Scottish Rural Communities Policy Review: East Moray case study
Six place-based case studies have been produced as part of Stage 3 of the Scottish Rural Communities Policy Review. This is the East Moray case study. The others are East Borders, Lochalsh and South Skye, Harris and Scalpay, Orkney and West Lothian.
Key learning and recommendations from Moray
Having the Third Sector Interface administer the Community Led Local Development funding was considered to have worked very well for the area, and this could be one way that other groups could ensure deeper reach into local communities. This could help ensure greater understanding of local needs and implementation, as well as engaging with smaller communities:
“[We have got groups] that you've never even heard of before. I think from yesterday's meeting there was, you know, a good percentage of the groups had never applied to the Moray Local Action Group prior to this round. And I think the TSI with their marketing, they're out there being present in communities, you know, for hours. And sometimes you only get one or two people show up. But if it's one or two people that didn't apply before, we're seeing lots of good community-led local development projects arising.”
Using locally based ambassadors to promote the funding takes advantage of the power of word-of-mouth as a way of promotion. It also helps create informal support networks for managing funds, running projects, and building opportunities for working together. In East Moray, this may have also helped develop pan-Local Action Group projects:
“The other things that have really contributed to the success of CLLD in Moray, I think is the partnership network and I think Moray’s a really good example of good partnerships….supporting things like eight local development officers or something, with the culture of community development, you know, the desire to see each other do really well. So even through our network of community development officers, we don't just work in silos, we'll share our journeys with, you know, the next one across.”
Involvement of local community groups in the Local Action Group worked well to bring community experience into the design and implementation of Community Led Local Development funding in East Moray. Participants suggested that this model could be replicated at a national level.
The views expressed in this report do not necessarily represent those of the Scottish Government or Scottish Ministers.
Contact
Email: socialresearch@gov.scot