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Changes in Langholm
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Peter Renwick, the Local Facilitator for the town of Langholm in SURF’s Alliance for Action programme, will leave the organisation in September after three years in the role.
Peter was appointed in September 2018 to manage the newest site in SURF’s place-based programme, which supports locally agreed regeneration priorities in a diverse set of communities, and informs national policy. Supported by the National Lottery Community Fund and the Scottish Government, Peter has managed and supported a number of initiatives supporting the town’s economic development, its tourist offer, and collaboration across community groups.
Peter will be taking up the position of Arts Programmer at Glenkens Community Arts Trust, where his responsibilities will extend to activities at the acclaimed CatStrand cultural hub in New Galloway and across the wider Galloway Glens area.
Read the full statement a HERE.
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2021 SURF Awards
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The prestigious national 2021 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration will launched at a virtual event on the 3rd June.
This year's five thematic categories include; Supporting Youth Employability sponsored by Skills Development Scotland, Creative Regeneration sponsored by Creative Scotland, Community Led Regeneration sponsored by Highlands and Island Enterprise, Scotland's Most Improved Place sponsored by Scotland's Towns Partnership and Architecture & Design Scotland and finally Housing and Regeneration sponsored by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA).
Materials and further information on how to apply can be found HERE
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Monday 6th September.
Read the full press release HERE. For queries contact emma@surf.scot
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Scottish Context
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We know that 20-minute neighbourhoods are places that are designed so residents can meet their day-to-day needs within a 20 minute walk of their home; through access to safe walking and cycling routes, or by public transport. But can they ever be a reality in Scotland?
A recent baseline study of communities across the country suggests many have the required services and infrastructure to allow them to be 20 minute neighbourhoods. The potential for ‘improvement’ is greatest in some of our most deprived and disconnected places, but it will take a concerted effort across a range of national and local policies and delivery methods to achieve this.
The 2020-21 Programme for Government commits the Scottish Government to working with local government and other partners to take forward ambitions for 20 minute neighbourhoods in Scotland. Many communities across the world have made commitments or drawn up plans to support the realisation of the concept. However, only a few have managed to make 20 minute neighbourhoods a reality.
Read the full article
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Pram Pushing
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Imagine standing on a street with a small child in a buggy nearly anywhere in Edinburgh and think through what a 20 minute neighbourhood looks like – I suppose that is where I start.
When I first arrived in Edinburgh in the late 90s as the young mum of a one year old, I did not know a soul in the city other than my partner. And I had no car. I did have a much-loved hand-me-down buggy, so ‘pram pushing’ distance was a real experience and every resource within that radius hugely important. It allowed me to reduce a sense of isolation that was very real, in a city that was maybe not as friendly as it is now. I was able to meet folk through the toddler group in the basement of a local church, all of us disoriented by the change of lifestyle that comes with being a new parent. There was a supermarket with affordable food in walking distance and eventually I joined a belly-dancing group (I was not very good but laughed a lot). There was a college I could get the bus to, where I did a course as part of thinking about a career change, and, I was able to begin working for a small business – again within walking distance.
Read the full article.
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- Coronavirus (COVID-19) protection levels: what you can do (link);
- What is a 20 minute neighbourhood? I IS Thought Leadership (link);
- Planning system - promotion and use of mediation - draft guidance: consultation analysis (link);
- Consultation - Historic Environment Scotland Grants Refresh Consultation (link);
- Event - Exploring Scotland’s 20-minute neighbourhoods (link);
- Delivering Net Zero along the Clyde River (link);
- Local Government briefing demonstrates power of nature-based solutions (link);
- Sod-cutting marks rise of Newmains & St Brigid's community hub (link);
- Vacancy - Committee Members at the National Lottery Heritage Fund for Scotland (link);
- South of Scotland Enterprise and Scottish Borders Council support for next phase of Galashiels regeneration (link);
- Survey of Scottish islanders lays bare concerns over housing and opportunities (link);
- Traditional Building Skills Training (link);
- Phase Two of New Cumnock Flood Protection Scheme well underway (link);
- Funding - Now open – A round-up of current Corra funds (link);
- Vacancy – Project Manager (Digital Skills) at The Langholm Initiative (link);
- Vacancy - Post x 2: Head of Programmes and Practice and a Head of Insight and Impact at Robertson Trust (link);
- High Streets Recovery Tracker June update: what have we learned from this month’s data? (link);
- South of Scotland Enterprise took your feedback and have created a draft strategy, now they need you to make sure they got it right (link);
- Trailblazing dementia group leads the way as £4.4 m goes to Scottish community groups (link);
- Funding - Community Ownership Fund: prospectus (link);
- Vacancy – Part Time Youth Development Worker at The Tannahill Centre (link);
- Forward thinking Highland firms encouraged to apply to HIE administered fund (link);
- Glasgow librarians call for council to give 'urgent reassurance' over jobs (link)
- Student flats plan for office block in Edinburgh's Meadowbank falls through (link);
- Fairfield Heritage is reopening (link);
- Two in three Scots consumers 'in dark' over green measures (link);
- Consultation - Social Enterprise Intermediaries Review - Survey of Social Enterprises (link);
- Event - Grow Connections! With the Scotland Network (link);
- Permission granted for 50 new homes in north-east Glasgow (link);
- Scottish Tourism Leadership Programme launched (link);
- What's the COP26 Scottish Youth Climate Programme? (link);
- Edinburgh venture plans chain of outdoor nurseries for under fives after funding deal (link);
- First Minister congratulates GlobalScot on 20th year anniversary (link);
- Vacancy - Learning and Development Officer at Lead Scotland (link);
- Vacancy - Impact Manager at Social Investment Scotland (link);
- Benches for everyone (link);
- Levelling Up (link);
- Organisational Sustainability Programme (link);
- Vacancy - Finance & Funding Development Manager at The Stove Network (link);
- Aberdeenshire - Town Centres First Case Study (link);
- BEFS News (link);
- Vacancy – Heritage Trust Network is recruiting new members to its Board of Directors (link);
- Aim high with an apprenticeship (link);
- Vacancy - Programme Officer (People in Place) at Corra (link);
- Event - Hiring for the First Time (link);
- Next round of Creative Pathways projects starting September 2021 (link);
- Vacancy - The Cockburn Association seek a new Treasurer (link);
- Collective takes on Observatory House to expand their offering into the hospitality sector (link);
- Telling the stories of Scotland’s land in the hands of local people (link);
- Plans underway for Glasgow's first community supermarket to help tackle food poverty (link);
- UK ‘heading for biggest overnight social security cut since Second World War’ (link);
- 100 days is not a long time to go before we host COP26 in Glasgow – what can we do to change? (link);
- Consultation - How can we tackle energy and climate related challenges in Clackmannanshire? (link);
- Event - Edinburgh and the impact of climate change: free public workshop (link);
- Vacancy - Good Practice Adviser at the Scottish Land Commission (link);
- Has GHA concierge Fred grown Scotland’s best spud? (link);
- SEPA and Robertson partner to build Scotland’s greener future (link);
- Funding - Fund application deadlines in August (link);
- Architecture and Design Scotland Newsletter, July (link);
- Supporting universities could be key to economic and social recovery (link);
- Funding - Sir George Earle Benevolent Fund (link);
- Vacancy - Associate Director Engagement at Stellar Quines (link);
- PB Scotland Training (link);
- David Livingstone Birthplace re-opens (link);
- Vacancy - Various at Keep Scotland Beautiful (link);
- Glasgow marks investment milestone of UK government scheme that aims to de-centralise decisions (link);
- Castlemilk group planning community take over vacant land after owner 'unwilling' to sell (link);
- Covid: Can the arts lead the green recovery from the pandemic? (link);
- RIBA Architects say building demolitions cause of carbon emissions (link);
- Huts and forest crofts planned for Highland Clearances village (link);
- Community Empowerment and the Cultivate (Culture Collective) project (link);
- Bigger fish (link);
- Register your business on the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card programme (link);
- Scottish Sculpture Workshop set for autumn expansion (link);
- New study to inform plans for Laggan affordable housing (link);
The SURF e-bulletin is not membership of SURF. Why not Join SURF
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Partners in Place
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SURF's 2021 SURF Annual Conference will be a series of three 90 minute sessions on Tuesday 24th, Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th August.
They will be conducted via the Zoom conferencing platform.
The sessions will be focussed on Post-Covid Recovery, Place-based Regeneration and Climate Change.
Speakers include;
Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Public Finance, Planning & Community Wealth, Foundation Scotland, Larkhall Community Network, climate expert Fraser Stewart, Carbon Co-op, representatives from national agencies with a focus on place and a range of national funders.
Numbers for these events are limited.
For full information, including programmes, or to BOOK please click HERE.
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20Min Update
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We held the first meeting of SURF’s 20 Minute Neighbourhood Network this week with over 80 members joining us to hear about national baseline measures from Ramboll, City of Edinburgh Council’s strategy and how the Kinning Park Complex are already embedding it in their work on a local place plan.
It’s clear Scotland still at the early stages of examining how to operationalise this policy, while the policy itself is also still developing.
It appears to be gaining traction because people understand what a ‘neighbourhood’ is and how far they can travel in 20 minutes – the Place Principle is good but perhaps opaque in comparison. But capacity and resource to deliver it meaningfully, and an enforceable policy are the big challenges, otherwise it could be mistaken for rearranging the deck chairs.
Details from the meeting, along with a number of resources on 20 Minute Neighbourhoods, are on our website and it’s not too late to sign up for the next meeting in September.
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Public Health
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The COVID pandemic has reminded us all just how delicate human health is, and of the critical role our public health system and wider NHS plays in protecting us from harm.
The pandemic has also helped to demonstrate the other side of the profession, more focussed on how we improve wider public health. The lockdowns we’ve endured have not only helped protect us from COVID, but have also forced us to live much more locally. In turn, demonstrating the importance of having a good quality local environment that provides easy and equal access to the things we all need to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Including; a safe and secure home, access to good quality local services, access to good quality green and open spaces, good quality local transport links, strong and supportive social networks and local employment opportunities.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) has been working with a range of partners to develop a series of evidence-based health and wellbeing outcomes that, when taken together, help to describe and articulate what a healthy and sustainable local place should look like. Read the full article.
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Join SURF
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Why not join SURF in 2021?
Membership packs have gone digital, including the 2021 Membership Certificate, a digital copy of the 'SURF in 2021' diagram detailing SURF's event programme and an electronic copy of the 2020 SURF Award publication.
Benefits of SURF membership include;
- Reduced membership fee: SURF membership is only £50 (plus VAT) for organisations and only £20 (plus VAT) for community groups & individuals
- A free way to promote your organisation: through networking, advertising your events on our website and social media or raising opinions in discussion sessions
- Influence decision makers: get connected to an influential network of policymakers and practitioners and contribute to SURF network responses to policy consultations
- Be in the know: advance notice and invitations to SURF events, access to SURF journal and publications, discount on fee paying events
Further information on how to join: HERE
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- Young Scots work promise (link);
- Demolishing 50,000 buildings a year is a national disgrace (link);
- Scotland must grasp this moment for change - Fiona Duncan (link);
- Billions needed to protect Glasgow from climate effects, report says (link);
- Consultation - Public Consultation Opens on the Next Stage of Glasgow's Low Emission Zone (link);
- Why we need new conversation about Social Security (link);
- Changes planned for Glasgow's East End detailed in consultation (link);
- Benefits of Membership: SURF membership for SFHA Members (link);
- Youth-led Participatory Budgeting in North Ayrshire (link);
- Glasgow's St Columba Gaelic Church closes for good after 250 years of worship (link);
- 70% of freelancers are pessimistic about the future (link);
- 2021/22 Young Urbanist Mentoring Scheme Application (mentor) (link);
- Social housing sector evictions have always been a last resort action (link);
- Scotland Loves Local Awards (link);
- Social justice and health equity - a lecture by Professor Sir Michael Marmot (link);
- Greener towns focus for new strategic partnership (link);
- First look at new homes set to transform former school site in Glasgow’s East End (link);
- If you have lived in private rented housing, here's how you can help shape the future of housing in Glasgow (link);
- David Mackenzie named Link Housing’s new managing director (link);
- Destination Stranraer as Gateway to Galloway Hub opens (link);
- Over £732,000 of National Lottery and Scottish Government funds for creative projects and development (link);
- Plaque unveiled in Stirling to commemorate £4m award-winning project (link);
- The Living Standards Audit 2021 (link);
- Funding - Drugs Services Support Local Support Fund – Micro Grants (link);
- New Report Series – Lived Experience in Grant-making (link);
- Trust launches appeal to save Sir Walter Scott Steamship (link);
- Right to repair rules will extend lifespan of products, government says (link);
- Young people urged to apply for Job Start Payment (link);
- Sports Trust's £375k upgrade of Huntly all weather pitch ready to kick off (link);
- Fife autism charity secures National Lottery funding for sensory garden (link);
- Glasgow officially signs Circular Cities Declaration (link);
- Carbon Conscious Towns Case Studies (link);
- The abandoned spaces in Glasgow that are helping to solve social problems (link);
- Land & Climate Change - A just land use transformation (link);
- Vacancy - Senior Policy Executive – EU Policy & Funding (Research and Innovation) (link);
- Scotland’s economic development agency kicks off Covid e-commerce series (link);
- Why young people should lead the green recovery (link);
- Planning performance and fees: consultation analysis (link);
- Funding - An Suidhe Wind Farm Community Fund (link);
- Planning and Regeneration (link);
- Soap Box toolkit! (link);
- Funding - Henry Duncan Micro Grants Available for Small Groups (link);
- Energy efficiency target would only reduce fuel poverty by 24% but cost £2bn (link);
- Plugged-in Communities Pilot grant fund – Registration of Interest (link);
- Scotland Loves Local Phase 4 (link);
- Scottish Government provides another £2 million to support self-builders (link);
- New book explores how to use participatory budgeting to address climate change (link);
- Scotland Loves Local: The Next Phase (link);
- Construction starts on new accessible homes in Greenock (link);
- Supporting co-production policy and practice across Scotland (link);
- Regulator research gives snapshot of Covid’s impact on landlords’ services and tenants’ quality of life (link);
- Net zero: decarbonising the city (link);
- Kilmarnock town centre regeneration (link);
- Vacancy - Chair - Historic Environment Scotland (link);
- Funding - #ShiftThePower Scotland Comic Relief Fund (link);
- Demand for rural land and properties in Scotland remains undiminished (link);
- Event - Scottish Land Commission Conference - Land Connection 2021 (link);
- Highland Clearances village may be subject of community buyout bid (link);
- Businesses in Scotland benefited from over £4bn of funding under COVID-19 loan schemes (link);
- STV targets Scotland’s business community with diversity drive (link);
- Scottish Government launches new recruitment drive for tourism and hospitality sectors (link);
- Vacancy - 2 Posts: Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) Scotland is recruiting a Policy and Engagement Lead and a Communications Lead (link);
- New Stewart Milne homes designed to meet ‘changing needs’ (link);
- Funding - Apply for the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (link);
- Event - Kirkcaldy Walking Festival 2021 (link);
- Exciting opportunity for South of Scotland with City of Culture 2025 bid (link);
- A chance to thrive: the difference we make for young people (link);
- Vacancy – General Manager opportunity at Bridgend Farmhouse (link);
- Delivering economic transformation (link);
- Community-owned affordable housing drive in Dufftown to ensure locals are not forced out out of hometown (link);
- Funding - Volunteering Support Fund 2021-24 (link);
- Outer Hebrides housing needs and demand survey launched (link);
- CIH Scotland calls for ‘whole system approach’ to ending homelessness (link);
- SURF Regeneration Bulletin for SFHA members (link);
- Vacancy - Communities and Networks Manager at the Poverty Alliance (link)
Follow SURF on Twitter: @SURFscot
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