Latest Event Updates
New Community Greenspace Grant programme open for applications
The new Community Greenspace Grant programme is now open for applications. Tesco has announced that the money raised from the 5p bag charge in Tesco stores will be used to pay for a large number of local projects to improve greenspaces in communities across Scotland, England and Wales. The new grant programme is administered by Groundwork, working with Greenspace Scotland to support successful projects in Scotland.
The first funding round of the programme is now open for applications and will close on 27 November 2015 at 12 noon. This will be your first chance to submit an application for a grant of between £8,000 and £12,000 to create better and happier places where you live, although there will be two funding rounds per year over the next three years.
More info and to apply click here
Progressive partnership launched for today’s innovative farmers
Farmers often experiment on their farms, but do so in isolation from others who they could share 
knowledge with. The new network, Innovative Farmers, can change this. On Monday 12th October, key farming groups came together in the UK Parliament to celebrate the network and find out about the new partners, LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) and Innovation in Agriculture. At the centre of the network are field labs, where farmers can meet to find sustainable solutions to common farming problems. All farmers are invited to join the Innovative Farmers Network and farm advisors are encouraged to become group co-ordinators, leading field labs for their groups and linking up with researchers. The partners aim to award over £800,000 to groups by 2020 and farmers involved can also benefit from European Innovation Partnership (EIP) funding.
Visit the Innovative Farmers website
New website for participatory budgeting in Scotland launches
PB Scotland is a new website for sharing and learning about the great work being done by participatory budgeting (PB) initiatives around Scotland. Funded by the Scottish Government, the website will provide updates on events, policy and resources relevant to PB in Scotland, and
profile good examples of PB across the country and beyond.
Visit PB Scotland at: http://pbscotland.scot.
Recycle your old technology
Aberdeenshire Council are running a pilot project to recycle old computers, 
tablets, phones etc. They will pick up or you can drop off in Aboyne. For more information, or to
arrange a collection, please contact: recycledeeside@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or phone 013398 87114.
Find out more about the project here: http://www.enscape.eu/recycle
Vacancy, Secretary – Aberdeenshire ADP South Community Forum
The Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership has three Community Forums, North, Central and South, where people meet and create local solutions to local needs around drugs, alcohol and recovery. With a very high level of community engagement, each forum has a dedicated support officer, a budget of £20,000 and a vibrant bunch of local citizen activists.
We currently have a vacancies for a Secretary in our South Community Forum and would welcome the opportunity to discuss this exciting opportunity with interested parties. This is an opportunity to make a huge difference to communities in Aberdeenshire. Read the rest of this entry »
Asda Community Grants
The Asda Carrier Bag Community Grants provide up to £2,000 to help projects and good causes in their local communities. The grant request must be at least 25% of the overall total project cost i.e. as the maximum grant is £2,000 therefore projects which cost over £8,000 in total cannot be considered. The final panel meeting for this programme will be early March 2016, after which the programme will close for applications. The deadline is 4pm on Monday 30th November.
More information is available at:
Let’s Celebrate!
This free event will be a great opportunity for Third Sector Organisations, Community and Voluntary
Groups from across Aberdeenshire to come together and celebrate the difference they are making
for people of all ages in towns, villages and communities across all of Aberdeenshire. The day will
consist of a variety of workshops, stands for local groups and organisations and delegates will be
entertained by a Children’s Choir from Kellands Primary in Inverurie in the afternoon.
Workshops:
Grampian Autistic Society Volunteering and Support Needs – raising awareness
Alcohol and Drug Partnership – Good Practice in Partnership Working
AVA Learning & Training – Motivate and keep your Volunteers
Volunteer Scotland PVG Awareness – raising awareness, information and guidance
Education Scotland – How Good Is Our Third Sector Organisation
Penny Downes Art in our Communities – inspiring art in our communities
Cornfields – Social Enterprise in Practise
Book your space at the conference by emailing: central@avashire.org.uk or call Ruth on 01467
626060. Booking forms for attending the conference are also available on our website at:
http://avashire.org.uk/events.html
CashBack for Communities – Small Grants Scheme
The next closing date for applications to the CashBack for Communities small
grants scheme is the 1st December 2015.
Cashback for Communities is a Scottish Government initiative that uses funds recovered
from criminal activity to support positive activities for young people. Through the scheme Volunteer
lead youth groups in Scotland can apply for funding of up to £2,000 to enhance their programmes
for young people and get their projects off the ground.
For more information, visit: http://www.cashbackforcommunities.org/
Creating a Fairer Scotland – Planning Events
The Scottish Government is inviting you to have your say on what a Fairer Scotland should look like
in 2030, and what should be done to make this vision a reality. In addition to the conversations that
are already happening, the Scottish Government wants to work with a broad mix of people across
the country to prioritise practical steps that can be taken to create a fairer Scotland.
To do this, a series of local Planning Events will be taking place to allow a broadly representative
audience to hear, discuss, prioritise and take action on ideas to create a Fairer Scotland. These
planning events provide a chance for people to think about and prioritise ideas that will help make
Scotland a fairer place to live and make a real impact on Scotland’s future.
The priorities that come from these planning events will feed into a final Fairer Scotland Forum in
December. The Fairer Scotland Forum will host a broadly representative audience made up of
people from across the country who will work with policy makers, experts, and political representatives
to create a series of recommendations on how we can all work to create a Fairer Scotland.
Dundee, Thursday 5th November
Inverclyde, Tuesday, 10th November
Glasgow, Tuesday, 17th November
Register your interest here: http://www.scdc.org.uk/news/article/creating-fairer-scotland-planning-events/
More information on Creating a Fairer Scotland is available here: http://fairer.scot/about/
Fairer Scotland Engagement Fund – new November deadline
The Fairer Scotland Engagement Fund has been extended, with
funding now being available to more organisations (by raising the
income threshold) and the application deadline being extended.
Applicants still have to act fast though, as the new application
deadline is 16th November. The Scottish Government’s Fairer Scotland Engagement Fund provides
grants of up to £300 (or exceptionally up to £500 for a larger event) to voluntary organisations and
community groups in Scotland to help them run an event or engagement activity with a group of five
or more people to gather their thoughts on creating a Fairer Scotland and what matters to them.
Find out more here:
http://www.voluntaryactionfund.org.uk/funding-and-support/fairer-scotland-engagement-fund/
Register your interest in The Crucial Conversation Cafe
Wednesday, 25 Nov 2015 or Friday, 27 Nov 2015, 10 am – 12.30 pm or 1 pm – 3.30 pm
Venue to be confirmed depending on interest
An opportunity for you to share your views and ideas on 
the new strategy for Integration for Health and Social
Care. Good integrated care can reduce: Confusion,
Repetition, Delay, Duplication & Gaps in service
delivery and, People getting lost in the system.
Integrated care will achieve: better planning, free
access to good information and personal involvement of the person using the services.
To note your interest, date and time preference, please contact:
Carla Angus on 01358 720824. Website: http://www.vsa.org.uk
South Aberdeenshire LEADER Programme Launch
South Aberdeenshire LEADER Programme Launch – the official launch of the
programme on Wednesday 18th November at either:
Tullynessle Hall, 2pm – 4pm OR Stonehaven at the Station Hotel, 7pm – 8.30pm
on Tuesday 19th November. Book your place at the Tullynessle Hall event here:
https://salaglaunchtullynessle.eventbrite.co.uk. To register for the Stonehaven event,
please follow this eventbrite link: https://salaglaunchstonehaven.eventbrite.co.uk .
Please register your attendance at the events via the links above
to help confirm numbers for catering.
If you have not already done so, please visit https://www.ruralnetwork.scot/funding/leader/expression-
interest-form to register your project enquiry as the first step in the LEADER process.
Fairer Scotland
K&M Communities 