Twenty Years of Transformation: Towards a Scotland Without Poverty (2019 Report) As we approach our 20th anniversary we wanted to share what we have learned and how we intend to continue to pioneer by combining approaches to employment, health, wellbeing and community development. Twenty Years of Transformation is a brochure not motivated by a … Continued
A few years ago Paul McColgan, Community Renewal CEO, experienced a traumatic death in his family: “Sadly I had first-hand experience of the strain that an unexpected death can place on a family, when my brother in law died suddenly in his twenties. Like many young families there was no provision for such an unexpected event … Continued
Community Renewal is considered by NHS Health Scotland to be the “subject expert” for Community Engagement in Scotland. Community Renewal has become Scotland’s leading trainer and employer of Community Link Workers. However, this is only a small part of our wider work transforming Primary Care and improving health in deprived communities. Since 2007 we have … Continued
In 2001 we conceived our pioneering programme the Full Employment Area, where we tested and developed our approach in working meaningfully with the ‘hidden’ unemployed. This and our subsequent experimental initiatives helped us to understand the process of reaching and lifting individuals, families and communities out of systemic economic inactivity; and realise how supporting agencies needed to work more … Continued
Everything that we do is focused on creating better outcomes for people and their communities. We know from experience that the best way to improve quality of life in a neighbourhood is by listening intently to the people who live there who know deep down what’s best for their community. We have developed and tested … Continued
Many people who have complex life and health issues are often supported in a linear way. With “assessment and onward referral” their predominant experience people often find themselves passed from one agency to the next with a lack of coordination of their needs and care. In 2007 we pioneered a more holistic way of working with … Continued
The Community Health Leaders project (CHL) is an asset based approach to finding and training people who have the potential to become community activists and leaders. Its aims are to promote and foster community leadership and collective responsibility, not just for those undertaking the training, but for those they then go on to engage with. … Continued
Now in its fourth year the Integrated Employability Service (IES) is delivered in partnership with Edinburgh College and funded by the City of Edinburgh Council. Local community hubs based in some of the cities most deprived areas provide a one-stop shop for anyone who is unemployed and needing support to get back into learning or work. A … Continued
We work with partners and practitioners to build skills and to cascade our tried and tested methods of community empowerment. Here is an example of some of the training that we offer: Better Engagement Skills with Hard to Reach Groups Communication and engagement skills for health practitioners with a role in anticipatory care. This is a short … Continued
Our Place is an exciting place-based initiative from the Big Lottery Fund that aims to empower local people and organisations to bring about a massive and lasting positive difference to their neighbourhood. It is targeted at seven areas of deprivation in Scotland where there is limited community capacity and little track record in securing Lottery or other … Continued
Young people are the leaders of tomorrow’s communities. In recent years there has been a concerted effort among a broad partnership to increase the percentage of young people who progress from school to a positive learning, training or work destination. Despite this coordinated effort a small minority of young people still slip through the net and … Continued
The Peerability Peer Coaching project (Peerability) is a service that is co-produced with mental health service users and provides valuable opportunities to increase service users social interaction, reduce isolation and build their confidence. We established a partnership with Glasgow Association for Mental Health and were commissioned by the NHS to deliver the first Peerability project in Spring 2012. Over 40 service users took part in … Continued
The first Community Canteen was opened in Govanhill, Glasgow in April 2014. A restaurant where people can access high quality ethnic food, everyone pays £2 or what they can afford and all are welcome. Community Canteen is based on the following principles: An important and age old way of people coming together is by eating together- not … Continued
We enable young people to feel part of their community by giving them the opportunity and support to deliver projects that are of benefit to their neighbours and neighbourhoods. This in turn changes the perceptions held about young people by others. Our Transforming Young Lives programme provides employability, personal development and community support and activities that help the … Continued