Ar Talamh – Ar Coimhearsnachd – Ar n-Àm©
Our Land - Our Communities – Our Time©
Scottish Community Land Newsletter – January 2008
The independent Scottish Community Land Network (SCLN) aims to encourage, support and inspire the community land sector in Scotland through shared experience, networking and promotion of Scottish community land initiatives. – Over 2000 subscribers
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News - Woodland & Forestry – Funding & Support – Community Renewable Energy – Rural Housing - Events – Training - Employment Opportunities - Community Websites – Featured Community – A View From the Hills - etc.
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Hi All,
Good luck with all your communities,
Cheers,
Steve
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The Isle of Rum is finally moving towards a community trust with the appointment by the Minister for Environment, Michael Russell of the Rum Task Group. This will be chaired by Lesley Riddoch, of Radio and Eigg fame and will include Maggie Fyffe (Chair of Eigg - has she jumped ship!) and Fliss Hough, who’s been bearing the Rum community torch for sometime. I think that with a crew of this calibre, the fur will fly. Indeed they have already advertised for a community development officer (See SCLN Employment Opportunities). It wasn’t even 3 years ago when I wrote an article after visiting Rum despairing that the community of Rum would never be given the autonomy to thrive (See SCLN Newsletter September 05). For a fuller story see the Scottish Government press releases A New Vision for Rum and Rum Task Group. Good Luck!
Congratulations (or comisserations) to these communities in their success in making the first step to community ownership by being to the registered on Register of Community Interests in Land(RCIL). These include: -
Salen Community Company - CB00079 - Activated right to buy
CARTY PORT COMMUNITY COMPANY - CB00080 - Registered
TARBERT AND SKIPNESS COMMUNITY - CB00081 – Application Declined
NEWBURGH COMMUNITY TRUST - CB00082 - Registered
THE TWEEDSMUIR COMMUNITY COMPANY - CB00083 - Pending Decision
BRIDGEND COMMUNITY CENTRE COMPANY - CB00084 - Pending Decision
BORTHWICK WATER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - CB00085 - Pending Decision
COLDINGHAM SANDS COMMUNITY - CB00086 - Pending Decision
A new site has been created by Andy Wightman for a permanent collection of all the material gathered on Scottish Common Good issues. Found at Commonweal - Identifying, Documenting and Restoring Scottish Commons. It is much expanded with individual pages on Common Good issues in each of Scotland's 196 burghs and 32 local authorities. He has also published a new Quick Guide to Common Good. It is designed to help the citizen understand the issue and become active in recovering common good assets.
Andy is looking for correspondents - people who can act as a contact for the exchange of information on common good in specific burghs. If you or anyone you know would like to be one, let him know - it involves being named on the relevant burgh page (but no contact details unless you wish otherwise). In the longer term he envisages a correspondent’s conference of all correspondents in Scotland's 196 and more burghs.
SCVO is hosting the Village Hall Summit 2008, an important major conference for communities managing village halls and community facilities to your network. They are encouraging communities from all over Scotland to be represented. It is to be held on 23rd February at the Aviemore Highland Resort. For details check the SCVO website.
HIE and the Skye and Lochalsh Council of Voluntary Organisations are hosting a one day e-Communities for community groups interested in developing their use of communications technology. It will help your community become e-ffective and e-fficient through a one day series of e-workshops and e-exhibitions. Running on your choice of the 7th and 8th of March at Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Sleat, Skye. Download an Invitation for details. Contact Rachel or telephone 01599 534999
For 2008, the Rural Gateway is sponsoring Rural Photo Competition
RG wants photos from all around rural Scotland on a wide range of subjects from wildlife to landscapes to folk getting the craic. The competition has six themes, with closing dates staggered throughout the year. The six themes are:
A winner and runner up for each theme will be chosen by the Rural Gateway Team. Winners will receive a £15 Amazon voucher, and runners up a £5 Amazon voucher.
In 2008, there is also a special prize for young photographers. Photographers under 18 can submit photos under any of the themes before 15th December 2008, to be in with a chance of winning a £50 Amazon voucher to spend online. Second prize is a £25 Amazon voucher and third prize is a £10 Amazon voucher. See Details on RG website
Knoydart Forest Trust is hosting Dark Sky Scotland - a 2 day astronomy event for the whole family at Inverie. Participatory events (like comet making and rocket launching) and training for those wanting to host their own events. Scheduled for Friday 7th & Saturday 8th March the arrangements include the ferry from Mallaig and 2 nights accommodation. Funding for travel maybe available to those from community groups. Email Lorna at Knoydart Forest Trust of tel. 01687 462560.
Sleat Community Trust has recently received the results of the Carbon Footprint survey of Sleat on the Isle of Skye, by students from Flensburg University – Germany. This will be presented as a seminar at Sabhal Mor Ostaig on the 19th March. The presentations will look at the methodology of carbon footprint studies, share the findings of the Sleat study and look at ways of mitigating the effects of our carbon emissions. If you are interested in attending this free event book a place with Angus Robertson by email.
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Abriachan Forest Trust is hosting a Forest School Taster Day in Abriachan on the 15th February. For Further info download the flyer or contact Suzanne Barr.
Well done to the Culag Community Woodland Trust (CCWT) which has been awarded a grant of £227,666 from CGA to build a new 2.4km path which will give greater access for all to the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Loch Beannach. It will create a network of paths at Little Assynt including the All-Abilities path already in place. This will enhance their already award winning path network. Read the full story on the BLF news release.
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Congratulations to Assynt Foundation winning a grant of £784,997 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Growing Community Assets. It was awarded to turn the Glencanisp Lodge into self-catering accommodation and will safeguard the building for at least the next 50 years.. New long-term employment opportunities will be created by developing these tourist facilities. For more info read the BLF news release . Also download Assynt Foundations latest newsletter
The Scottish Community Foundation and the Scottish Centre for Intergenerational Practice have jointly developed a small grants programme to support projects that demonstrate good practice and innovation in intergenerational activities in Scotland. Grants of £1,000 to £5,000 will be available to charities, not for profit community groups and other organisations, to be spent within 12 months. The deadline for applications will be 31st March 2008. Download the Scotcip newsletter for further info.
SCVO agreed a new free membership category, Grass Roots, for voluntary organisations with an annual income of less than £25,000. Grass Roots members will enjoy the full benefits of SCVO membership, with the exception of Third Force News (TFN). The Scottish Voluntary Sector Statistics 2007 confirm that 64% of organisations in the regulated voluntary sector have an income of less than £25,000 per annum. This new free membership category has the potential to bring significant benefit to some 12,000 organisations in the regulated sector alone. For further information on this exciting opportunity for the sector, please contact Sarah at SCVO.
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Seven renewable energy community groups recently were brought together by Highlands and Islands Energy Company for a western Isles local conference. For a full report download Communities leading a quiet revolution.
Also available for download is HICEC’s latest Newsletter
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The Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs & Environment Committee Parliamentary has recently launched a Rural Housing Inquiry.
The Committee’s aims for the inquiry are:
For directions to responding check the instruction for submitting written evidence. This is your chance to have a say. All submittals by 4th April.
The Rural Housing Service’s Annual Conference, One Giant Leap - delivering affordable rural housing is to be held on 29th February at The Birnam Institute, By Dunkeld, Perthshire. The Minister for Communities and Sport, Stewart Maxwell MSP will give the keynote speech at the Rural Housing Service Conference on the 29th February 2008. To enable delegates from rural and remote communities to travel to the conference to enable their voices to be heard in debates about rural housing issues, Communities Scotland are able to offer travel and subsistence bursaries to delegates from community organisations (community trusts. councils etc) to the RHS Annual Conference.
Also read RHS written response for their vision of delivering rural housing. Download Firm Foundations: the future of housing in Scotland .
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Forest School Taster Day – Abriachan Forest Trust
February 15th - Abriachan, Loch Ness-side
Village Hall Summit 2008 – SCVO
23rd February - Aviemore Highland Resort
One Giant Leap, Delivering Affordable Rural Housing - Rural Housing Service 29 February 2008 - The Birnam Institute, By Dunkeld, Perthshire
Contact Amanda or tel. 01361 884698
Dark Sky Scotland – Knoydart Forest Trust
7th & 8th March – Inverie Knoydart
Contact Lorna
Carbon Footprint Survey of Sleat – Flensburg University
19th March – Sleat, Skye
Contact Angus Robertson
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E-Communities – HIE & SLCVO
March 7th or 8th - Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Sleat, Skye
Understanding Social Enterprise (USE) - Social Enterprise Academy
27 & 28 February2008 - Glasgow
5 & 6 March 2008 - Inverness
Contact Daniel or tel. 0131 243 2670
Urban Planning and Regeneration: Key to Tackling Climate Change – CIFAL Findhorn UNITAR Training Centre
17-18 March- Marryat Hall, Dundee
Developing your Social Business – Social Enterprise Academy
Perth: 26 & 27 March 2008
HIE’s Community Land Unit has a skills development budget for community land initiatives in the HIE area. The purpose of the budget is to enable the delivery of relevant training that builds the capacity of active volunteers, employees and directors of community land initiatives. It is primarily for directors/governance training however pretty much any training in skills or knowledge relevant to the operation and management of your community land initiative can be considered for funding. This includes attendance at seminars or conferences, external training events and training events specifically held for your project.
If you have a training need in your community or you just want to know more about it then please contact Ian Leaver at CLU.
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Community Development Officer – Rum Community Trust
£23,500 - £26,000 p.a –
Contact Fliss Hough, tel. 01687 462026, or Jacqueline McDonell, tel. 01397 708257
For further info download Job Spec, Person Spec and Job advert
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For relative links, resources or community groups see the respective links at SCLN Links, SCLN Resources or SCLN Community Groups
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Featured Community – Isle of Eigg
Isle of Eigg has long been one of the most newsworthy community owned estates. Most of you will have read in the past of their trials and tribulations. Well this particular story is of pure empowerment (sorry!), achieved entirely on the efforts of the community to resolve their own needs and finding their own solutions. And with an energy supply that is 95% renewable they are setting the benchmark for all of us. Here is their story.
The Big Switch On
On 1st February 2008, the Isle of Eigg Electrification Project will switch on for the first time, allowing power generated from renewable energy sources around the island to be supplied to all residents, through the new island wide high voltage distribution network.
The system will generate over 95% of the islands annual energy demand through a combination of Hydro Electric, Wind Power and Solar Energy, which is believed to be the first time that anyone has successfully integrated these three renewable energy sources.
To ensure that constant power can be provided, a battery storage system has been designed which will compensate for short periods of up to 24 hours, where energy from renewable sources is not available. Two 80kW diesel generators have also been installed to provide emergency back-up and to supplement the supply should the output from the renewable sources be lower than the demand.
Each of these systems in their remote locations, and the 45 households, 20 businesses and 6 community buildings on the island, are linked to together by 11km of buried cable that forms a high voltage network, linking generation with consumption.
John Booth, Director of Eigg Electric and who has been the co-ordinator of the project on the island said, “This project is the culmination of 10 years of achievement since the purchase of the island in 1997. Eigg Electric gives us the green light to our future”
Eigg Electric commissioned Synergie Scotland Ltd to manage the whole project in August 2005. Ian MacGillivray, Managing Director of Synergie Scotland Ltd said, “We have been delighted to have been involved with such a unique and technically challenging project and we compliment the people of Eigg for their vision and determination to deliver a project with such a wide community benefit.”
The project design and some enabling works were carried out during 2006 and early 2007, before the main design and build contract was awarded to Scottish Hydro Contracting in April 2007.
Ian Cartwright - Regional Manager, Scottish Hydro Contracting said: "Scottish Hydro Contracting were appointed to design and install an electrical generation and distribution system to supply approximately 60 properties owned and occupied by the residents of Eigg which is a community owned island. The system will be owned and operated by Eigg Electric with some on going maintenance and HV switching by Hydro Contracting."
John Hutchison, Chairman of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust said, “The Eigg Electric team has done an excellent job on behalf of the resilient Eigg community. We are also grateful for the financial support from European Regional Development Fund, HIE Lochaber, Highlands & Islands Community Energy Company, Big Lottery, Scottish Community Household Renewables Initiative, Energy Saving Trust & Highland Council. Thanks also to Triodos Bank for assisting with financial arrangements”
Maggie Fyffe Secretary
Technical Data
The system is fed from 3 main energy sources:
Hydroelectricity, a 100kW hydro scheme at located at Laig, and 2 smaller 6kW schemes at Kildonan and the pier.
Windpower, a 24kW wind farm comprising four 6 kW Proven wind turbines on 15m masts are located at Grulin on the south of the island.
Solar energy, a 10kW Photovoltaic Array at Glebe.
The generation system comprises a new 100kW Hydro Scheme, 4 off 6kW wind turbines, 9.5kW photovoltaic system, battery inverter system and two diesel generators. The distributing system comprised 9 HV to LV transformer stations, 11km of HV cable and 9km of LV cabling and meters and changeover switches in each property.
The total cost of the scheme is £1.6 million
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Recently it was announced (See Scottish Government News) that 60 registrations had succeeded with an entry on the Register of Community Interest In Land (RCIL) under Part 2 of the Land reform Act. Of course many of these are single community entities creating multiple entries. By my reckoning there has been only 45 discrete projects communities have attempted to register. Of these only 25 communities have managed to register, 20 failed to be registered (declined). Of these successful registrations 25 only 7 have been able to pursue the right to buy (activated) to the point of community ownership. It will be 4 years this June when the Land Reform Act was implemented and only 7 communities have succeeded in using this legislation to win community land ownership. Is this legislation working for communities?
Andy Wightman has done a review of the legislation and proposed a vision for further land reform. Download Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 (Part 2 The community right to buy)-
A Two Year Review and Land Reform - An agenda for the 2007-2011 Scottish Parliament
Agree, disagree or have an opinion, contact steve@communityland.org.uk.
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Current circulation – over 2000
Many thanks to the following people for their contributions: - Sandra Hogg, Claire Hannah, Angela Williams, Vikki Little, Derek Louden, Lucas Chapman, Derek Logie, Julia Whitaker, Pamela Noble, Neil Gerrard, Ian Lever, Marion O’Hara, Maggie Fyffe, Norette Ferns, Julie MacDonald,
This newsletter has been generously funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Lomond & Rural Stirling Leader+ and North Highland Leader+
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The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are for general information and do not represent those of the Community Land Unit, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Lomond & Rural Stirling Leader+ or North Highland Leader+
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