Community Empowerment Action Plan

The Community Empowerment Action Plan, jointly developed with COSLA and colleagues in the third sector and announced in March 2009, encourages people in both rural and urban areas to participate in the running of their neighbourhoods.

The action plan provides clarity on what community empowerment is, why it is important and how communities can get involved.  A range of best practice examples from across Scotland are set out, providing information and inspiration for people who want to have a say in the decisions affecting their communities.

There is also information on the variety of grants that are accessible to community groups, providing potential investment of around £180 million from a range of government sources.

"Community empowerment is a process where people work together to make change happen in their communities by having more power and influence over what matters to them."

Community empowerment enables communities to play their part in achieving the outcomes in our Single Outcome Agreement.

Community Planning Partnerships can contribute to the action plan...

if they ..."promote and support joined up approaches to community capacity building as both the foundation of a sustainable approach to community empowerment and engagement, and a means to help communities work on their own issues."

and by..."embedding community empowerment throughout processes for community planning."

The Community Engagement Challenge Forum will be considering the detail of how The Aberdeen City Alliance might respond.