Who we are and what we do
The Coalfield Communities Federation is a community-led charity, set up ten years ago to give local people a stronger voice in planning their future. Our part of East Ayrshire has a rich coal mining history, but it has left behind a legacy of unemployment, isolation and a falling population. The federation exists to bring communities together, help put them back on their feet and give them a better future.
We count community councils, communities of interest and individuals amongst our membership, and we inform and influence the work of the East Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership, with which we have a close working relationship. We run our own projects and employ our own staff.
Ian Smith chairs the federation and has been involved from the start…
"The closure of the pits was a devastating blow for us. The last one closed here in 1989, more than 30 years after 17 miners were killed in an explosion at Kames Colliery in Muirkirk. The federation has brought people together and found some practical solutions to community problems. It hasn't been an easy road, but we now have a lot of respect."
How we got going
Our federation owes its origins to the East Ayrshire Coalfield Area Social Inclusion Partnership. Set up to give communities a collective voice, we brought together the 14 community councils and other communities of interest in the area and provided a forum for consultation between them, the wider community and East Ayrshire Council.
In 2000, a people's jury looked at how the coalfield communities could play a more active role and came up with a list of priorities. In an area of isolated villages, poor public transport emerged as an important issue. So one of our first actions was to set up Coalfield Community Transport as a not-for-profit charity, wholly owned by the federation. Other initiatives followed on from this success.
How we organise ourselves
The federation invites representation from each of the areas 14 community councils, together with representatives from other communities of interest, including disability groups, young people and older people. Our meetings are held monthly, and depending on the agenda, we invite other agencies to take part in our discussions.
We employ our own development worker, who is responsible for our current and new initiatives, and a part-time administrator, but much of the work is done by our voluntary board members, each of whom has overall responsibility for at least one initiative.
How we organise ourselves
Each community brings forward local issues to our annual development day, where we discuss and agree priorities. The action plan which comes out of this day is then circulated to community councils and represents the agreed work programme for the Federation.
Once a particular interest is agreed, we invite relevant experts and professionals to take part in our discussions, to help us turn our ideas into practical projects. It's a process which works well for us.
Where our funding comes from
Funding for running the Federation and employing our staff currently comes from the Fairer Scotland Fund through the Community Planning Partnership, although this is only guaranteed until 2010. Our funds and how we spend them are subject to quarterly monitoring and annual review.
We also raise funds from a wide variety of other sources for our individual projects. For example, we received Big Lottery funding for our Electronic Picture Postcard project and our work now benefits from a share of the European LEADER fund. We have also raised money from a local Minerals trust.
What we've achieved so far
Our flagship project, Coalfield Community Transport, operates a fleet of yellow buses across the coalfield area, reducing the isolation of many groups and individuals by providing access to cheap and convenient transport. The buses bring children from remote areas to nurseries, run shopping trips and excursions for senior citizens, and take people to church.
With nine buses now in the fleet and eleven members of staff, it has been a considerable success and has received local and national recognition. Following community consultation, two of the buses are now wheelchair-accessible. We have also extended it to include a 'Wheels to Work' initiative, making 20 scooters available to people without transport to their work or place of education.
Ian Smith stresses how important this federation initiative has been for local communities…
"We have a whole generation of older people who have been trapped in their homes with many never having been to Ayr, just 16 miles away. Our young people also have problems getting about. Even now, we still have young people who have never been outside the coalfield area. But the minibuses have changed all that."
What we've achieved so far
Our communities are understandably keen to maintain interest in the area's coal mining heritage, particularly amongst schoolchildren. During 2007, 18 primary schools came together to stage productions of 'The Price of Coal' - a full-length concert telling the story of coal mining in the area. There was enormous community support for the productions. The Federation raised funding from the Community Planning Partnership and the Cumnock and Doon Valley Minerals Trust. Many children were prompted to research their mining heritage. The concert was performed at Muirkirk Primary School on the 50th anniversary of the Kames Colliery disaster in the town.
Sally Whittet, head teacher at Muirkirk Primary School recalls how important it was…
"The anniversary was a big event for the town, and the play involved the whole community through the involvement of parents and families. For the children, it was chance to learn about and celebrate their heritage, and there was an art competition to tie in with the play. The whole process was facilitated by the federation."
Other projects which we sponsor include a community newspaper, a schools arts programme and environmental improvements in some villages. We are now working on the compilation of a schedule of derelict buildings in order to support bringing them back into use.
The Federation is an integral part of East Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership, with a representative sitting on the partnership board. Since 2008, we have played a key role in the planning and delivery of the local Community Planning Forum covering the coalfield area, which allows us to influence the planning and decision-making of community planning partners. Six of our members sit on this and we manage its budget for expenses.
Councillor Douglas Reid chairs the East Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership…
"The communities in the south of East Ayrshire have always been very active. However, the Coalfield Communities Federation has brought communities together and allowed them to develop a shared understanding of the issues and priorities for the coalfield area as a whole and for East Ayrshire in general. The federation also ensures that the community is fully engaged in our community planning process."
The problems we've overcome
There have always been active communities in our area, but there wasn't always shared thinking. One of the big challenges was to shift the focus away from the problems of individual communities towards shared solutions. The community transport initiative is a great example of how we've managed to do this. It has taken time and has certainly not been easy.
Not all of our projects have worked; we attempted to open an indoor skateboarding facility, but the costs of insurance made the project unworkable. The important thing is to learn from these problems and then move on.
What we've learned
We always knew that communities would have a stronger voice if they worked together through a federation - our coal mining history taught us that. Our tie-in with the Community Planning Partnership has given us real influence. We have developed a way of sharing information and new methods of community involvement which are both inclusive and action-oriented. Our communities have all benefited as a result - not just those with the biggest problems or loudest voices. The process has been so effective in our area that it has been adopted in the northern part of East Ayrshire too.
But none of this would have happened if we hadn't taken the initiative ourselves. We've learnt that communities can't sit back and wait for things to happen; we wanted to take the lead on practical things and, as a result, we have made a real difference to people's lives.
What's next for us?
We aim to make more use of our representation on important decision-making bodies, to make sure that the needs and aspirations of local people continue to be reflected in local plans and policies. We are now planning to expand our activities, increase the number of staff and broaden our funding base. We want to be able to earn a bigger part of income from our activities, rather than just relying on grants. We are particularly keen to start some much-needed, large-scale environmental projects in our communities. We want to develop the tourist potential of the East Ayrshire area; it is not yet on the map, so we need to 'sell' the area and co-ordinate our publicity.
Federation chairperson Ian Smith, feels the organisation still has much work to do…
"We wanted a bigger voice in what was happening in our communities and now we have it. The Federation has been a great success. Now it's time to use our hard won influence to tackle the deep-seated problems people still face."
Want to find out more?
You can find out more about the federation and what we do at:
17 Thistle Business Park Ayr Road Cumnock East Ayrshire KA18 1EQ Tel: 01290 429088 Email: jason@yellowbuses.org.uk