Case studies wanted
West Harris Trust Collective Leadership Case Study
Harris is the southern and more mountainous part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island in the Outer Hebrides. West Harris is an area with a population of roughly 150 people. The West Harris Trust is a community, land-owning charity responsible for managing 7225ha of land on the West side of Harris. They’ve been in existence since 2011 Read more…
Assynt Development Trust Collective Leadership Case Study
Assynt is a sparsely populated area in the south-west of Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands. It has a population of around 11,000 and is an area which has become dependent on tourism as its main income. Due to the creation of the Northwest 500 driving route, Assynt has had a massive influx of visitors passing Read more…
The Embo Trust Collective Leadership Case Study
The Embo Trust Urras Euraboil (the Trust) is a community development trust which aims to revitalise its local community by refurbishment of the former village school for community use. This will help in creating: a strong, resilient village; community owned assets; income generation opportunities, and significant local services. Embo is a small village which Read more…
South Ayrshire Community Transport Hub Collective Leadership Case Study
South Ayrshire Community Transport Hub (SACTH) are a community transport organisation who serve both urban and rural areas within Ayrshire. SACTH hires out vehicles with or without drivers to community groups and organisations. In addition to this, they also run excursions and shopping trips for the elderly and disabled. Their scheduled bus service runs 4 Read more…
Langholm Initiative Collective Leadership Case Study
Langholm – Eskdale’s largest town – was once well renowned for its busy textile mills and growing population. Since the 1980s however, traditional industries have been in decline in Eskdale and as a result, Langholm’s population has rapidly decreased, and the economy is suffering. The Langholm Initiative Community Development Trust was established in 1994 in Read more…
Isle of Gigha Collective Leadership Case Study
The Isle of Gigha is a small island off the west coast of Kintyre, Scotland with a population of around 160. In 2002, the islanders came together and secured community ownership of the island. When Gigha was put on the market in 2001, the community came together in 2002 to form the Isle of Gigha Heritage Read more…
New funding for supporting new ideas in Rural Communities.
Not-for-profit community groups in rural areas will soon be able to apply for funding of up to £50,000 to trial new and innovative ways to address local challenges and benefit from local opportunities. The Rural Communities “Ideas into Action” Fund is supported by £1.5 million of Scottish Government funding and will be delivered in Read more…
A National Care Service for Scotland
Described as potentially the biggest public sector reform in Scotland for decades, the Scottish Government is consulting on the development of a National Care Service for Scotland. At a minimum it will cover adult social care, but the consultation covers the expansion of this to a comprehensive community health and social care service that will Read more…
Capable People – Hopeless Systems. Why do Scotland’s Leaders still think Big is Beautiful?
Journalist, land reform campaigner and Nordic Horizons Director, Lesley Riddoch will give this year’s John Pearce Memorial Lecture as part of the New Lanark Anniversary conference on October 12th. Full details in the attached flyer available here. This is a hybrid event and you have the option to attend face to face or online. Book Read more…
Funded Mental Health Awareness Training
Support in Mind Scotland are working in partnership with Mental Health UK to deliver a 3-year ‘Rural Connections’ project funded by Neptune Energy. As part of this project, SiMS is offering free half-day ‘An Insight into Mental Health’ awareness training to rural organisations, community groups and businesses with less than 50 members of staff. Read more…
Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) September 28th-29th2021
Designed by and for social enterprises, SEWF 2021 will champion the potential of social enterprises – small and large, rural and urban – to bring about inclusive and sustainable economic development. With a spotlight on Canada, the two-day programme will feature keynotes and plenaries with live Q&A, online networking and a virtual marketplace giving you Read more…
Rural and Island Views Needed
The Scottish Government is consulting the sector on the nature, values and services you would want to see from a single intermediary body for social enterprise as outlined in the new Social Enterprise Action Plan. You can add your views via this survey Survey– deadline 8th It is vital to have a strong rural and Read more…
Social Enterprise World Forum- Youth Forum
27 September Calling all young changemakers, join the SEWF Youth Forum on 27 September to connect, learn and be inspired! The event is free for all under 30s and the first 500 to register will get free access to SEWF 2021 on 28-29 September. Programme content will be designed by and for young social entrepreneurs and will Read more…
Research calls for rural and island communities to be seen in a new light following Covid.
Research led by CoDeL and funded as part of the Northern Periphery and Artic Programme has found that while the health and economic disruptions caused by Covid-19 are undeniable, on balance many rural and island areas have performed relatively well during the pandemic by drawing on a wide range of resilience factors both for health Read more…
Island Communities Fund (ICF) Launched
Community organisations and businesses can apply for grants of up to £150,000 for projects focussed on supporting sustainable island economies and the journey towards net zero. The fund will support ‘shovel-ready’, island-based, community led projects that should be completed by 31st March 2022. More details: https://www.gov.scot/news/new-fund-opens-for-island-communities/
A new version of Scotland’s Social Enterprise Support Map
Developed by Community Enterprise and Bold Studio this free tool is designed to build connections between community and social enterprises and support organisations across Scotland. Categorised by type, location, sector and ambitions ‘this online tool is here to help you navigate the social enterprise support landscape with ease’. Access it here:https://sesupportmap.scot/
New Social Enterprise Action Plan
Inclusive growth through social enterprise Scotland’s Social Enterprise Action Plan/ 2021-2024 This second of three action plans for social enterprise was published on March 24th. It positions social enterprise as central to Scotland’s renewal rooted in fairness and equality and key to transformational change for communities and our people. Read the briefing note prepared for Read more…
Community Based Social Enterprises fostering Inclusive Development in peripheral European Rural Areas.
Community Based Social Enterprises fostering Inclusive Development in peripheral European Rural Areas. Lucas Olmedo, Mara van Twuijver, Mary O’Shaughnessy. This paper investigates how community-based social enterprises (CBSEs) foster inclusive development in European peripheral rural areas and in turn contribute to the sustainable development goals. CBSEs are seen as a subset of social enterprise that Read more…
Social Enterprise in Rural Communities. Ireland
Social Enterprise in Rural Communities. Ireland. O’Shaughnessy, M. and O’ Hara, P. (2013) National Rural Network. Community Development Enterprises (CDEs) operate through providing broader social and economic benefits to their host communities by engaging in commercial activities. Based on this definition five case studies are presented with a specific focus on critical success factors Read more…
Rural SEN Terms of Reference
Please find the terms of reference for the Scottish Rural Social Enterprise Network. Rural SEN Terms of Reference
15th December 20, Rural SEN Notes
Members of the Rural SEN met in December 2020 to recap and connect on a challenging year, and look forward to 2021. Agenda items included: Recap of the October virtual learning exchanges, and identify themes for future sessions. Discuss Social Enterprise Net Zero Strategy and set up Rural Focus Group to outline challenges, opportunities and Read more…
15th Feb 21, Rural SEN Notes
The Rural SEN met for their first session of 2021 on February 15th. Agenda items included: An overview of key points from the Net Zero Rural Focus Group Discussion on the research agenda and questions proposed by the Rural SE Research Focus Group Update on SEWF Rural Forum Overview of upcoming Virtual learning Exchanges Read more…
RurAction. Handbook for Practitioners
The RurAction Network: Handbook for Practitioners. The stated aim of this publication is to: ‘to help practitioners – both on the basis of our own empirical research and a literature review – to reflect with greater awareness on rural conditions with their specific challenges; potentials; dynamics; organisational forms and the hybridity of social Read more…
Identifying the Characteristics of Rural Social Enterprise in Scotland
Inspiralba has hosted a PhD Intern for the past six months in conjunction with the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science. Cat Aitken has looked at the characteristics of rural and island social enterprise and the extent to which this offers a different model. You can read her full findings here….
LEADER and Spatial Justice
LEADER and Spatial Justice. Mark Shucksmith, Elizabeth Brooks and Ali Madanipour Sociologia Ruralis: Journal of the European Society for Rural Sociology 2021. This paper explores ideas of ‘spatial justice’ and how they can be applied via placed – based approaches in a rural context. It identifies four key dimensions to spatial justice – plurality Read more…
