Grassroots community organisations play a central role in leading and creating vibrant rural places in Scotland. But we know that new or small-scale organisations can find it overwhelming to raise funds to deliver projects, build relationships with the right people, and strengthen an organisation from within.
Great ideas start locally, which is why we’ve launched new resources and training opportunities for rural and island community groups to develop these key skills.
Inspiring Scotland’s new digital resource bank features a series of short, skills-based films. It is designed to be easy to dip into for simple advice in a specialist area. We’ve also added templates, resources and guides to help you along the way – and all the resources are free to access.
This summer, Inspiring Scotland is hosting a series of free interactive workshops that take a focused look at key topics like fundraising, strategy, evaluation and stakeholder management. These workshops are designed to help rural and island community organisations build the skills they need to run successful projects – particularly small, community-led, grassroots organisations who have not received Scottish Government, LEADER or Lottery funding in the past. Attendees will have the opportunity to get bespoke advice from experienced community group leaders and funders.
The workshops will be run by Lucy Conway, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from starting up community organisations, running projects and fundraising for projects in the Highlands and Islands. Lucy also has experience serving on Boards for both large and small organisations.
Speaking about the training, Lucy said: “The training is aimed at small rural and island organisations whose staff or volunteers feel they’ve not had much experience in things like fundraising or strategy development. This can make it harder to get funding. We know community-led organisations have a wealth of innovative ideas to improve their local areas. We hope these workshops will help them develop the skills they need to be successful in their fundraising and in their future projects.”
Book your free place on Eventbrite
33 third sector organisations across Scotland are to be funded through Support in the Right Direction (SiRD), to provide independent support, information, advice and advocacy to people using social care and their carers. Starting on 1 April 2024, funded services will receive a share of up to £9.2 million funding from Scottish Government across three
Read More
“Just because you are disabled don’t be afraid to chase your dreams. Go out and show the world you’re a fighter, fight for a job and fight for your rights. A disability won’t stop me, and I have a voice and I will let it be heard.” – Derek, Our Future Leaders graduate 2024 Derek
Read More
A fund to support survivors of childhood abuse is now open for applications from third sector organisations. The new phase of the Scottish Government’s Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support (SOCAS) fund will invest in services supporting adults affected by childhood abuse, so they can enjoy a safe and healthy life, with improved wellbeing. The purpose
Read More