Lanarkshire rural communities thrive after LEADER funded Community Action Lanarkshire programme

With Lanarkshire Leader’s recent approval of the 2018-20 Community Action  Lanarkshire (CAL) programme’s outputs, the Rural Development Trust is delighted to share news of the programme’s final achievements and highlight ongoing work to help local communities.  

Out of the 25 communities CAL covered, 9 communities, like Carstairs Junction, developed a community-led action plan and work continues to support 8 of these to take the plans forward. 1053 young people were involved, from cycle training at Abington Primary to contributing their ideas in local action plans. Project staff supported 25 groups deliver 10 capital projects, like new seating for Upperton (North Lanarkshire), and 11 new services like real-time rural bus information. 294 people were trained in a range of skills including strimming and wall repair. And finally 55 people were involved in environmental and heritage volunteering projects like installing bird and bat boxes at local nature reserve, Loudon Pond.  

Gordon Muir, Managing Director of the Rural Development Trust, said, “The Community Action Lanarkshire programme was set up to offer support for rural communities in North and South Lanarkshire who face particular challenges, with community-led plans, and to help develop projects. We are delighted to have been able to support communities via LEADER funding and look forward to continuing to do so with the current projects.” 

Kirsten Robb, manager of the CAL team at RDT, said, “Rural Lanarkshire is an amazing area with great people, passionate about improving their place. But community development and projects take time. Whilst communities have achieved much in the last few years via the CAL programme, more work is needed to tackle the opportunities and challenges rural communities face. That is why we are grateful for recent funders, The National Lottery Community Fund, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Sustrans and the Scottish Government for their support to help take forward projects in these communities.”  

Read the full CAL 2018-20 report on our website here www.communityactionlan.org/news-hub/item/community-action-lanarkshire-project-report.  Community-led action plans can be found at www.communityactionlan.org/get-involved/community-action-plans and current projects at www.communityactionlan.org/about.