Welcome to SCCAN's May Newsletter

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In this month's newsletter:

SCCAN Spring Gathering May 12th: the Ins and Outs of Community Action
Communications help needed
What we're doing with GDPR
Community Learning Exchange continues
Do you have a story to tell?
Take action on roadside litter this May
Funding
Upcoming Events
Invitation to contribute to our next newsletter

SCCAN Spring Gathering May 12th: the Ins and Outs of Community Action

Sat 12 May 2018, 12:00 – 16:30
Fred Paton Day Care Centre
19 Carrington Street
Glasgow
G4 9AJ

We're all working towards a better, fairer world - Scottish Communities CAN and the Ethnic Minority Environmental Network have joined forces to offer an afternoon of tools to help us do that even better. After a delicious shared 'working' lunch, participants can chose between two practical sessions:

· Inner: Building A Healthy Culture in Your Organisation with Simon Bateson, Creative Director of Take One Action and Free The Change

· Outer: Getting Your Voice Heard in the World of Politics and Policy

This event is open to existing members of the two networks as well as those interested in finding out more.

See more information and book your place here

Communications help needed

Is social media or writing blogs your passion? We are looking for people to join our communications group to help with facebook and twitter updates, website content, and scoping out newsletter material. Some renumeration available. Interested? Contact us on info@scottishcommunitiescan.org.uk.

What we're doing with GDPR

No doubt you have heard that the new data protection regulation comes into force on May 25th. We are currently revising our privacy policy to make it more explicit, in order to comply, and will share it with you shortly.
Since you have already opted in to this mailing list, or joined SCCAN as a member, we consider we have a legitimate interest to keep emailing you. Remember that you can always unsubscribe: use the button below or the link at the end of this email.

Unsubscribe now

Community Learning Exchange continues

Scottish Community Alliance have received renewed funding for the Community Learning Exchange from Scottish Government for 2018/19. It provides funding to facilitate peer-peer visits between community groups, as well as group visits, multiple visits, and follow up mentoring support. To apply you must be a member of a Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (or another Scottish Community Alliance member network). See more information here, or contact us for an application form.

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

Take action on roadside litter this May

Are you fed up with seeing litter at the side of the road? Join Keep Scotland Beautiful for a Week of Action and help spread the message: Give your litter a lift, take it home.

In May – while volunteers across the country are cleaning up Scotland as part of our Clean Up Scotland Spring Clean – we’re calling for everyone to make a special effort to raise awareness of roadside litter, so we can make a long-term impact on the cleanliness of Scotland’s roads.

Everyone has a part to play. If you are affected by roadside litter, join us this spring.

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

The Aspiring Communities Fund will help enable community bodies and third sector organisations in the Highlands and Islands most deprived and fragile communities to develop and deliver long term local solutions that address local priorities and need, increase active inclusion and build on the assets of local communities to reduce poverty and enable inclusive growth. Applications must be submitted to aspiringcommunities@gov.scot no later than 5pm Friday 1 June 2018.

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

Upcoming Events

Garden Cottage Open Day
Sat May 5th, 10.30 for 11am-4pm
Garden Cottage, The Lees Stables, Kelso Road, Coldstream, Berwickshire TD12 4LF

Open Days are a wonderful opportunity to visit Britain's oldest intentional food forest garden - and to learn from Graham and Nancy how the garden has developed over the past 25 years and how it is continuing to grow and evolve.

They are also a great chance to get the garden ready for summer by buying productive and beautiful plants from the nursery.

More information and registration

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland Climate Action Workshops & Film Tour 2018
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland is organising a series of workshops across Scotland over the next few months. These free to attend workshops are an exciting opportunity to meet others interested in climate change, get to know more about this years Climate Bill and to find out how you can get involved in campaigning.

They are working in partnership with Take One Action at some of these workshops to bring you a screening of Not Without Us, a film following frontline activists in the fight against climate change. Check the event page of the workshop near you to find out if there will be a screening and how to get tickets.

Edinburgh - Sunday 3rd June
Birnam - Sunday 3rd June
Aberdeen - Saturday 9th June
Dundee - Sunday 10th June
Glasgow - Saturday 16th June
Inverness - Sunday 17th June
Irvine - Saturday 23rd June

Dumfries - Saturday 23rd June
Stirling - Sunday 24th June

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

Co-operation at Work
Thur May 17th, 1-5pm
Room 2.03, Charteris Land, St Johns Street, Moray House, Just off Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8DG

Hosted by SHRUB, TRIPOD Training and European Youth For Action.
Are you curious about cooperatives? Ever wondered what it might be like not to have a boss at work or to live communally with others who share your values?
In this free training you will:

*Consider how cooperative organising can be a living example of social justice in action;
*Reflect on key challenges that arise within cooperatives and what we can do about them;
*Practice key skills for effective collaboration in groups.

More information and registration

Senscot AGM 2018
Fri May 25th 11am-1.30pm
Scottish Youth Theatre, 105 Brunswick Street, Glasgow, G1 1TF

This year’s discussion topic will focus on resilience with our SE community – and will include a series of contributions from speakers offering their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities being faced by grassroots social enterprises.
Last year’s SE Census reflected a sector that – despite being much hyped – remains fragile for the vast majority.
The event is free – although, due to space, priority will be given to members.

More information and registration

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

A fascinating programme of speakers and workshops with edge events including practicals and site visits, and, of course, a ceilidh. You can buy a day ticket or a weekend ticket for 2 days of inspiring permaculture, campfires, music and dancing. Follow the Facebook page for updates.

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 May 31st.