As part of the upcoming Month of Community in June, we will be celebrating Community Councils in Scotland and all the amazing work they do to support and improve their local area.
We want to showcase the best that Community Councils have to offer using the #CelebrateCCs hashtag on social media throughout June – and we want Community Councils, councillors and local people to get involved.
Community Councils act as a voice for their local area, complementing the role of their local authority while remaining outside of Local Government. They are non-political and have an important role to find out and communicate the views of their community to local authorities and other public bodies.
While they have some statutory responsibilities, particularly around planning applications, community councils are also free to create and develop innovative projects to address issues within their communities.
These are the kinds of schemes we want to hear about during our #CelebrateCCs showcase; stories about Community Councils who have gone above and beyond to really improve the local area for the people who live there.
Many councillors will develop strong relationships with the Community Councils in their wards, and new councillors will find that Community Council meetings will become an important event on their calendar, and a source of important information regarding the needs of their local area.
The Improvement Service supports the work of Community Councils in a number of ways. The Community Council Liaison Officer (CCLO) network brings together Local Government staff who help their Community Councils to work effectively, and we hold regular meetings to keep CCLOs updated on the latest initiatives which they and their Community Councils might find useful. The Community Councils Scotland website features news about consultations and funding opportunities, as well as a showcase for success stories. We have also developed a partnership with Open University in Scotland to provide free training for community councillors on digital skills, business skills, finance and fundraising, and community and society.
If you have a Community Council story that you want to share during #CelebrateCCs in June, we would love to hear from you. Use the #CelebrateCCs hashtag on Twitter or Facebook or email us at scottishccs@improvementservice.org.uk
Follow Community Councils Scotland on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with all the latest news and opportunities.