Community group resources
Introduction
Whether you’re a community group just beginning your journey or looking to strengthen an established project, the right guidance can make all the difference.
In this guide, we’ve pulled together a selection of resources containing practical advice, funding information and other information designed to help community groups explore, care for, and champion their heritage.
Whatever stage you’re at, you’ll find support to help your ideas grow and your heritage flourish.
Setting up a community organisation
Are you in the early stages of setting up a community group, or are just looking for general advice about communities and heritage? There are lots of places that offer support for community groups. Whether you're right at the beginning of the process, or already up and running, we can help point you in the right direction.
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
SCVO is the national membership organisation for Scotland’s charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. They have a wealth of information available on their website, including resources on setting up a charity, running an organisation, digital, training and HR services.
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
OSCR is the independent regulator and registrar for Scotland’s charities, including community groups. This is the place to apply online for charitable status. All charities in Scotland must be registered with OSCR and meet their annual reporting requirements to keep their status. They have online resources to help with topics such as trustee recruitment, guidance to follow when raising funds and how to wind up a charity.
Scottish Community Development Centre
SCDC is the lead body for community development in Scotland. They work towards a vision of an active, inclusive and just Scotland where communities are strong, equitable and sustainable.
New Museum Toolkit
Museums Galleries Scotland has a long tradition of offering advice and helping new museums to get on their feet. They’ve compiled a toolkit to provide advice to anyone going through the process of setting up a new museum or gallery.
Social Enterprise Scotland
Social Enterprise Scotland (SES) is an independent, membership-led organisation and is the voice of social enterprise in Scotland. They have championed the sector for more than 15 years to help create a supportive policy environment for social enterprises. Their website includes resources for Social Enterprises including practical business support and learning and links to local social enterprise networks.
Social Enterprise UK
UK-wide membership organisation for social enterprises, campaigning on behalf of the social enterprise community. Members can benefit from regular best practice and information sharing sessions and webinars, as well as a listing in their Social Enterprise Directory.
Building stronger community organisations
A free online resource created by SCDC and Scottish Refugee Council that will be useful to any community group. There are ten modules, designed to help you better understand what you want to achieve as an organisation and how you can work together to achieve these aims.
Calculating costs and resources
Whether it's guidance on the rules around fundraising or help dealing with surplus goods, these links can help community groups deal with their costs and resources.
Scottish Fundraising and Standards Panel
This panel oversees fundraising regulations in Scotland and provides resources on fundraising standards and scenario examples of types of complaints they receive from the public. Scottish registered charities can sign up to the Fundraising Guarantee.
Warp it
Warp It is a waste action website for surplus goods from organisations (including Historic Environment Scotland). Created to make sure these items can be passed to organisations carrying out charitable activities in a safe and legal manner.
Resource Efficient Scotland
Offers free one-to-one support to small and medium sized enterprises. Resource Efficient Scotland provide a resource efficiency audit and a comprehensive report highlighting key actions to become more resource efficient.
Energy Savings Trust
Offers advice and information for community groups and organisations looking to save energy and associated costs.
Working with volunteers
Volunteering is often at he heart of a community group's work. These resources provide guidance on recruiting volunteers and making the volunteering experience the best it can be.
Make Your Mark
Make Your Mark is a nationwide campaign to increase the number and diversity of volunteers in the heritage sector. It’s free to join and members can access support in recruiting a more diverse range of volunteers, attend events and access resources to help with volunteer management including the Inclusive Volunteering Toolkit.
Volunteer Scotland
Scotland’s national centre for volunteering, Volunteer Scotland supports organisations and volunteers. Advertise volunteer opportunities, access guidance and resources and find out how to enhance volunteer experiences through the Investing in Volunteers accreditation.
Heritage Volunteering Group
HVG supports volunteering in the heritage sector with a range of resources, events and networking opportunities. Join for free to receive their monthly newsletter.
Finding information and support
These national and regional channels, networks and alliances can provide ideas, advice and support to communities and community groups.
Communities Channel Scotland
Developed by the Scottish Community Development Centre as a place where community groups can find information, ideas and inspiration to help them achieve their aims. CCS shares stories and experiences of community groups and organisations, and highlights resources that can help groups in their work.
Development Trusts Association Scotland
DTAS help communities all over Scotland set up development trusts to help their neighbourhoods flourish through community-led activity, partnership working and enterprise. As a membership organisation, they support members on the development trust journey with expert advice, resources and a changing programme of events.
Fit For the Future
FFTF is an environmental sustainability network bringing together over 250 charities, heritage organisations and cultural venues. They facilitate knowledge-sharing and collaboration across sectors to help organisations decarbonise, adapt to climate change and drive positive environmental impacts.
Heritage Trust Network
HTN is a membership body for Building Preservation Trusts and operates throughout the UK to support community organisations in restoring, reusing and managing historic sites.
Inspiring Scotland
A venture philanthropy organisation aimed at charities, Inspiring Scotland offers services such as a network of professional volunteers to help charities build capacity and overcome problems.
TSI Scotland Network
The Third Sector Interfaces (TSI) Scotland Network is a body of expert charities that support, develop and advocate for the third sector and social enterprise and that also make it easier for people to volunteer with a focus on inclusion. There are 32 Third Sector Interfaces across Scotland; one in each local authority area.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise
HIE works with communities, enterprises and stakeholders to unlock the Highland region’s potential for growth and progress, while driving fair work and net zero practices. They support and invest in a wide range of projects of all sizes.
Scottish Enterprise
Scotland’s national economic development agency. Their website provides information on types of support offered by SE within its enterprise region.
Scottish Community Alliance
Formed in 2010 from an informal gathering of networks under the term Local People Leading, Scottish Community Alliance has grown to a membership of 28 community led national networks and intermediaries each representing an area of specialist knowledge.
Scottish Community Heritage Alliance
The Scottish Community Heritage Alliance (SCHA) supports both individuals and organisations involved in community heritage throughout Scotland. SCHA strives to represent these grassroots voices at a national level, while providing advocacy, networking, support and research opportunities.
Getting your message across
These resources offer advice on lobbying and communication, in English, Gaelic or Scots.
Built Environment Advocacy Toolkit
This advocacy toolkit by Built Environment Forum Scotland gives tips and ideas on how to make the case for the built environment with local politicians and councillors, as well as how to raise the profile of your own work and organisation.
Lobbying Register Scotland
Lobbying in Scotland is regulated by the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016 and since 2018 the law has required regulated lobbying to be recorded in a lobbying register. More information on what constitutes regulated lobbying and how to register it can be found on this website.
Information Commissioner's Office
The ICO's office in Edinburgh provides a local point of contact for members of the public and organisations based in Scotland. As well as operating an advice service to address general enquiries, it promotes good practice in data protection by raising awareness of organisational responsibilities across all sectors.
An Introduction to Scotland's Languages
A short guide produced by Creative Scotland. Includes links to resources for Gaelic and Scots.
Skills development
These organisations and resources can help you and your community group develop skills in different fields.
Skills Development Scotland
Skills Development Scotland is the national skills body supporting the people and businesses of Scotland to develop and apply their skills.
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
SCVO’s Good Governance resources contain a wide range of guidance and best practice developed specifically for trustees and board members.
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
OSCR have put together guidance on Good Practice for Charity Trustees, outlining charity trustee duties and legal requirements.
Keep Scotland Beautiful
Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Our Heritage, Our Future resources have been developed to support communities to explore, record and protect their heritage through hands-on activities, skills development and youth learning programmes.
National Lottery Heritage Fund
NLHF have pulled together a wide range of good practice guidance to assist in the planning and delivering of a wide range of heritage projects.