Electric or hybrid powered vehicles are being considered by a remote Highlands community in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint.

The transport would be used in Assynt, Sutherland, in the north west Highlands.

About 44,000 acres of the area are community owned following a series of estate buy-outs.

Community company Assynt Renewables is looking at a number of options to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Under consideration, is charging up the vehicles from power supplied by micro-renewable schemes or hydrogen fuel cells.

As well as considering electric vehicles, the group is to carrying out a series of energy audits to establish a baseline carbon footprint of the area, insulate homes and looking at linking clusters of houses to micro-renewable schemes.

Other proposals include greater use of locally grown wood for fuel and trying to reduce food miles through increased use of local produce – primarily venison and seafood – and exploring options for local food processing.
 
Mark Lazzeri, development manager for the Assynt Foundation and a member of the board of Assynt Renewables, said the effort would start with small steps.

He said: “We will investigate ways to make the most of the resources we have around us from food to fuel sources.”

Board member Chris Chant added: “One of the exciting possibilities we are exploring is how to reduce our fuel for transport so we investigating options such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles.

“Transport is a real issue here and we had a real wake up call when the price of oil rocketed last summer.

“We want to prepare ourselves for big fluctuations in oil prices as supplies become more uncertain in the future.”

Assynt Renewables was recently awarded £74,220 from the Climate Challenge Fund to pursue the projects.

Changeworks, Community Energy Scotland and the John Muir Trust are also supporting the effort.

Meeting with Alex Neil MSP, Minister for Housing and Communities.  LPL were represented by Angus Hardie,  Ian Cooke (DTAS), Pauline Hinchion (CRNS) Jon Hollingdale (CWA)

The Minister welcomed the delegation from LPL to the meeting  by emphasising the SNP’s devolutionary credentials and consequent commitment to devolve power down to the most local level possible.

LPL  position is that we welcomed Scottish Government’s current commitment to community empowerment and the publication of the action plan which we saw as an encouraging first step. Our concern as expressed to the Minister was whether there would be sufficient momentum , commitment and resources from local councils to deliver the Plan.

The Minister was interested to know whether there were parts of the country where councils were more in support of the empowerment agenda than others.  LPL confirmed this to be the case.

The Minister agreed with our proposition that in times of economic recession there was a risk that some councils would become more entrenched in their position towards the community sector and would reduce the resource allocation to the community sector as a means of protecting what they consider to be core services.  Also recognised that the last time this happened, under a Conservative Government, it caused lasting long term damage to communities which is still being felt today. LPL emphasised that this experience has shown that investment in building community resilience is a crucial part of a recession survival plan and that Scottish Government should make its position clear in this respect.

The Minister was presented with an illustration of contract procurement  which contain an explicit community benefit clause as an example of how progress can be impaired by competing inter-departmental priorities within a single local authority.

The question of how to deliver the culture change within local govt which everyone agreed is critical to making any progress on the empowerment agenda was discussed.   Training for councillors forms one of the action points in CEAP and it was agreed that LPL should be able to contribute to the delivery of this.

While it was acknowledged that the Concordat meant that it would be for local councils to decide their own priorities the Minister asked whether we felt there were things that Govt could do to assist.  LPL asked that the issue of Govt delays re guidance for public bodies over the disposal of public assets at less than best consideration be resolved. The minister agreed to investigate why more progress in this issue had not happened.  The Minister also suggested that LPL should formally request of the Environment and Rural Affairs Committee that they consider a full review of the operation and effectiveness of the Land Reform Act.

Part of the discussion focused on housing associations and whether there was more that the RSL movement could do to contribute to the empowerment agenda. It was agreed that many housing associations were playing a key role and the Minister quoted Cordale Housing Assoc and the work taking place in Renton as exemplars of community empowerment.

In terms of making sure momentum is not lost, The Minister suggested that the June meeting between COSLA and Scottish Government would consider progress to date and what proposals were necessary in order that momentum is maintained around this agenda.

Community Energy Scotland, the Dingwall-based charity, has won the contract to deliver the Government’s flasghip community energy scheme across Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s Communities and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) is the rebranded SCHRI programme which has already enabled communities to develop over 400 of their own renewable energy projects. 
 
CARES is open to any non-profit distributing community organisation and can provide funding for technical support, relevant training and the installation of renewable energy equipment.   Funding is available for a wide range of renewable energy technologies to generate electricty with a particular emphasis on generating heat.     The maximum grant available is £150,000, an increase of 50% on the levels available under the previous Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative.

Nicholas Gubbins, Community Energy Scotland chief executive, said: “We are delighted that Community Energy Scotland has been selected to deliver the scheme.  There is already a high level of interest and enthusiasm within Scottish communities for developing their own energy projects.  These projects can bring real benefits to communities, helping to address energy costs and making a significant contribution to Scotland’s carbon and renewable energy targets.”

Energy Minister Jim Mather, said: “I want to maximise the benefits of renewable energy to communities throughout Scotland.  There is so much more a community can gain from renewables projects, over and above financial benefits. For example, increased community cohesion and confidence, skills development and supporting local economic regeneration. CARES is here to continue and build on the support previously delivered through the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI).  I am increasing the maximum grant level by 50% above that offered by SCHRI so that capital grants of up to £150K are now available and I would urge community groups to get in touch with their local CARES Development Officer and see what support is available to help their community to develop its own renewable energy project.”

Jack Welch, volunteer project co-ordinator for Guildtown Community Association, Perthshire, said: “Through SCHRI we were able to install a heat pump and solar thermal panels as part of our hall refurbishment.  As well as creating a very warm comfortable environment, the confidence we gained from carrying out this project has inspired our community to take forward other sustainable projects and we look forward to working with Community Energy Scotland through CARES.”
       
Community Energy Scotland      www.communityenergyscotland.org.uk
CARES      www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/19185/Communities
Householders will still be able to access advice and grants through Energy Saving Scotland. See:
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Scotland/Scottish-Community-and-Householder-Renewables-Initiative-SCHRI/Household-renewables

Further information

Community Energy Scotland is an independent Scottish Charity.  Its main headquarters are in Dingwall but it has 11 offices in communities across Scotland. 
It has 3 key areas of work. 

1. Delivery of the Scottish Government’s Communities and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) across Scotland.
2. It also assists community groups to develop their own larger-scale renewable energy projects designed to generate long-term revenue to underpin their own community’s development. 
3. It also supports community applicants to Big Lottery Scotland’s Growing Community Assets programme. 

To date, Community Energy Scotland (and its predecessor organisation, Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company) have delivered 507 community energy projects.  243 of these have been the installation of renewable energy plant into community facilities.  Community Energy Scotland is also working with 36 communities developing their own wind and hydro projects to generate long-term revenue for reinvestment in their local area.  Community Energy Scotland is the only Scottish Charity which offers all of the following: 

• Development advice and guidance on community energy ,
• Funding for start-up, technical assistance and capital installations
• Pre-development funding for community led and owned income generating projects
• Annual community energy conference 
• Nationwide community energy network / forum

For more information contact Marion O’Hara, Community Energy Scotland Tel. 01349 860122 or marion.ohara@communityenergyscotland.org.uk.

Assist Social Capital is holding an international conference

in :  New Lanark
on :   4th June 2009
conference title : Social Capital & Community Resilience
for more information : Assist Social Capital www.social-capital.net

Irish Government puts the development of social capital at heart of economic recovery plan

Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism commenting on the supplementary Budget for 2009 said: “Today Ireland finds itself in the most challenging economic conditions. Our task now is to protect jobs, restore economic activity, while we bring stability to the public finances, maximise short-term economic activity and improve our country’s competitiveness. It is important that even as we manage immediate difficulties, as we have done very successfully in the past, that we are also positioned well when the financial upturn inevitably arrives.”

The Minister added: “The Arts, Sport and Tourism sectors are important drivers within the economy – both as contributors to economic growth and to employment levels. One fifth of the working force in our country earn their living from tourism/hospitality, arts and sports. Between them they generate almost six and half billion euro in foreign currency earnings per year.”

Minister Cullen said: “The ‘Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal’ recently published by An Taoiseach sets out how Ireland can become the innovation and commercialisation hub of Europe. The Framework highlights how the Smart Economy rests on four pillars – developing human capital, building physical capital, securing social capital and protecting our environment. I believe that the arts, sport and tourism sectors are critical to achieving the Smart Economy. Tourism can sustainably exploit our environment while adding to our human capital. Arts and culture provide intellectual capital for the smart economy while both sport and culture provide essential social and physical capital.”

The Minister said today’s supplementary budget for 2009 was the “most critical Budget in our economic history.”

Town Centre Regeneration Fund

Introduction

The Scottish Government recognises the important contribution made by Scotland’s town centres to the achievement of its purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth. Town centres are a key element of the economic and social fabric of the nation, acting as centres of employment and services for local communities and a focus for civic activity. We want to see town centres reach their full potential and to support local economies through these challenging economic times.

The new Town Centre Regeneration Fund is a sign of our commitment to the improvement of Scotland’s town centres and local high streets. We are making available £60m in 2009-10. We want these significant new funds to support community and business leaders to regenerate and grow our town centres. This funding will help our town centres adapt to modern markets, and supply the access, mix of facilities and services, and environment that will meet the needs of local communities and businesses.

Applications for the scheme are now open. For an application form and more information about how to apply, download the information below. There will be two rounds of assessments of applications. The deadline for consideration in the first round will be June 5 2009. The deadline for the second round will be Aug

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/regeneration/town-centres/tcrf

How much is available ?

£60 million capital is available from April 2009 to March 2010. While there are no minimum or maximum award levels, we will expect all projects to make a strategic contribution to the long term plans for their town centre; and we expect all areas of the country to benefit. In practice, this may mean that bids for less than £100,000 or for in excess of £3,000,000 require additional scrutiny.

What will the fund support?

The Fund aims to support local community and business leaders to make real and lasting improvements to town centres across the whole of Scotland. We will consider all capital activity. This might include for example:
 Improving pedestrian or vehicle access to a town centre
 Improving parking provision within a town centre
 Attracting increased footfall, both by day and by night
 Diversification of the mix of services and amenities within a town centre, underpinned by an understanding of the requirements of the local community
 Acquisition of gap sites and vacant properties for redevelopment
 Streetscape improvements which enhance and improve how a town centre operates, providing these are of sufficient scale and ambition to represent a capital investment
 Remediation of vacant or derelict sites within the town centre to fit them for retail, residential, business or recreational use
 Purchase of gap sites to allow for use as residential, retail, business or recreation
 Remodelling of existing premises to provide a suitable mix and floorplan of retail, business, residential and recreational uses, or to comply with Disability Discrimination Act legislation

We will be looking for evidence that the investment is needed, and that it will contribute to long term strategic improvements to the town centre. Inclusion in local plans and evidence of the support of local partners will be important.

What will the fund not support?

The Fund is capital only and so cannot support any non-investment activity. This might include, for example:
 Running costs such as staffing costs
 Marketing activity
 Payment for consultants, including for masterplanning activity
 Partnership engagement exercises

We will also not offer funding retrospectively or as a substitute for programmed spend. For the avoidance of doubt, this means that capital investments which have already taken place or for which funding has already been allocated will not be reimbursed.

What is a “town centre”?

Scottish Planning Policy defines town centres as:
“city, town and district centres, irrespective of size, that provide a diverse and sustainable mix of activities and land uses which create an identity that signals their function and wider role.”

Based on this definition, each local authority in Scotland identifies in their development plans a network of centres. We want all town centres and local high streets across Scotland to be able to benefit. All areas recognised in local authority development plans as town and district centres will therefore be eligible for funding. This will include town centres and high streets within cities, although city centres are excluded. All funding applied for must be spent within these areas; although we will welcome bids for multiple town centres within the same local authority area or across local authority boundaries.

Who can apply for funding?

We want to encourage a diversity of ideas and ensure that all parts of the community have an opportunity to get behind their local town centre. We will therefore accept bids from local authorities, Community Planning Partnerships, Town Centre Management organisations, Business Improvement Districts, local Chambers of Commerce, Urban Regeneration Companies, businesses, Registered Social Landlords and third sector groups.

Organisations applying to the Fund must:
 Be established organisations with an appropriate legal personality
 Be located or operating/trading in a recognised town centre
 Have appropriate management and governance arrangements in place to support our investment

Author: Gerry Braiden, The Herald

Grassroots groups are to share almost £2m in a groundbreaking scheme by the Big Lottery and Scotland’s largest local authority to promote community ownership and redevelop city landmarks.

It is hoped the move by Glasgow City Council to hand over land assets, one of the first examples of community buy-outs in an urban context, will be replicated throughout Scotland and pave the way for urban development.

Three projects will share £1,989,126 of the Big Lottery’s Growing Community Assets scheme, including the historic Maryhill Burgh Halls in the north of Glasgow, Whiteinch Centre in the west of the city, and Milnbank Housing Association in Dennistoun.

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The community-led drive to restore the Burgh Halls receives £980,910, the grant going towards internal refurbishment and a new extension to the building, which lies in one of Glasgow’s most deprived communities.

The council owns the building but will sell it to Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust and give them back the money in the form of a grant.

Once restored, the historic building will be a community events and concert space, as well as a nursery, cafe and recording studio, helping the community to generate income and become more sustainable in the long term. Milnbank Housing Association will use £900,000 to build a community-owned nursery as part of the regeneration of the former Great Eastern Hotel in Dennistoun.

This will offer 75 childcare places, 19 of which will be subsidised for lone parents and low-income families. Whiteinch Centre is currently leased from the council, with the authority now agreeing to transfer ownership of the asset to the centre. The group is receiving £116,092 towards the salary costs of a regeneration manager and centre administrator who will take forward plans to develop more community services.

Big Lottery Fund Scotland director Dharmendra Kanani said: “Should other public bodies follow the lead of Glasgow, this would create even more opportunities for communities to benefit from the surge in community ownership.”

Steven Purcell, leader of the council, said: “The Big Lottery’s announcement represents a fantastic contribution to community life in Glasgow and I’m delighted it is able to support these projects.”

Billy McAllister, chairman of Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust, added: “So far, more than five years of hard work has been put into developing proposals for the project.

“This is a project where the local people of this community are firmly in the driving seat and in charge.”

More detail….

A major programme of change started in March 2008 when the Scottish Government announced that it would no longer fund the networks of councils of voluntary service, the volunteer centres, the local social economy partnerships and the social enterprise networks in their current form from April 2011.

The main goal is to align the third sector with the community planning partnerships (CPPs) and the single outcome agreements.

Three letters have been issued by the Scottish Government, advancing the process of change:

18 March 2008
21 October 2008
2 February 2009

The letter of 2 February invited the third sector in each local authority area to offer a progress report, preferably agreed with the CPP. These reports are available as pdf documents here (please note some reports have not yet been received and will be added as we receive them):

Aberdeen City Part 1

Aberdeenshire

Angus

Clackmannanshire

Dumfries and Galloway

Dundee City

East Ayrshire Part 1

East Ayrshire Part 2

East Dumbartonshire

East Lothian

East Renfrewshire

Edinburgh

Falkirk

Fife

Glasgow City

Highland

Inverclyde

Midlothian

North Ayrshire

North Lanarkshire

Orkney Islands

Perth & Kinross

Renfrewshire

Scottish Borders

Shetland

South Ayrshire

South Lanarkshire

Stirling

West Dumbartonshire Part 1

West Dumbartonshire Part 2

Western Isles

West Lothian Part 1

West Lothian Part 2

Aberdeen City part 2

More detail…..

Download full document here http://www.localpeopleleading.co.uk/docs/LPLandCEAP.doc

More detail….

Applications to CCF approved in April 2009
Crichton Carbon Centre – £67,889, April 2009
As part of this Carbon Busters 2 project, pupils and teachers from eight schools will work to measure and reduce their schools carbon footprint, primarily through behavioural change. The project will be facilitated by the Crichton Carbon Centre, who will deliver lessons about climate change and carbon footprinting, and help pupils create School Action Plans with the ultimate aim of reducing carbon emissions by 15 per cent.
 
Heal the Earth Ayrshire – £30,367, April 2009
The Assloss Walled Garden Allotments in Kilmarnock will grow organic vegetables, using a rainwater catchment system, with few carbon emissions. Local schools, groups and families invited to join the c…
The Assloss Walled Garden Allotments in Kilmarnock will grow organic vegetables, using a rainwater catchment system, with few carbon emissions. Local schools, groups and families invited to join the community venture to grow food for free.
 
Guildtown Community Association – £120,200, April 2009
The Guildtown & Wolfhill Carbon Community Action Project, which will employ a coordinator, aims to wean households and businesses off oil-fired central heating; maximise energy efficiency savings; dev…
The Guildtown & Wolfhill Carbon Community Action Project, which will employ a coordinator, aims to wean households and businesses off oil-fired central heating; maximise energy efficiency savings; develop, test and promote rural transport solutions; and utilise the projects rural location to investigate opportunities for biomass and reduction of food miles. The aim is to reduce the carbon footprint of participating households by up to 30% year. It also aims to test the appetite (and possibly trial) for a community wide carbon cap and individual quotas.
 
East Neuk Communities Group – £212,903, April 2009
Community-based energy efficiency program which will provide local solutions, including energy audits, support and advice as well as enabling increased uptake of the various schemes currently on offer…
Community-based energy efficiency program which will provide local solutions, including energy audits, support and advice as well as enabling increased uptake of the various schemes currently on offer for cavity and loft insulation, draught proofing, new double glazing, heating controls and replacement boiler systems.
 
Perth & District YMCA – £122,052, April 2009
Perth YMCA’s Three C’s Project (Community Carbon Champions) will involve local unemployed young people working with families to grow vegetables in their gardens. They will also create an educational D…
Perth YMCA’s Three C’s Project (Community Carbon Champions) will involve local unemployed young people working with families to grow vegetables in their gardens. They will also create an educational DVD around Carbon Emission Reduction which will be distributed at local community events celebrating the harvest of the vegetables.
 
Deaf Connections – £16,850, April 2009
The DEAFinately Greener project will ensure Deaf people in Scotland have equal access to information and advice about climate change in British Sign language (BSL), overcoming the communication barriers which currently exclude them. It will empower Deaf people so they can take both individual action and work together as a community to reduce their carbon footprint by at least 30%.
 
Barrhill Community Interest Company – £70,365, April 2009
To create a network of Climate Champions from residents within Barrhill and four neighbouring villages. The principal aims are community engagement and capacity building about climate change and makin…
To create a network of Climate Champions from residents within Barrhill and four neighbouring villages. The principal aims are community engagement and capacity building about climate change and making a collective, local response.
 
Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust – £90,067, April 2009
The Out of the Blue Drill Hall refurbishment will transform a building once heated and ventilated with an emphasis on fossil fuels, into one which is an inspirational example of environmental sustainability. New spaces will be created for community participation, namely studios, workshop space, growing garden and community café extension. Secondly, the benefits of the nature of the Drill Hall refurbishment will be promoted through promotional materials and awareness raising sessions.
 
Kilwinning Community Sports Club – £57,347, April 2009
Will employ a ‘green and active’ programme coordinator to implement a wide ranging programme aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of their employees, stakeholders, membership and the wider community.
 
Dumbarton Road Corridor Environment Trust – £160,105, April 2009
The Scotstoun and Kingsway Focus Project is all about addressing climate change at the doorstep of the ordinary household. A range of projects will be undertaken, including composting, creating commun…
The Scotstoun and Kingsway Focus Project is all about addressing climate change at the doorstep of the ordinary household. A range of projects will be undertaken, including composting, creating community gardens, promoting cycling, recycling and changing household behaviour in the areas of energy use and transport choices.
 
Assynt Renewables Ltd – £74,220, April 2009
An energy audit of houses, community buildings and businesses in the Assynt parish area with support from Energy Saving Trust Scotland.
 
Strathblanefield Community Development Trust – £106,885, April 2009
The project aims to reduce household energy consumption in Strathblane. Every household will be offered an energy audit of their home, and personalised advice and assistance about energy efficiency. Many properties will have a thermal image taken. The project will cut energy costs, increase the take-up of energy-saving measures and encourage the use of renewable energy.
 
Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Energy – £267,504, April 2009
To establish drop-in energy information and advice points in seven communities in Argyll; to develop networks of community energy volunteers and to facilitate and support local community energy projects and initiatives.
http://www.alienergy.org.uk/
 
Fintry Development Trust – £22,506, April 2009
Fintry Development Trust is seeking to explore the possibility of a local energy supply company in the village to accelerate the take-up of energy saving behaviours and technologies within the village. This project will look at the feasibility of this approach and will develop a financial model, address the legal issues and establish initial relationships with the key partner organisations so that a pilot project can be run later in the year.

The North Howe Transition Toun – £92,755, April 2009
This Transition group will engage the community via door-to-door surveys, carbon foot printing and public consultation and training events on food, transport and eco renovation. There will also be community film and pub nights with visiting speakers, practical projects such as a bulk garden-supplies centre and community apple press, and feasibility studies to improve local footpaths, bike routes, and car sharing schemes.

Church of the Sacred Heart – £136,666, April 2009
The 100 year-old Lauriston Hall in Edinburgh’s West Port is a large city centre community space. The Climate Challenge Fund will help the Church of the Sacred Heart to introduce natural light and provide insulation to the ceiling, wall and floor, to reduce by up to 80% the carbon emissions of this elegant building.

Glasgow Steiner School – £56,350, April 2009
Glasgow Steiner School: Sustainability Strategies to reduce the school’s energy requirements – Feasibility Study and Initial Implementation.

Fife Housing Association – £35,668, April 2009
A feasibility study by Fife Housing Association into the energy potential from minewater lying below Kirkcaldy. If viability can be determined the latent energy will be developed in collaboration with Fife Council and ‘Renew Services Ltd’ to tackle fuel poverty and provide renewable energy to a wide variety of energy users.

Shandon Local Food Group – £22,530, April 2009
Shandon Local Food Group is a newly established community group which is seeking to reduce the carbon impact of the purchase, production and disposal of food in the Shandon area of Edinburgh. Phase one of the project is researching the current carbon footprint of food and developing innovative ways of assessing this alongside building community views of what works best to support local food.

The Energy Advisory Service on behalf of the North Harris Trust – £56,000, April 2009
The Community Carbon Challenge project will work with the residents of North Harris to achieve maximum energy efficiency in terms of Advice, Insulation and heating through a partnership with North Harris Trust and TEAS: The Energy Advisory Service

Lightburn Elderly Association Project – £115,797, April 2009
The Hands on Project' aims to deliver an energy efficiency and recycling programme aimed at reducing carbon emissions in the Cambuslang and Rutherglen areas. The community led project will work with older people to tackle a global problem at a local level.

Sustainable Energy Association Stonehaven – £12,400, April 2009
SEAS (Sustainable Energy Association Stonehaven) was established in January 2008 with the aim of developing income generating renewable energy projects in the town, as well as supporting energy efficiency initiatives where practicable. Income generated will feed into a community trust fund which can then be used as a source of funding for other projects in the future.

Here We Are (Cairndow) – £9,500, April 2009
Here We Are will conduct a comprehensive audit of all the 120 houses in the village and 10 significant commercial sites. They will collate the data from the survey, with an aim to identify how these premises can be improved in terms of energy efficiency; this will have a direct impact on the reduction of carbon emissions on a local, national and global level.
Pilmeny Development Project / North East Edinburgh Care Action Group – £3,460, April 2009
This project seeks to undertake a Community Consultation on the uptake of Energy Efficiency measures with older people and carers in North East Edinburgh (primarily Leith and Portobello). Through this work, we aim to raise older people’s and carers knowledge and awareness on how they can reduce their carbon footprint and address their concerns around fuel poverty. http://www.pilmenydevelopmentproject.co.uk/

Whitsome Village Hall Association – £4,977, April 2009
This award has been made for the Village Hall Association to explore means of supplying and running green electrical power to run the Whitsome Ark hall, which already has solar panels and ground sourced energy.

Milton Rovers Youth FC – £8,568, April 2009
The project by Milton Rovers involves the upgrade and refurbishment of this community facility with the aim of including energy saving measures to reduce carbon emissions and running costs. Any savings made will be re-invested to carry out further carbon reducing/energy saving measures in addition to reduced hire charges for facility users.

East Fife Allotment Association – £1500, April 2009
The East Fife Allotment Association seeks to create the opportunity for local people to grow their own fruit and vegetables. By doing so, not only will there be a contribution to the reduction of carbon emissions, but the communities are provided with permanent leisure amenities. The focus of this initial application to the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) will be to help the organisation achieve the necessary planning, legal and financial consents required to take the project to the development phase.

Woodend Bowling and Lawn Tennis Club – £3500, April 2009
The Climate Aware Woodend Project is an attempt to establish a model of good practice for other sports clubs to follow in carbon management. This model will then be promoted to other similar clubs allowing dissemination of good practice.

Callander Community Development Trust – £5000, April 2009
This project by the Callander Trust is expected to harness abundant supply of water and generate electricity to the benefit of the Community, by providing renewable energy and funds from the sale of electricity for the Community to invest into other carbon reduction projects. The grant will be used to fund a feasibility study to identify and cost the best location for the development of the Hydro Project.

Transition Edinburgh South – £7305, April 2009
Two community groups, Transition Edinburgh South and the Edinburgh Southside Energy Efficient Group aim to find to best way to transition to lower energy in two tenement streets in South Edinburgh. South Edinburgh householders will share their solutions and plan some more with the two groups.

Friends of the Earth Fife – £1800, April 2009
This project by FoE Fife will investigate the feasibility of establishing an environmental and community information/advice centre in Kirkcaldy. The scoping study will focus on public consultation, but will also investigate the practicalities of setting up such a centre.

Dalavich Improvement Group – £1540, April 2009
Dalavich Improvement Group, on the West coast of Scotland, has undertaken to reduce the carbon footprint of their village hall by at least 50%. Their solution is to use an Air recovery Heat pump system and significantly improve the insulation of the building’s external walls and windows.

The Organic Growers of Fairlie – £47,492, April 2009

More detail….

New national body for parents to be set up

Scotland’s education secretary is championing a “parent power” revolution which would see the setting up of a new national body to give families a stronger voice on school issues.

Fiona Hyslop said that, at a time of significant changes to the curriculum, it was vital parents had a greater say over policy developments.

Today’s call comes with the publication of a government-backed survey of parent councils across Scotland which showed overwhelming support for a new national body. Of the 500 parent councils who responded, 80% are in favour of change.

“It is extremely important that parent councils seize this opportunity to be heard at a time when Scottish education is undergoing its biggest reform in a generation,” said Ms Hyslop.

“The setting up of a new national parents’ body to represent their views would give parents a voice and contribute to the key decisions affecting the education of their children.

“Since parent councils were introduced in 2007, replacing the outdated school board system, more parents have been finding their voice. Now, however, is the time for a new national parent body to act as their mouthpiece.”

There was a mixed reaction to the call for change from the two existing parental bodies – the Scottish Parent Teacher Council (SPTC), set up to represent parent teacher associations, and the Scottish Parent Councils Association (SPCA), which was founded to represent school boards.

Judith Gillespie, policy development officer for the SPTC, said there was no need for a single national body and that it was impossible for one organisation to represent the views of all parents.

“Parents in Scotland do not have one view of education. There are many different views and those views cannot be represented adequately in one single body,” she said.

“It is also important to stress that the role of a parent body is not to be a quasi government-backed body, but to be an independent organisation close to the grassroots.

“One of the primary motivations for this suggestion is the fact that the government has a statutory duty to consult with parents and having a single national body makes that easier – unfortunately, it does not guarantee parents any greater influence.”

However, she said that if change were required, the SPTC could form the basis of a new organisation.

Donald Gunn MacDonald, a spokesman for the Scottish Parent Councils Association, said his organisation was prepared to be dissolved under the right circumstances.

“If a meaningful representative body can be formed we see no future in continuing the dualism of the current system. We want to see elected representation from each of the local authority areas in Scotland running the new organisation, rather than the organisation simply being led by a few individuals.”

Ms Hyslop’s call follows legislation in 2007 which scrapped school boards and replaced them with parent councils which, in most cases, now incorporate parent teacher associations.

The feeling at the time was that the current set-up was not best placed to represent parents nationally and there were also fears that many parents – particularly in deprived areas – were not involved in the education of their children.

The Scottish Government will now invite representatives from all of Scotland’s parent councils to attend a conference in June to discuss how they can make the creation of a national parent body a reality.