Driving Forward Change: Next Steps for Community-led Regeneration

This event will examine how to make community-led regeneration a reality and will focus on how organisations can enhance local decision-making.

Driving regeneration and giving communities a stronger voice

Community-led regeneration is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s regeneration strategy, with a £20 million fund from the Empowering Communities Fund announced in June.

The commitment to regeneration is underpinned and supported by several strategies, programmes and targeted funds – the Community Empowerment Act (2015), the People and Community Fund, the Aspiring Communities Fund, the Strengthening Communities Programme and the Community Choices Fund – which strive to drive forward regeneration and make changes through training, employment, arts and volunteering opportunities.

However, achieving regeneration is challenging in the current economic climate, and is still to be fully achieved as many programmes struggle financially and often spend much of their time and resources trying to make ends meet.

Join Holyrood on 8 November as we bring together experts at the forefront of community-led regeneration to examine how to support communities to drive forward regeneration that is effective and sustainable.

Key issues we’ll examine with you

• Empowering communities to identify issues and opportunities in their local area and make decisions about how to make positive changes
• Increasing the number and strength of locally-controlled, enterprising community organisations and supporting organisations to take ownership of assets, buildings and land, in line with the Community Empowerment and Common Good Property: Guidance for Local Authorities guidance
• Co-ordinating actions and responding to challenges in areas with high levels of disadvantage, and supporting communities to deal with this effectively
• Utilising the targeted funds and programmes:
  • The Strengthening Communities Programme
  • People and Communities Fund
  • Community Choices Fund
  • Aspiring Communities Fund

Confirmed speakers

• Ian Cooke, Director, Development Trusts Association Scotland
• Phil Prentice, Chief Officer, Scotland's Towns Partnership
• Representative, Dundee International Women's Centre 

Who should attend?

• Community councils
• Managers, directors, and chief executives of community organisations
• Director, managers, policy officers of third sector and equality organisations
• Community planning, business services, planning and health improvement and partnership and commissioning in local authorities
• Community planning partnerships
• Private sector working in community regeneration

Agenda*

09:30    Registration and Refreshments

10:00    Welcome and Introduction from Chair

10:05    Session 1: Policy and Overview

• Utilising the targeted funds and programmes:
  • The Strengthening Communities Programme
  • People and Communities Fund
  • Community Choices Fund
  • Aspiring Communities Fund
• Examining the progress since the Scottish Government strategy

11:00    Questions and Discussion

11:20    Refreshments and Networking

11:40    Session 2: Empowering Communities to Tackle Inequalities

• Increasing the number and strength of locally-controlled, enterprising community organisations and supporting organisations to take ownership of assets, buildings and land
• Co-ordinating actions and responding to challenges in areas with high levels of disadvantage, and supporting communities to deal with this effectively

12:20    Questions and Discussion

12:50    Lunch and Networking

13:50    Session 3: Sharing Successful Approaches

A number of case studies will highlight successful approaches to community regeneration.

14:50    Questions and Discussion

15:20    Closing Remarks from Chair

15:30    Close of Event

*Agenda subject to change

Venue