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Shortlist Announced
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SURF, Scotland’s Regeneration Forum, is pleased to announce the 2021 shortlist for the prestigious SURF Award national awards scheme, which showcases success in responding to regeneration challenges in communities across Scotland.
The SURF Awards are delivered each year by SURF, a regeneration forum with over 300 cross-sector member organisations across Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Government.
Having assessed applications from Lewis to the Scottish Borders, across five categories, SURF’s independent panel of 20 judges, drawn from national bodies and community groups, have agreed upon 15 shortlisted projects for 2021.
View the Shortlist HERE
The judging panel will be carrying out physical visits throughout October to all of these diverse projects to develop a better understanding of their impact and the situations they are responding to, before deciding on the five winners who will be announced by a Scottish Government Minister at a celebratory Dinner event in December.
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Programme for Govt
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The Scottish Government published its 2021/22 Programme for Government this month, which sets out its action plan for the year ahead.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon identified COVID-19 recovery as the Programme’s main priority, and reported that it also seeks to tackle inequality, respond to the climate crisis, mitigate Brexit, establish a National Care Service, and “build an economy fit for the future”. SURF has highlighted the main regeneration commitments that feature in the Programme.
We have also cross-referenced SURF 2021 Manifesto policy recommendations against the Programme and the Shared Policy Programme agreed by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party for the 2021-26 Parliament.
SURF’s analysis indicates that most SURF network priorities will be progressed in the next five years, according to outlined commitments.
This includes increasing investment in retrofitting in housing, bringing empty homes back into use, and taking action to increase provision and usage of buses.
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Celebrate With SURF
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We are pleased to announce that the 2021 SURF Awards Presentation Dinner will be returning to the Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow, Ballroom on the evening of Thursday 9th December 2021.
We are delighted to confirm Scottish Government Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, Tom Arthur MSP, will be in attendance to announce the winners on the night.
Further details, and an event programme, can be downloaded from the SURF website: HERE
And should you wish to attend a booking form can be downloaded also. This should be completed and returned via email to emma@surf.scot
Places cost £80 (plus VAT), with a free place for every Table of 10 booked, and include a drinks reception, 3 course meal and entertainment.
If you have any queries please contact Emma Scott on emma@surf.scot
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The SURF e-bulletin is not membership of SURF. Why not Join SURF
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20Min Update
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SURF’s 20 Minute Neighbourhood Practice Network met this month with presentations from the Scottish Futures Trust and Public Health Scotland. Diarmaid Lawlor of SFT talked of not fixating on the ‘20mins’ aspect of the concept but on understanding how we support communities to ‘live well locally’. He also drew attention to the prioritisation of the new Infrastructure Investment Plan which should improve the possibility of living well locally. John Howie of PHS looked at how the latest version of the Place Standard can help operationalise the 20 Minute Neighbourhood concept and how it captures quality of place in a way that other data analysis may struggle to include. A recording of the presentations and discussion are available here.
SURF’s Chief Executive recently spoke at Heriot Watt’s Urban Institute seminar asking if the new policy was an old idea. Analysis of Scottish Government planning policy and statements from 2001 onwards reveals all the principles to be there so we wait with bated breath to see what it will look like in the forthcoming draft National Planning Framework 4.
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Langholm Facilitator
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Mairi Telford-Jammeh has been recruited by SURF to the part-time role of Langholm Alliance for Action Facilitator.
Mairi, a former Partnership Officer in Dumfries and Galloway Council, replaces Peter Renwick, who was in post from September 2018 to August 2021.
In response to SURF stakeholder consultations carried out in recent weeks, Mairi will be focusing on a remit centred on two themes with particular short-term priorities – the town centre and tourism development.
The role runs until 20 June 2022 and is supported by the National Lottery Community Fund in Scotland. It includes management of the Langholm Shopfront Improvement Programme, funded by Dumfries and Galloway Council, and formal support towards the strategic objectives of the ‘Explore & Discover’ tourism forum in Langholm Alliance and the ‘2030 Tourism Vision’ agreed in the Langholm Community Action Plan.
Further information on the Alliance for Action in Langholm is available on the SURF website.
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Join SURF
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Are you a SURF Member?
Membership packs have gone digital, including the 2021 Membership Certificate and a new Member Logo.
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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Follow SURF on Twitter: @SURFscot
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