Welcome to SCCAN's April Newsletter

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In this month's newsletter:

SCCAN Spring Gathering May 5th Save the Date!
Transition Scotland Visit to Sustaining Dunbar
Transition Scotland Survey
Do you have a story to tell?
Facilitator Training June 2018
ECOLISE international meeting
Funding
Dignity in Practice
Upcoming Events
Invitation to contribute to our next newsletter

SCCAN Spring Gathering May 5th Save the Date!

Join SCCAN and the Ethnic Minority Environmental Network on the afternoon of Saturday, May 5th, in Glasgow to explore ways to strengthen and amplify the voice of communities working on climate change across Scotland. We will be joined by a range of campaigners and practitioners who will help us come up with practical plans to assist us in being better heard locally and nationally on the issues that matter to our communities.

Venue to be announced.
Open to existing members of the two networks as well as those interested in finding out more.

Transition Scotland Visit to Sustaining Dunbar

A Group Visit / Learning Opportunity - exploring Sustaining Dunbar's application of Transition Network principles and practice

For lots more information and to book: https://ts-dunbar.eventbrite.co.uk

Please join us to find out more about Dunbar's great projects, to share news of your own group (however active or sleepy!), connect with others working on community resilience and carbon cutting and (if you like) to watch people balancing stones.

Transition Scotland Survey

Whatever your level of activity - even if you don't yet have a group - please help us by completing this quick survey. It aims to help us understand the current needs and level of activity in the movement in Scotland. It's for individuals to fill in, so feel free to do it yourself - and also forward to others you think will be interested.

The first 20 responses will win a prize draw of a box of Fairtrade Chocolates ... and there's a draw for a further box for all the rest submitted by 20 April - so get your skates on!

Do you have a story to tell?

Join our podcast project!

SCCAN has received funding from Network for Social Change to kickstart a community-owned digital media platform for telling stories from the frontline of community-led climate action through the use of participatory podcasts.

Part of the intention is to start to create a coherent and inspiring alternative narrative for a zero-carbon Scotland. We are looking for member groups who are interested in participating, receiving training, and being featured in the podcasts. Do you have a story to tell? Get in touch on info@scottishcommunitiescan.org.uk

Facilitator Training June 2018

Central Belt of Scotland TBA

The Surefoot Effect are offering this two-day facilitator training for people who wish to work with groups designing and running workshops. It may be that you wish to hold a Climate Conversation, a workshop on Climate Justice, or hold a Carbon Conversations group– or something else?

You will learn how to form a safe space for the group to operate in; you will learn some of the tools and techniques of group facilitation; you will have support to plan a practice session; an opportunity to run that practice session and get feedback; and finally learn about and experience reflective process for continual improvement. Facilitation is a practice!

You can use part of one of the workshops listed above during the training or bring your own topic to work on for the 2 days.

This training will be run by Osbert Lancaster and Pamela Candea, both very experienced group work facilitators in the sustainable community sector.

The cost for the two days is £400, and there are bursaries available for those wishing to run Carbon Conversations.

If you plan to use Carbon Conversations and haven’t participated in a 6 session group, you will need to join in the pre-training day, which is an additional £100.

To book your place, or if you have any questions, please contact Pam on 07970 327975 or pam@surefoot-effect.com.

ECOLISE international meeting

International meeting of NGO’s calls on governments and the EU
to support citizen and community-led initiatives on climate change
and sustainability

SCCAN is a member of ECOLISE, a European network for community-led initiatives on climate change and sustainability, and recently attended its annual general assembly. Meeting in Luxembourg on 28 March, the representatives of 43 leading networks and organisations called on policy makers from the local to the European level to recognise and support the vital role that grassroots organisations are playing in the transition to a healthy and sustainable zero-carbon society.

“Thousands of communities across Europe are experimenting in new ways of living that are in harmony with the earth and provide simple, innovative solutions for decarbonising our lives,” said Robert Hall, president of ECOLISE. “The benefits are clear and well documented, and include not just significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, but also the revitalisation of local economies and the strengthening
of social networks and cohesion. Communities are the basic building block of our society and a societal transformation cannot succeed without their active engagement.”
All 43 organisations represented reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate, through
ECOLISE, to bring about the changes needed to support grassroots initiatives.

The gathering in Luxembourg was a so-called blended meeting – with participants present both physically and online – thanks to the use of freely-available online meeting technology. Creative meeting facilitation and participatory decision-making techniques, which are an integral part of the culture of the grassroots movement, were also used throughout the assembly.

Last year, ECOLISE launched the first European Day of Sustainable Communities and is this year once again facilitating the event on 22 September 2018. The day provides an opportunity for grassroots community initiatives to showcase the work that they are doing, and to engage with policy makers at all levels. A conference on 20 September in Brussels, co-hosted with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), will be a focal point for engaging with policy makers.

Funding

Enterprise Accelerator
Many community groups are looking to diversify their income streams and build a more sustainable group by setting up and running a social enterprise. The Enterprise Accelerator is a partnership between Scottish Community Alliance and Community Enterprise and is intended as a programme of business support for community based organisations who have little or no trading experience but wish to expand this aspect of their operation.

To be eligible to apply you need to:
Be a member of a SCA network (such as SCCAN);
Be a constituted third sector organisation;
Hold a bank account;
Have been operational for at least a year.

Interested? See more information here and contact us on info@scottishcommunitiescan.org.uk for an initial enquiry form.

The Year of Young People National Lottery Fund is now open and is a joint scheme from Scotland’s National Lottery distributors, Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, sportscotland, and Spirit of 2012 a UK Trust endowed with Big Lottery funds. It offers funding of between £3,000 and £10,000 to heritage, community and sports projects that are run for and by young people aged eight to 26 years old and that improve their health and wellbeing. Deadlines: April 30th and June 18th

Weston Anniversary Fund will award grants up to £150,000 to provide new or improve existing community facilities. Apply by June 30th 2018.

The Community Learning Exchange is continuing for another year! It provides funding to facilitate peer-peer visits and learning between communities. To apply you must be a member of a Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (or another Scottish Communities Alliance member network).

Dignity in Practice

In March, Nourish and the Poverty Truth Commission launched a report - 'Dignity in Practice: learning, tools and guidance for community food providers' - reflecting the learning from the year-long Dignity Project. The report provides practical examples, case studies and guidance for community organisations seeking to promote and restore dignity in responses to food insecurity. You can find the report and an accompanying set of activities for staff, volunteers and those taking part in community food initiatives on thei r website

Upcoming Events

Good Food Nation Campaigners Monthly Meetup
Thurs April 12th 6-8pm
Serenity Café, the Tun, 8 Crichton Place, Edinburgh, EH8 8PJ

If you want to take an active role in the ongoing campaign for a fairer, sustainable, and democratic food system, join the second monthly meet-up of the GFN Campaigners.

This group will have a key role in building public pressure and momentum around the Good Food Nation Bill to ensure this opportunity to transform our food system isn't missed.

Joining the Good Food Nation Campaigners is a great opportunity to meet others involved in the food movement, be on the frontline of the campaign for a better food system in Scotland, and to share and learn campaigning skills.
Anyone is welcome to come along, whether or not you've taken part in the first meeting of the network in March.

More information and registration

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland Workshops on the Climate Change Bill
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland is organising a series of workshops across Scotland to share knowledge and plan action on Scotland's new climate bill. We need to ensure the bill has a target of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest, and a roadmap to reach that. So it's time to start campaigning!

Edinburgh
Sat April 21st, 2.30-5.00pm
Quaker Meeting House, Victoria Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL

More information and registration

Selkirk
Thurs April 26th, 7-9pm
Selkirk Parish Church, Selkirk, TD7 4LN

More information and registration

Youth Climate Summit 2018
Sat April 28th 10am-5pm
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3NY

Join the third Youth Climate Summit to explore the 'Just Transition', what it means for you and how you can get involved.
In order for Scotland to have a fair and just transition, we need to ensure young people’s voices are heard. This event is free and open to any young person between the ages of 18-35 in Scotland who is interested in learning more about the 'Just Transition' and what it means for them.

More information and tickets

We regularly update our facebook page and twitter with the latest news and events, make sure you are following us!

Introducing Climate Just in Scotland
Tues April 17th, 9.30am-4.00pm
ECCI, High School Yards, Infirmary Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1LZ

Climate Change has the potential to increase inequalities and disadvantage in Scotland. Local authorities and others working on climate change or with vulnerable people have a key role to play in responding. The Climate Just website and map tool provides evidence to support local action and has had more than 25,000 users since its launch in 2015.

This free event will include an introduction to climate justice, examples of policy responses in Scotland and a chance to try out the Climate Just mapping tool

More information and registration

"Development, Democracy and Dark Matter"
Community Development Alliance Scotland Annual Conference
April 17th
The Studio, 67 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 6AE

What elements and forces are helping or hindering successful community development? The annual Community Development Alliance Scotland Conference this year will focus on just that.
A day to reflect and speculate on the creative potential energy released by the Community Empowerment Act in local communities across Scotland; and space to look ahead at what broader participative democracy horizons might be explored via the Local Governance review.

Book your place here

Climate Psychology Alliance Conference
Sat April 21st, 9.30am-4.45pm
The Glasgow School of Art, 167 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G3 6RQ

CPA Scotland 1st Annual Conference: From the personal to the social: Climate psychology and the sense of responsibility

Join us and keynote speakers Ro Randall and Paul Hoggett for a day of exploration of the psycho-social approach to engaging with Climate Change.

More information and registration

Permacuture Scotland Gathering
Fri June 1st - Sun June 3rd
St Andrews

A central conference style event with fascinating speakers and an exciting program of edge events including practicals and site visits, and, of course, a ceilidh. You can buy a day conference ticket or a weekend ticket for 2 days of inspiring permaculture, campfires, music and dancing

More information and tickets

Interested in hearing more about community action across Scotland? Check out the Scottish Community Alliance, which SCCAN is part of, and subscribe to their fortnightly briefings!

Join our growing network here!

Invitation to contribute to our next newsletter

Do you have a project, event, or story that you would like to share here? Please email us on info@scottishcommunitiescan.org.uk with your text and image by April 30th.