Aberdeenshire
Community Anchor Organisations
Community Anchor Organisations are community bodies which may act as a focal point for community groups in a localised area. The benefit of having a community anchor in your area is that it may take the lead in large projects or initiate new projects. Often the problem when initiating a new project is the creation of a constituted group and finding office bearers. A small community can only have so many treasurers and secretaries! Once created the ‘community anchor’ can invite local people to come forward with their project ideas without the necessity of them becoming an office bearer. There are many examples of ‘community anchor organisations’ throughout Scotland to inspire you. http://www.localpeopleleading.co.uk/anchor-orgs/
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
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
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
Are you using the latest technology to attract tourists?
Digital Tourism Scotland (DTS) is a new partnership programme to help tourism businesses across
Scotland improve their digital skills and capitalise on opportunities that new technology offers.
The programme will offer advice, workshops, and insight into how others are adopting and improving
digital practices. There are 2 free ‘Digital Technologies Update for Tourism’ workshops available:
Tuesday, 24th November 2015, 1.30 to 4.30pm, Holiday Inn Aberdeen West
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/digital-technologies-update-for-tourism-aberdeen-aberdeenshire-tickets-
18607194620
Wednesday, 25th November 2015, 10.30am to 1.30pm, Meldrum House Country Hotel and Golf
Course: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/digital-technologies-update-for-tourism-aberdeen-aberdeenshire-
tickets-18608069236
National Conversation – Creating a Healthier Scotland: What Matters to You?
From August 2015 to April 2016 the Scottish Government is holding a 
national conversation on health and social care services in Scotland. The
conversation is seeking views on what a healthier Scotland should look like in
the next 10-15 years from now and how people in Scotland can be
supported to be as healthy as they can be. To help get the conversation
started three broad questions have been issued:
• What support do we need in Scotland to live healthier lives?
• What areas of health and social care matter most to you?
• Thinking about the future of health and social care services, where should
our focus be?
A facilitation pack is now available to help you host local conversations. This material is designed to give you a bit more background on the current situation in Scotland, where there have been successes and some of the long term challenges we face.
Join in the discussions online at: http://healthier.scot/
Twitter: @scotgovhealth #healthierscotland
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/healthier.scot
Email: healthier@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Integrated Care Fund
Local Reference Groups in all 6 areas have some short-term Integrated Care
Funding available to groups. The aim of the fund is to support organisations
that focus on prevention, early intervention and care & support for older people and those with long-term conditions to and meet at least one of the national health and social care outcomes.
AVA Development Officers are happy to support groups to make funding applications.
Application forms and guidance are available on our website at:
http://avashire.org.uk/funding.html
We need you to help make it happen!
Are you pro active, motivated and have a personal desire to take forward joint tobacco related actions to reduce smoking in Aberdeenshire? If so, The Aberdeenshire Local Tobacco Alliance (ALTA) needs you. The ALTA is a multi-agency operational group that includes NHS, Council and 3rd sector agencies which localises the recommendations in the Scottish National tobacco strategy and co-ordinates and monitors a local tobacco plan that aims to reduce smoking and the effects of tobacco in Aberdeenshire. Membership is free and open to any Origination as long as they can declare that they do not have any connections, affiliations or holdings with Tobacco Industry or Representatives.
For more information on the work of the ALTA or how to join then please contact Public Health Coordinator Banff & Buchan; g.rutten@nhs.net
‘Don’t Get Scared, Get Checked’
PEOPLE URGED TO NOT ‘MISS THE SIGNS’ AS DETECT CANCER EARLY TOUR HITS GRAMPIAN 
The benefits of finding cancer early will be highlighted to shoppers in Grampian over the next two weeks as the Detect Cancer Early tour kicks off at ASDA Aberdeen Beach tomorrow (Wednesday 21 October).
The 52-date national tour is focused on raising awareness of the importance of screening and the potential signs and symptoms of bowel, breast and lung cancer, in a bid to encourage more people to get checked at the earliest stage and save more lives.
The Scottish Government’s Detect Cancer Early programme aims to increase the proportion of people diagnosed and treated in the first stage of breast, bowel and lung cancer by 25 per cent by the end of 2015. Read the rest of this entry »
K&M Communities 