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Kippen Sustainable Communities |
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Tuesday, 16 September 2003 |
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This was a community development project with an emphasis on environmental sustainability. The funding paid for the Community Development Worker's salary (& support costs).
Overview
PROJECT SUMMARY
Sustainable Communities Phase 1 was initiated by Forward Scotland and was a community development project with an emphasis on environmental sustainability. Projects were set up in a number of neighbourhoods across Scotland. Community Development Workers were appointed to carry out the objectives. This was a two year project carried out in Kippen. and ran from April 97 to March 1999.
Kippen has a population of under 1,000 people so it is quicker and easier to spread the word regarding the Sustainable Communities Project and any related activities than it is amongst a larger population.
KEY PARTNERS
Stirling Council
Forward Scotland
Community and local groups
FUNDERS
Forward Scotland £11,000
Stirling Council £11,000
total spread out over two years. £22,000
The funding paid for the Community Development Worker's salary (& support costs).
THEMATIC CRITERIA
Central/ Stirling / Clackmannanshire; Sustainable Communities; Facilitating Organisation; Recycling / Waste Reduction
Plan
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
1. identify participating communities and groups and organisations within these communities to participate in the project;
2. establish local management arrangements for the development of the project;
3. develop a community profile including details of the local area, local facilities, activities, current developments or proposals for development, locally active groups and organisations and local concerns and priorities;
4. develop a 'local agenda 21' action plan for each community including a number of costed pilot projects together with a range of sustainability indicators;
5. implement, monitor and review pilot projects in support of the action plan;
6. evaluate and report on the findings and achievements of the Sustainable Communities project;
7. promote the project to the wider local community within Edinburgh and within other agencies in Edinburgh and Scotland."
OUTPUTS
10 community newssheets were produced, a number of community groups and initiatives were supported and groups were helped to register to apply for landfill tax.
Progress
A series of objective were set out that outline the process to be followed:-
- To raise awareness of the Project within the Council.
- To gain agreement from Community Councils to participate in the Project.
- To initiate dialogue with community groups and voluntary organisations active within the pilot areas.
- To establish an office base.
- To host a Project/Partnership launch.
- To produce community profiles.
- To run a series of focus groups.
- To survey community attitudes by use of a household questionnaire.
- To reach agreement with appropriate local groups and individuals to take the Project forward.
- To identify action points following community consultation.
- To create and maintain awareness of the SCP throughout both pilot communities and beyond.
- To identify and support key individuals in both communities to enable Project/initiative sustainability.
- To work with young people to ensure their involvement and representation in the Project.
- To introduce and test a range of measures to encourage householders to cut down on waste, save energy and resources, travel sensibly, prevent pollution, and to look after their local environment.
- To conduct research at the beginning and end of the Project to test local attitudes to the Green Code
- To assess the impact of Project activities on the perceptions of local people towards their environment and quality of life.
- To assess the impact of Project activities on the local environment.
The project officer was based at the Council 'Going Local' office in Fallin and Kippen Environment Centre, now a hive of activity with half the primary school based downstairs and 3 Environment Centre staff upstairs, following success in obtaining Landfill Tax Credits.
Two groups were involved in focus group discussions, one over 25, the other under 25 years of age. Discussion groups were held over three evenings in November 1997 and the information collected was fed into household survey questionnaires. These in turn were used to draw up community Action Plans which directed the work of the Project Officer.
Community support of the Initiative declined during the summer of 1997 (when most groups in Kippen have a break) but, following a major drive to increase local participation during October 1997, much more interest and enthusiasm was generated.
The Kippen community newsletter, 'The Grapevine', was produced by the Project Officer with the longer-term aim of a local 'Initiative Co-ordinator' to take over towards the end of the programme and, following some initial production and distribution difficulties, 10 editions were produced during the lifetime of the project and continued afterwards. Rather than producing a glossy publication, a simple Desk Top Publication format was adopted so that it would be relatively easy for local people to produce something similar in appearance, once a local co-ordinator had been identified. To tie in with the national 'Going for Green' campaign, energy and waste were covered in 2 of these issues. Local businesses take turns in sponsoring an edition by paying two young people who deliver the free paper £15 each to also deliver copies of the newsletter to all households within the village. Additional copies are available in a number of shops for those living in outlying areas to pick up whilst in Kippen.
Kippen Initiative meetings had between 15 & 20 people regularly attending to exchange information regarding village activities, suggest local initiatives and offer assistance to each other. It is without question that production of Kippen Grapevine was a major contributor towards this community interest..
Whilst most practical work was guided by Community Action Plans and local management groups, a number of projects materialised which the Sustainable Communities Project was able to assist with.
Recycling Facilities The proposal was to pilot a 'recycling pavilion' in Kippen and to have similar facilities located throughout Stirling rural area. A planning application was made and, with some local opposition, this was forwarded to the Scottish Office for decision since the Council (as landowners) have a financial interest in the outcome.
Roller-blading Kippen Extreme Team were looking for a site to locate their proposed facilities and carrying out 'minor' fund-raising activities, whilst awaiting the outcome of their planning application.
Community Computing Originally raised at a Kippen Initiative meeting by a resident who works in computing, the idea was to install sufficient cabling during refurbishment of the Primary School to enable the installation of computers in all classrooms and offices and to also have a room with a number of machines both for teaching and for use by the community outside school hours.
Building refurbishment The need to upgrade Kippen Village Hall became more urgent with an application to the Millennium Commission being received quite favourably. If additional financial assistance from the Scottish Office and Stirling Council was forthcoming, then the balance needing to be raised locally will be a much more achievable target. The PO worked with local people to co-ordinate and publicise fund-raising activities.
Community groups were assisted in registering with ENTRUST and in pulling together project proposals to access landfill tax contributions.
Review
ACHIEVEMENTS
Having competed the initial 2 years pilot, the Project was extended for a further 2 years, but with a widened remit to cover the whole of Stirling Council area.
LESSONS
Early negotiations to get all agencies and departments working together is essential to success.
It is important to have skilled community development support to build skills and involvement.
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Communities 