Angus Hardie, director, LPL
The Scottish Community Sector Alliance will promote the work of local communities and attempt to influence national policy
A new umbrella body for community sector organisations has been formed in Scotland.
The body, called the Scottish Community Sector Alliance, has grown out of an informal alliance called Local People Leading, which was established to campaign on behalf of community sector bodies. The new network will be headed by Angus Hardie, director of LPL.
"We feel that the community sector is a distinct part of the third sector, separate from social enterprise and the voluntary sector," said Hardie. "And we feel that the community sector is under-represented at the moment.
"This new body will aim to raise the profile of the community movement."
Hardie said the first priorities of the alliance would be to develop a strategy for land reform, asset transfer and community-owned resources and businesses, to lobby to make local politicians more accountable to local people, and to coordinate the work of communities and community anchor organisations across Scotland.
The founding members of the alliance are:
- Community Energy Scotland
- Community Woodlands Association
- Community Retail Network
- Community Resources Network Scotland
- Community Transport Association
- Development Trusts Association Scotland
- EVH – Supporting Social Employers
- Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens
- Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations
- Scottish League of Credit Unions
- Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society
- Senscot
- Transition Scotland.
