Community Enterprise provides development support to social enterprises, charities and voluntary groups to help make ideas a reality. They developed the Social Enterprise Eco-system Map, which enables you to navigate through the business support, learning, networking and finance available from different organisations.
Read MoreERCS aims to provide accessible public education and advice services in environmental and related planning law. It also advocates for policy and law reform and will pursue public interest litigation to ensure environmental rights are upheld.
Read MoreScottish Communities CAN is a network of community groups taking action on climate change and ‘associate’ supporting organisations and individuals. It provides a range of guides, tools and networking and funding opportunities for community-led climate action.
Read MoreReady Scotland has been set up by the Scottish Government to make Scotland more resilient to emergencies. It has a dedicated section for community groups including checklists and guides for planning for and responding to emergencies.
Read MoreCommunity councils are the most local tier of elected representation in Scotland. The Community Councils website is managed by the Improvement Service on behalf of Scottish Government, and provides community councils with guidance, examples and updates. It also contains a map for finding yout local community council.
Read MoreIACD is the international network for community development. It promotes participative democracy, sustainable development, rights, economic opportunity, equaltiy and social justice through the organisation, education, and empowerment of people within their communities.
Read MoreThe Eden Project Communities is a UK charity focused on bringing communities together. Examples of the work it does are The Big Lunch, Community Camps and Community Action Response (a partnership geared towards supporting vulnerable and islolated people during the Covid-19 crisis.
Read MoreCommunity Energy Scotland (CES) is a nationwide charity that provides advice and support for renewable energy projects developed by community groups in Scotland.
Read MoreScottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has a support section on their website to help you think through some of the key issues relating to starting and managing a voluntary sector organisation in Scotland. You can also find support and advice in relation to the climate emergency, the cost of living crisis and digital technology.
Read MoreVolunteer Scotland is a national charity which supports people to get involved in volunteering as well as providing organisations with guidance, training, disclosure services and other support to recruit and manage volunteers.
Read MoreCo-operate is part of the Co-operative Group, and is a website providing information to help local community groups across the UK in their activities, and also for people to find relevant local groups. The website includes a ‘how to’ section with guides to funding, finding a venue, planning activities, getting started and more.
Read MoreKnowledge is Power is a programme to support community-led action research. It provides a toolkit with guides, methods and ideas to support community groups to carry out and use their own research.
Read MoreCommunity Development Alliance Scotland is a member organisation that brings together networks and organisations in Scotland and beyond to promote policy and practice that supports community development.
Read MoreWhatever stage you are at, you could do worse than get in touch with your local organisation that supports voluntary organisations (sometimes called third sector interfaces) to ask about what support is on offer. The Scottish Government provides contact details for TSIs across Scotland.
Read MoreThe Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) has been funded by the Scottish Government to support community based groups in Scotland take a stake in or ownership of previously publicly owned land or buildings.
Read MoreCommunity Land Scotland supports community land ownership, and is a good source of support if your community group is interested in aquiring privately owned land.
Read MoreHighlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is the economic and community development agency for the north and west of Scotland. It provides support to community organisations, focusing on areas such as inclusive growth, sustainability, partnership, community development and social enterprise.
Read MorePlanning Aid Scotland (PAS), and the resources it offers, can help your group get involved in shaping the development of land, villages, towns and cities by engaging more easily with the planning system.
Read MoreSocial Enterprise Scotland provides guidance, information and networking opportunities for social enterprises in Scotland.
Read MoreEvaluation Support Scotland (ESS) works with voluntary organisations and funders so that they can measure and report on their impact.
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