North AyrshireCelebration of Achievements

A new opportunity for communities in North Ayrshire

• In North Ayrshire the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) secured the contract to work with 7 rural communities

• North Ayrshire Community Engagement Reference Group (CERG) proposed the following 7 rural areas in North Ayrshire (who met the eligibility criteria) to participate in the programme.

Beith (6070 Dreghorn (3500) Kilbirnie (7200) Skelmorlie (1950) Dalry (5600) Springside (1260) Fairlie (1500)

A new opportunity for communities in North Ayrshire

A new opportunity for communities in North Ayrshire

Initial Engagement:

A new opportunity for communities in North Ayrshire

• Recruitment & Training of 9 local Community Agents• Methods used

• Street Questionnaires• Questionnaires through doors• Attendance at Community Events• Questionnaires at Libraries• Newspaper articles• Community Meetings• Online youth consultation• Pan North Ayrshire Meetings• Facebook Page e.g. “ Tell us Fairlie” (with links attached to publicity leaflets,

posters, surveys)

Highlight – One Example

A new opportunity for communities in North Ayrshire

Springside Community Association actively supported the distribution of the initial

questionnaire in their village

The Association offered 2 prizes for completion of the survey questionnaire

The local Brownie Group produced an edition of the “Springsider Newsletter” – with news

of the Ayrshire 21 Programme & other community news and then delivered it to every

house in Springside.

A new opportunity for communities in North Ayrshire Initial community strengths sessions worked well in most areas.

This captured the range of existing activity and strengths which the programme could build on.

Many smaller groups were very self-sufficient, with a wealth of local knowledge about local issues, experience of running groups and taking community action and in some cases managing assets.

One key gap identified was the opportunity for groups to work together on common issues.

The programme has tried to bring groups together, so they can work more closely together.

Key Issues Identified from Community Engagement

A new opportunity for communities in North Ayrshire

As expected issues identified range across a number of themes including: Environment

Transport

Community Safety

Physical appearance of Towns/Villages

Access to local facilities

These issues can also be categorised as short, medium and long term.

(more details at the stands)

What people liked most about their communities

A new opportunity for communities in North Ayrshire

PEOPLE – friendly, looking out for each other, coming together in times of difficulty and generally recognising good levels of community spirit

Where are we now

A new opportunity for communities in North Ayrshire

• Draft Action Plans are being prepared

• These have/are being presented to communities for agreement and final prioritisation of actions

• Some issues are already being taken forward to relevant bodies and being progressed

• Beith Development Trust funded to facilitate Activate Training Course (20 registered) and part fund their Action Plan

• Funding Officers being linked into Action Plans to assist with ideas

A new opportunity for communities in North Ayrshire

• North Ayrshire CPP – Moving towards a Neighbourhood Planning Approach – these plans will be a great start in identifying key issues in the 7 areas.

• Discussions taking place re local networks to continue beyond the programme.

• Partnerships being established to take forward Action Plans.

A new opportunity for communities in North Ayrshire