The Scottish Community Development Centre

The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recently published its latest report on the progress governments across the UK are making to uphold human rights - and what needs to improve. It has joined many organisations in calling on the Scottish Government to make progress to "incorporate economic, social and economic rights ... through the adoption of human rights bill", which failed to appear in the latest programme for government. On social policy, the committee outlined its concerns that across the UK "insufficient social spending, particularly in a context of rapidly rising inflation, hampers the progressive realization of economic, social and cultural rights". Governments should, according to the committee, "take all measures necessary to reverse the adverse impact of the austerity measures". https://lnkd.in/ejAc8iJW

Earlier this month, more than 80 people from across the CHEX network came together in Stirling to learn and reflect about their work supporting their communities and tackling Scotland's health inequalities. It was an amazing day, full of inspiration, honesty and mutual support. We heard from some incredible contributors who each generously shared their experiences, knowledge and ideas. https://lnkd.in/eCZ_2eBk

And if you're new to the world of community-led research, check out our resource which has explainers, examples and blogs on the topic! 👇 https://lnkd.in/ev82wJxp

New Tax Justice Scotland blog looks at how UK-wide austerity has caused average life expectancy to stagnate since 2012, and to decrease in the most disadvantaged areas. The blog argues that with more UK-wide public spending cuts looming, the Scottish Government should use fairer taxation to combat the impacts of austerity – and avoid additional cuts. https://lnkd.in/edVHW-Zd

We are looking for freelancers to support our delivery of grant funding. If you have experience in community development or administering grant schemes and are interested please check out the opportunity below. 👇 The Scottish Community Development Centre

Community development is a process where people come together to take action on what's important to them and is rooted in the belief that all people should have access to health, wellbeing, wealth, justice and opportunity. Our quick animation is a great introduction to community development - so make yourself a cuppa and have a watch! ☕ https://lnkd.in/epJ8ngyS

How can community groups best achieve their aims and meet community needs? And where to begin? The Building Stronger Community Organisations resource helps to answer these questions and more! Launched last year by the Scottish Refugee Council and SCDC, the resource is aimed at refugee communities and refugee supporting groups, but can be used by all types of community organisations. The free online toolkit takes community organisations through 10 modules designed to explore the key things to consider, and important actions to take. ✔ https://lnkd.in/e5_gFkjc

A new article from Community Knowledge Matters has some great examples of community-led action research being used in action, including from the Moray Wellbeing Hub and research undertaken as part of The Ideas Fund. The article highlights the importance of building trust and capacity within community-led research, and the broader impact it can have around empowerment and community engagement. https://lnkd.in/eW24uikQ

Thank you Iain! Our FAQs might also be useful for anyone new to Local Place Plans 👇https://lnkd.in/eSHyRSc2

With public sector budgets strained across the UK and here in Scotland, how we ensure we properly fund the services that we all rely on is a critical question. A new blog from Tax Justice UK explores what changes could be made to ensure the UK's vastly unequal tax system sees more tax paid by the wealthiest in our society. https://lnkd.in/eDYies8P