Have your say from home via new Kirkfieldbank website launched for Community Action Plan

Last week marked the launch of the new Kirkfieldbank Community Action Plan website and residents are invited to visit www.kirkfieldbank.com to complete a survey and have their say about the place ‘now’ and issues including the built environment, green spaces, community identity and whether or not people feel they have their voice heard. People will have until the end of the month (April 30th) to fill out the current survey and can also connect up via the Kirkfieldbank Community Group Facebook page or contact Community Action Lanarkshire on 01555 664 665 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it...

The website will also act as a Community Hub where those who live and work in Kirkfieldbank can share their likes, dislikes, ideas and aspirations for the future of their community. It’s also a place where those supporting the project can share news about what’s going on in the community and keep you up to date with progress on the community-led plan.

The website is the next stage in the creation of Kirkfieldbank’s very first Community led Action Plan and is complemented by telephone interviews to get more local views and opinions. Led by a Steering Group made up of local people and taking place between March and June 2020, residents will have the opportunity to express their concerns and future aspirations, resulting in a new Five-Year Community-led Action Plan.

This plan can be used by businesses, local groups, organisations and community members to initiate new projects, unite people around shared goals, bring in funding, and highlight local priorities to the council and politicians. The process is funded by South Lanarkshire LEADER, supported by Community Action Lanarkshire with assistance from consultants icecream architecture.

Ruth McElhinney, Development Officer at Community Action Lanarkshire, said,

“Please go online and fill out the survey, leaving as much detail as possible. Share it with your friends, family and colleagues. The more information and the more people who participate, the more detailed and comprehensive the plan will be. We want to know what matters to you and what you want to do about it.”

The plan is just one of many community-led action plans that are being, or have been, created throughout the country. There has been a drive from Scottish Government, connected to the Community Empowerment Act 2015, to encourage community planning at a local level.

It is recognised that the process creates an ambition for the future that is relevant, inclusive and meaningful. It ensures communities can protect and develop what is of greatest value to them, as well as acting as a transformational tool for change. Plans can lead to more volunteering, increased number of local projects and deeper partnerships with local organisations.