Hear the latest news and information about community development and our work.
Increased demand, reduced resources, and a sector struggling to provide the preventative approaches we need to tackle Scotland’s worsening health inequalities. That’s the stark picture painted in a new report from CHEX.
Read MoreCo-production can be a transformative way to shift the balance of power in service design. So how do we make sure it’s treated as an ethical approach and not just another method of engagement?
Read MoreWith campaigning for a summer general election underway, political parties will be doing their best to convince the electorate to turn out on polling day and use their right to help determine the next UK government.
Read MoreToday we’ve published our response to the Democracy Matters 2 consultation where we’re calling for Scottish Government and CoSLA’s commitment to a new ‘Local Democracy Bill’ to include measures that give communities greater power and control over the issues the affect them.
Read MoreTo create a fairer, more just society it’s vital that people in all communities can take part in our democracy, use their voice, and ensure their priorities are represented.
Read MoreParticipatory budgeting is a way for communities to take direct decisions on how budgets are spent. But, in a time when those budgets are stretched or hard to come by, how can we properly fund PB?
Read MoreHow can we take a human rights approach to tackling poverty? That’s the question The Poverty Alliance sought to explore working with anti-poverty organisations in a series of action learning sets.
Read MoreScotland will see new measures of wellbeing implemented as proposed changes to the National Performance Framework undergo parliamentary scrutiny in the next stage of the ongoing review process.
Read MoreThe proposed changes to the National Outcomes are summarised below. You can download the full parliamentary report here.
Care. This has been added to recognise paid and unpaid care in the National Outcomes as essential aspects of social and economic wellbeing.
Children and Young People. The definition of this Outcome has changed to reflect that being loved, safe and respected are positive outcomes in their own right.
Climate Action. This has been added to better align with the Sustainable Development Goals and address the urgency and scale of the climate crisis which impacts wellbeing of people and planet.
Communities. This Outcome has a slightly revised definition to include ‘connected’. This emphasises the important role of transport and digital connectivity to the wellbeing of communities.
Culture. This Outcome has not been revised. Consultation evidence has been reflected in the long description.
Wellbeing Economy and Fair Work. This Outcome brings together the former Economy and Fair Work and Business Outcomes. This streamlines the Outcomes.
Education and Learning. This Outcome has been revised to emphasise the significance of all forms of learning, throughout life.
Environment. The definition of this Outcome has been revised to reflect the need to proactively restore the natural environment.
Equality and Human Rights. This Outcome has been revised to reference equality in the name. This improves alignment with the SDGs as well as ensuring equality has a specific focus as well as being mainstreamed through the National Outcomes.
Health. The definition of this Outcome has changed to better reflect the equal significance of physical and mental health for wellbeing.
Housing. This Outcome has been added as it is foundational to everyone’s wellbeing and is considered distinct from the other Outcomes.
International. This Outcome’s definition has been slightly reworded to broaden the scope from a focus on the relationships between nations (‘international’) to wider environmental and social factors (‘global’).
Reduce Poverty. The name of this Outcome has been changed to clarify that we are working towards a reduction in poverty.
Last week we featured the news that a new climate assembly could be convened in Scotland, and while recent events make it less clear what this could look like, there’s certainly helpful international examples emerging.
Read MoreWe’ve featured community-led action research in past issues, and we think it’s an approach that has huge potential. It can shift the balance of power so that communities can use research to set their priorities and carry out the actions they want to see.
Read MoreWhat does democracy look like across the UK? The folks at the Democracy Network are looking to build that picture as a network of people and organisations working on issues of power, democracy and voice across the UK.
Read MoreTo create a fairer, more just society it’s vital that people in all communities can take part in our democracy, use their voice, and ensure their priorities are represented.
Read MoreThe final shared learning session for CPAR will take place in May 2024 and is a chance to hear what other CPAR researchers have been finding out in their research and also share what you’ve been doing. Attending the event is a requirement of CPAR and is a great opportunity to practice talking about your research to others and to hear and share tips for taking your research forward.
We’d like you to sign up to one of the following days and times:
Monday 13th May 2-4pm
Tuesday 21st May 10am-12pm
Please use this form to say which date you can manage.
Note: it might be helpful for you to attend the same event as other researchers from your group/organisation. However, this isn’t essential.
In Edinburgh, the Ripple Project and Craigentinney Primary School set out to use PB to empower pupils and encourage an understanding of how to make difficult decisions about competing priorities in a democratic and engaging way.
Read MoreIn Edinburgh, the Ripple Project and Craigentinney Primary School set out to use PB to empower pupils and encourage an understanding of how to make difficult decisions about competing priorities in a democratic and engaging way.
Read MoreIn Edinburgh, the Ripple Project and Craigentinney Primary School set out to use PB to empower pupils and encourage an understanding of how to make difficult decisions about competing priorities in a democratic and engaging way.
Read MoreIn a new piece, SCDC Director Susan Paxton has explored Scotland’s worsening health inequalities, while asking: "Where is the outrage?"
Read MoreWhat happens when women make the decisions about community priorities? That’s the story this short video tells from Santa Ana Tzacuala in Mexico, where PB has enabled innovative ideas from women and children to protect the environment and create spaces for families.
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