Contents
Introduction
Alex Neil, Minister for Housing and Communities
Welcome to the Autumn 2010 edition of the Community Empowerment e-Newsletter. In this edition we showcase more inspiring examples of how communities across Scotland are working in partnership with their local authorities and other organisations, to make their communities more sustainable through community-led action, development and enterprise.
Whilst on the Cabinet Summer Tour, I met with a diverse range of communities and organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors, from all across Scotland. I was struck by the sheer determination of the volunteers and workers whom I met, their willingness to work together to bring about change and the significant improvements they have already made to the physical, social and economic aspects of their communities.
The public sector has a key role to play in enabling communities to have more influence and control over the policies and services that affect them. I am delighted to share with you in this edition, the outstanding results that this can achieve.
In the first of our Special Features, we provide an update on the Participatory Budgeting Pilot projects that are currently underway, where local people are directing how small action funds are spent to develop solutions to local antisocial behaviour problems.
The Edinburgh Tenants Federation have made numerous changes to policy and practice as a result of the community-led action and the responsiveness of Edinburgh City Council, housing associations and the NHS. Sustaining Dunbar are making excellent progress on their environmental and sustainable community agenda with assistance and support from East Lothian Council. Ormlie Community Association have made excellent use of Wider Role and other national and local authority issued funds, to make significant changes to the lives of people in the local area and beyond.
In conjunction with our partner and stakeholder agencies, we have developed a number of programmes and support mechanisms to enable the public sector to better involve communities and, where appropriate, to hand over some of their control and responsibilities to local people. Through the public sector reform agenda, we hope that services can be delivered more effectively and efficiently, be more open and receptive to involving local people in that delivery and ultimately become more responsive to local people's needs and priorities. You can read more about Best Value and how it contributes to this reform, in the second of our Special Features.
I hope that you continue to be inspired by these newsletters and I look forward to sharing more good examples of empowered communities in the future.