On a fortnightly basis the LPL campaign will email briefings to our supporters and simultaneously post them here on our home page. Our overarching agenda is about community empowerment and there are indications that our new government shares some of our aims. We hope this site will become an inclusive gathering point for like-minded people. The momentum is building.

Community takes complaint to ombudsman 13th Aug 2008 Dunoon and District Allotment Association have been trying since 2005 to make Argyll and Bute Council fulfil its statutory obligation to make land available for allotments. Alan Watterson who founded the group says there is no lack of demand in the town. "People in the town are crying out for allotments, but so far we have been banging our heads against a brick wall," he said...more Community fight to save local family resource 13th Aug 2008 The Broxburn Family Centre has played a vital role over the years in supporting local families and their children. When the Centre’s landlords gave them notice to quit because they wanted to build flats on the site, it provoked an angry response from the Centre’s users and from across all sections of the community...more Forres community calls in the Audit Commission 13th Aug 2008 Moray Council have been accused by Forres Community Council of mismanaging the Common Good and not keeping proper records of any disposals of Common Good assets in the past. The community representatives have been unhappy with the information provided by council officials and have asked the Audit Commission to investigate...more Stonehouse aims to brighten its image 13th Aug 2008 Major new funding has been awarded to the Stonehouse community in South Lanarkshire which will allow them to create a new community garden right in the heart of the village. Local groups have come together to design plans to give the village a complete overhaul and this funding will allow Phase 1 to be completed...more Castlemilk community lends a hand 13th Aug 2008 A community group in Falkirk has set its sights on transforming a disused stable block and some outbuildings of the historic house at Callander Park into a multi purpose community owned facility. The Cassiltoun Trust from Castlemilk have offered their assistance...more

National Standards for Community Engagement (NSCE) 13th Aug 2008 LPL’s opinion of the NSCE is that they don’t set the bar high enough. The independent evaluation of the NSCE, by Clear Plan (UK) Ltd, gives them only a lukewarm endorsement. A letter last week from Scottish Government’s Regeneration people makes it clear that their use is to be promoted to Community Planning Partnerships. Letter and extract from evaluation ...more Learning from Democracy 13th Aug 2008 "Ordinary people need the opportunity to have their say, to be listened to and to talk back to the state. This is essentially a democratic process – it cannot simply be managed and measured". This is a quote from "Learning for Democracy"; Ten Propositions and Ten Proposals from a group of pro democracy activists. ...more LPL Community Empowerment Wish List 13th Aug 2008 Scottish Government has decided to shape its Community Empowerment Action Plan in the context of a joint working group with COSLA – on which LPL is represented. We have been invited to present to that group our own preferred Action Plan. ...more The Community Development Challenge 13th Aug 2008 At the heart of ‘community development’ practice is a set of values about equality – justice – collective working – political awareness etc. Community engagement practice is less ambitious or radical. Practitioners will want to check out this summary of a report from the Community Development Foundation. ...more The Difference between Civic and Civil Society 13th Aug 2008 Civic society can be understood as the local state – where citizens join school and health boards, community planning partnerships etc. Civil society is where citizens undertake voluntary action not under the direction of any authority wielding the power of the state. David Cameron, Tory Leader, in a recent speech seems to understand the difference ...more

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