Empowering communities

Communities will be able to decide how best they can tackle poverty and inequalities in their own area backed by a £20 million fund.

Since 2015 the Empowering Communities Fund (ECF) has supported hundreds of projects, giving communities more control over planning and decisions that affect them locally as well as driving forward regeneration and making changes through training, employment, arts and volunteering opportunities. 

Announcing this year’s funding at SWAMP, a community arts organisation in Glasgow which will receive £91,300 this year, Communities Secretary Angela Constance said:

“This £20 million investment reinforces our commitment to giving communities a stronger voice in the decisions that matter to them. It will also help us work with community groups and give them the tools to deliver long-term solutions that tackle poverty.

“Investing in community-led regeneration is a priority for this Government as we know that communities are best placed to address the inequalities in their own areas and identify how improvements can be made.

“From arts and culture projects, to owning buildings and training and employment schemes, hundreds of communities have already benefitted from positive change through the Empowering Communities Fund.”

Background

The Empowering Communities Fund for 2018/19 is £20 million.

The majority of the funding (£17.7m) directly supports community priorities through five key funding strands: the People and Communities Fund; the Aspiring Communities Fund; the Strengthening Communities Programme; the Community Choices Fund, which supports activity through participatory budgeting; and, the Making Places Initiative

The remainder of the funds support smaller but critically important activity which promotes and shares ideas and solutions through peers; strengthens and empowers community planning and decision making; facilitates communities to come together and develop local plans, and delivery of projects and services.