Vacant & Derelict Land Project Manager
This exciting 2 year post is the result of a partnership between the Scottish Land Commission and the Development Trusts Association Scotland which seeks to address the challenging problem of vacant and derelict land. In particular the post will focus on the smaller derelict sites, which often cause the most harm to local communities, but can equally be well suited to community-led regeneration. Working alongside development trusts or other community organisations, the post-holder will develop practical and innovative approaches to bringing different types of these small and persistently problematic sites back into productive use, in a way that could support and scale-up community led regeneration across Scotland.
The post-holder will be based within DTAS, the national membership organisation for development trusts, and will require to have good experience of delivering community-led regeneration. This is a unique post which will also require good negotiating and communication skills, knowledge of financing projects of this nature, a creative and solutions-focussed approach and the ability to capture and report on the learning from the project.
For further information and to apply for this job, please see Goodmoves.
Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS), the national community-led regeneration network is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Chief Executive, Louisa Macdonell.
Louisa brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience, joining DTAS from Scottish Enterprise where she recently returned to after secondment to the UK Government as Head of Economic Development at the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Prior to working in the public sector, Louisa set up and ran several businesses, and has been a business mentor to the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and Women in Business since 2014. She is also Entrepreneur in Residence at Edinburgh University Business School
Commenting on her new role Louisa said:
“I am delighted to be joining DTAS. With its great reputation for supporting community-led change at the grassroot level, DTAS and its members are at the forefront of local regeneration and place-making activity.
I know that it is the people within our communities who are our biggest assets and that development trusts are crucial to delivering sustainable, place-based change through community enterprise. I very much look forward to getting started, working with the terrific DTAS team and meeting and supporting our members.”
Louisa will take over in May from current Director Ian Cooke, who has been at the helm of DTAS since 2009.
The following is an article written by David Watson, Development Manager for Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust
As you will be aware, as a result of Scottish Government budget cuts, KoSDT have been unsuccessful in our bid to the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) to continue to deliver The Energy Advice Service (TEAS) across Sutherland, despite the application being recommended for approval. This has resulted in the loss of the service and the loss of 3 highly valued members of staff.
CCF is the Scottish fund set up to tackle climate change through reducing local carbon emissions. However, the budget to support new projects through the CCF was cut from £5 million last year to £2 million this year. Only 22 schemes were funded in 2019, compared to 65 in 2018. 43 projects, including the application from KoSDT, that were recommended for approval by an independent panel, were not funded. This is despite repeated declarations from SG that we are in the midst of a climate emergency.
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.
Community Shares Scotland is a national organisation that exists to raise awareness of the community shares model and support communities who wish to raise money this way.
