Creative Lives’ website contains advice for creative groups, research and case studies and opportunities for funding and to get involved. There’s some useful information on getting started as a creative group, as well as a Creativity Map to place your activity on alongside other creative groups in Scotland and the wider British Isles
Read MoreThis short guide explains the benefits of forming a community group, and provides some advice and links to help you on your way.
Read MoreScottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has a support section on their website to help you think through some of the key issues relating to starting and managing a voluntary sector organisation in Scotland. You can also find support and advice in relation to the climate emergency, the cost of living crisis and digital technology.
Read MoreVolunteer Scotland is a national charity which supports people to get involved in volunteering as well as providing organisations with guidance, training, disclosure services and other support to recruit and manage volunteers.
Read MoreFind out more about the PVG scheme, which is important if your community group does paid or unpaid work with children, young people and vulnerable adults. The scheme is designed to make it easier to protect vulnerable groups from people who present a risk to them.
Read MoreCo-operate is part of the Co-operative Group, and is a website providing information to help local community groups across the UK in their activities, and also for people to find relevant local groups. The website includes a ‘how to’ section with guides to funding, finding a venue, planning activities, getting started and more.
Read MoreWhatever stage you are at, you could do worse than get in touch with your local organisation that supports voluntary organisations (sometimes called third sector interfaces) to ask about what support is on offer. The Scottish Government provides contact details for TSIs across Scotland.
Read MoreGetting on Board supports people to become charity trustees, particularly those who are currently under-represented on trustee boards. They have a range of resources that could be useful for ensuring your community group represents your wider community.
Read MoreThe Woodland Trust website contains various resources that can help your community group to promote enjoyment and use of woodland.
Read MoreCommunity Food & Health Scotland (CFHS) is part of Public Health Scotland and supports community projects related to food and health. Their advice and resources page will be relevant to many community groups. It includes information on planning & management, funding, working with volunteers, networking and evaluation.
Read MoreThe term ‘Mutual Aid’ became prominent in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic when many new and exisiting local groups organised emergency support for vulnerable people in their communities, with many choosing to badge themselves as Mutual Aid groups. The Mutual Aid UK website enables you to find local Mutual Aid groups and also offers guidance around responding locally to Covid-19.
Read MoreThe Community Toolkit was developed by Skye & Lochalsh Council for Voluntary Organisations and has been adopted by local voluntary sector support organisations across Scotland. The toolkit contains information on organisational matters such as setting up a board, choosing an organisational structure, witing a consititution and achieving charitable status. The Community Toolkit isn’t being updated anymore, but is still useful.
Read MoreCreated by the no-longer-existing English-based Community Development Foundation (CDF), Just Act is a website for community groups which contains a wealth of information, ranging from guides to planning your project to how to work with people of different ages. The website is more than 5 years old now but should still contain relevant resources.
Read More
