Scotland community resources

This article is an offshoot of Scotland community action focusing on community resources and assets. Resources such as networks, events and community involvement (people and relationships) can be considered as primary resources. Also resources are the activism and physical assets (or what citizens value), such as green spaces, biodiversity, cycle lanes, etc, from the other Scotland community pages. The majority of our information about community resources across Scotland is collated via our place pages...Near you.

Community resources news

Video

Food activism

• Scotland The Bread, "collaborative project to grow better grain and bake better bread with the common purposes of nourishment, sustainability and food sovereignty.", added 21:33, 20 January 2025 (UTC)
• Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society, national representative body for allotmenteers and community gardeners in Scotland. added 15:18, 30 October 2023 (UTC)
• GetGrowing Scotland, "brought to you by the Community Growing Forum Scotland, a group of grassroots projects and support organisations sharing information, inspiration, and expertise from communities and partners across Scotland." added 17:34, 22 November 2021 (UTC)
• Nourish Scotland, "charity focusing on food policy and practice. We work for a fair, healthy and sustainable food system that truly values nature and people."
• Scottish Crofting Federation
• Soil Association Scotland

Community energy in Scotland

From Community energy in Scotland

The "world's first community-owned tidal power generator" became operational in Bluemull Sound off Yell, Shetland, in early 2014. This 30 kW Nova Innovation device feeds into the local grid, and a 100 kW tidal turbine was connected in August 2016.

There is considerable support for community-scale energy projects. For example, Alex Salmond, the then First Minister of Scotland, has stated that "we can think big by delivering small" and aspired to have a "million Scottish households with access to their own or community renewable generation within ten years". The John Muir Trust has also stated that "the best renewable energy options around wild land are small-scale, sensitively sited and adjacent to the communities directly benefiting from them", although even community-owned schemes can prove controversial.

Land activism

• Reform Scotland's Land, commonweal.scot

From Land reform in Scotland

In the 21st century, land reform in Scotland has focused on the abolition and modernisation of Scotland's antiquated feudal land tenure system, security of tenure for crofters and decentralisation of Scotland's highly concentrated private land ownership. Scotland's land reform is distinct from other contemporary land reforms in its focus on community land ownership, with the Land Reform (Scotland) Acts of 2003 and 2016 establishing the Community Right to Buy, allowing rural and urban communities first right of refusal to purchase local land when it comes up for sale. Crofting communities are granted a similar Right to Buy though they do not require a willing seller to buy out local crofting land. Under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, Scottish ministers can grant a compulsory sale order for vacant or derelict private land or land which, if owned by the local community, could further sustainable development.

• Planning Democracy, "Our mission is to build a movement of citizens who value Scotland’s people, places and environment. Together we will campaign to ensure that decisions about how Scotland’s land is developed are fair, inclusive, locally accountable, and promote just outcomes driven by community needs rather than profit." Video: Planning Democracy on youtube.com. Added 20:31, 26 October 2023 (UTC)

Community resources

• Scottish Men’s Sheds Association, added 15:35, 21 October 2023 (UTC), Video: Scottish Men’s Sheds Association on youtube.com

Citizens data initiative

• Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics, the Scottish Government's programme of small area statistics in Scotland.
• Understanding Scottish Places

Research

• Decentralising Digital, Working with rural communities in Karnataka, India, Decentralising Digital is an ongoing research project seeking to co-create new narratives for decentralised digital futures. added 12:22, 15 September 2021 (UTC)

Community currencies activism

• On the ScotPound and Alternative Digital Currencies, Left Scotland, 6.29 mins., 2015, on youtube.com
• ScotPound, 2015, neweconomics.org

Other resources

• Environment, information from the Scottish Government
• Greener Scotland one-stop website for greener living, provided by the Scottish Government
• Scotland's Environment, website steered by a partnership chaired by the Scottish Government.

Visions

• Our Common Home Campaign, commonweal.scot
• Common Weal, Scotland’s growing grassroots think tank and movement.
• Turning Vision into Reality , scottishcommunityalliance.org.uk, added 14:23, 21 October 2023 (UTC)

Arts, sport and culture

• TRACS, "empower communities across Scotland, to discover, develop and practise their unique traditional arts and heritage in the context of our daily lives."

Health and wellbeing

• CHEX, Community Health Exchange, "promote community-led health as a way to tackle Scotland’s persistent health inequalities." CHEX facilitates a network of community-led health initiatives, chex.org.uk, added 09:30, 27 October 2023 (UTC)
• Scottish Communities for Health and Wellbeing, alliance of community-led health improvement organisations, added 15:34, 27 October 2023 (UTC)

Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle

• Share and Repair Network, a project of Circular Communities Scotland, supports existing, developing and brand new sharing libraries and repair cafes to support a move to borrowing instead of purchasing seldom used items and to give people skills to repair and re-use items. The project offers guidance, a mentorship scheme and support network for any group interested in setting up...Community-led climate action, gov.scot. Website includes members map.
• Circular Communities Scotland, empower our national network of reuse, repair and recycling charities. Website inlcudes members map. Video channel: Circular Communities Scotland on youtube.com, added 13:44, 29 October 2023 (UTC)
• Zero Waste Scotland, website includes "What Zero Waste Scotland can offer community groups"