to give their backing by supporting the trust and looking at ways that an action plan can move forward.

Mr Roberts said there had been growing concern in recent years about the increasingly dilapidated state of Craigtoun Park. In particular, the once impressive Dutch Village had been closed and fallen into disrepair, whilst the boating pond was now thick with green algae and littered with bottles.

”Basically Fife Council has made it clear it wants to wash its hands of the park on grounds of cost. They will continue to fund it this year and possibly next, but they can’t guarantee anything after that,” he said.

”As Fife Council seeks to place more facilities on a trust basis, it seems certain that the only way to protect the future of Craigtoun Park is to establish a trust that will work closely with the local authority to make the best use of limited resources and get more for less wherever possible.”

Mr Roberts said it was hoped the Craigtoun Community Trust will eventually take responsibility for the maintenance and development of the park and will seek funding for its refurbishment and devise a business plan that will ensure it achieves financial sustainability.

However, this would only work with the support of individuals, clubs and businesses.

Mr Roberts added: ”What we decided on Wednesday night was to set up a Friends of Craigtoun Group and from that we will have a management committee core group. The main purpose of that will be to set up a trust.

”The idea is that the Friends of Craigtoun Park group will become a pool of resources consisting of interested individuals who have relevant knowledge and experience to help set up the trust and possibly become trustees in the future.”

Mr Roberts said it was thought that the bare running costs could be £300,000 per annum with estimated repair bills of £4 million.

Last year St Andrews and Cameron community councils were involved in exploratory discussions with Fife Council with a view to take over the running of the park, but after careful consideration the latter concluded that operating it as a charitable trust run by volunteers would not be a viable option and abandoned the idea.

However, Mr Roberts said St Andrews Community Council had decided it would not give up the fight to save the park.

Fife Council area service manager Kate Hughes said: ”Craigtoun will continue to be operated as a free-to-enter public park for the forseeable time. The council has committed funding to the park for at least another 12 months and we’re in the process of preparing a tender for the management of operations including catering, the train, boats and putting with the intention that these services will be provided by the private sector this summer.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about the trust should contact Kyffin Roberts at kyffinroberts@hotmail.com

The event – which was originally arranged for 8 December 2011 but had to be postponed as a result of ‘Hurricane Bawbag’ – was well attended with over 200 guests in attendance from a wide range of public, private, voluntary and community organisations. 

Alex Neil MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, said: “Successful regeneration relies on the passion and commitment of a whole range of partners, working tirelessly to make a difference to the people and places that need it most. Awards such as these play an important part in recognising achievements across the country. I am delighted to be supporting the SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration. And I wish to congratulate, not only the winners, but all those that have taken part.”

Stephen Maxwell, Chair of SURF, said: “The outstanding achievements made by the projects featured in this year’s SURF Awards are all the more impressive when you consider the challenges and pressures they are operating under. More than ever, now is the time for all of us concerned with community regeneration in Scotland to make sure we are doing all we can to support and replicate examples of best practice.”

Andy Milne, Chief Executive of SURF, said: “There is a lot of discussion about more independence. SURF supports real independence for people and places. Real independence comes from collective action in communities. Every year, the SURF Awards show that there are thousands of people working together in hundreds of projects across the whole country every day for a better community and a better Scotland. 

“With public spending cuts allied to increasing poverty, 2011 has been one of the most challenging years in recent times for delivering effective regeneration. The 2011 SURF Awards show that resilient communities and their regeneration partners are still providing practical solutions to local challenges. Scotland’s challenge is to sustain and build on such accomplishments. That would be a real success for genuine independence.”

The SURF Awards are delivered by SURF (Scotland’s independent regeneration network) in partnership with the Scottish Government. 

People Category       

• Winner – Greater Easterhouse Alcohol Awareness Project (Glasgow)

• Highly Commended – Auchmountain Community Resource Centre (Greenock)

Place Category

• Winner – Dedridge Environmental Ecology Project (Livingston) 

• Highly Commended – Kimartin House Museum (Argyll)

Partnership Category

• Winner – Community Power Orkney

• Highly Commended – Pulteneytown People’s Project (Wick)

Employability for All Category

• Winner – The Coalyard (South Lanarkshire)

• Highly Commended – The Engine Shed (Edinburgh)

For more information on all 17 shortlisted projects for 2011, please click here to download a special SURF Awards publication.