2020 has been a year like no other in living memory and over the past year we have been astounded at the speed, efficiency and enormity of community support that has been delivered through Community Anchor Organisations (CAOs) like DTAS member Development Trusts.
Covid-19 has changed the way that we live our lives forever and as we 'Build Back Better', the critical role that CAOs have played in supporting our communities needs to be recorded and reported on.
Over the past few months, we have been surveying DTAS members to find out more about their individual COVID response. We have heard countless testimonies from trusts of communities pulling together to tirelessly support one another through these difficult times, with an especial focus on the most vulnerable.
Strengthened communities and bonds now and into the future were widely seen as an enduring legacy of the pandemic.
DTAS members attributed their adaptation and responsiveness to three critical success factors: flexibility and expert local knowledge at ground-level, distributing resources where they knew they were needed and with light-touch regulation; strong and co-ordinated partnerships across the third sector, local business, local government, and beyond, to deliver effective and efficient responses; and the tireless effort and dedication of volunteers.
As we mark the 1st anniversary of Lockdown, let us also make sure that we stop to recognise the unsung heroes who have kept communities going.
To download and read out report in full, please click on the link below.
The Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) is funded by the Scottish Government to support community based groups in Scotland take a stake in or ownership of previously publicly owned land or buildings.