Kincardine and Mearns Local Learning Community

The Aberdeenshire Local Action Group’s Rural Communities Challenge Fund 2025-26 has been launched and is now live and open for applications.

The programme delivers funding from the Scottish Government’s Rural Community Led Local Development programme.

Grants are being invited from community groups, charities and cooperatives throughout Aberdeenshire (excluding the Cairngorms area) and can fund specific activities aimed at benefitting rural communities in the region.   

Applications will be assessed and approved by the Aberdeenshire Local Action Group (LAG), a cross-sector partnership which represents rural communities throughout Aberdeenshire.

Grants will be targeted towards capital expenditure which can be delivered before 28th February 2026 and supports one or more of the following priorities:

1) An inclusive and connected Aberdeenshire – Enabling better connections within and across rural Aberdeenshire Communities. 

2) Accountable and Fair Aberdeenshire – Ensuring no one community is left behind or exposed to the devastating effects of inequality and poverty. 

3) Sustainability of Places and Planet - Achieving a just transition to net zero through reducing emissions and regenerating the local environment.

Grants of between £10,000 and £49,999 will be available for Capital Projects, and Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 for Revenue Projects. A minimum 10% match funding contribution to projects by applicants is desirable but not essential.

The deadline for submission of applications is Sunday 17th August 2025 and potential applicants can access the application forms and guidance on the following webpage: Rural Communities Challenge Fund - Aberdeenshire Council.

Applicants are also encouraged to contact us for more information and support at externalfunding@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Kincardine and Mearns Citizen's Advice Bureau is running Drop In and Go Digital Support Sessions at the Sherriff Court Building, Dunnottar Avenue, Stonehaven, AB39 2JD. The sessions will be held on Thursdays from 12 noon until 4 pm. The sessions will offer support with:

• Benefit Checks
• Income Maximisation
• Council Tax Reductions
• Young Scot Card Applications
• Blue Badge Applications
• Adult Disability Payment - Part 1 Applications
• Pension Credit Applications
• Crisis Grant Applications

The aim of the project is to gather local evidence of the barriers to accessing healthy, nutritious, affordable food in Kincardine and Mearns post Covid 19 and in the current cost of living crisis.

This is a project funded by the Aberdeenshire Rural Poverty Fund, facilitated by Julie Gray and supported by Kincardineshire Development Partnership. Julie is currently the Chairperson of Fair Food Aberdeenshire and The Community Collective (Stonehaven) both of which focus on access to healthy, nutritious food.

Link to an online survey on food shopping in the Kincardine and Mearns area:

Kincardine and Mearns Food Stories Survey

Paper copies of the survey are also available for those with barriers to online access and Julie will be out and about in Kincardine and Mearns in the coming months, talking to the more rural communities and marginalised groups.

Additionally, there is a Kincardine and Mearns Food Stories Facebook page which is currently being developed. Food related events can be shared on this page.

If you would like to discuss the project further or can help with the engagement with any groups within Kincardine and Mearns, please email kandmfoodstories@gmail.com

The PDA in Youth Work has been designed for those working with young people in a Youth Work context. It is suitable for people who have experience of youth work in a paid or volunteering capacity but who might not have formal qualifications in youth work.

The PDA in Youth Work offers a nationally recognised, SQA accredited qualification at SCQF Level 6.

PDA in Youth Work: to register interest

PDA in Youth Work Eventbrite Link

Ready for Youth Work: eLearning

Ready for Youth Work Eventbrite Link

If you would like more information please contact douglas.findlay@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray

The Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray is a 10-year programme of support to accelerate the transition to net zero in the region. We are pleased to confirm that we will be launching a new open bidding round worth up to £8.5 million in to the Fund for the 25 / 26 financial year.

This additional capital will build on the £75 million we have allocated through the Fund since 2022, creating jobs, supporting innovation and helping to secure the highly skilled workforce of the future. More information about the first round of projects supported through the Fund can be found here.

2025 / 2026 Funding Call

The funding call will open on the Just Transition Fund page on the Scottish Government website on 6th May for six weeks closing on 17th June. Applicants will be asked to submit an application form in support of their bid and accompanying guidance will be provided on the website. We are inviting bids carrying a minimum value of £500,000 and a max value of £5 million for projects to be completed by 31^st March 2026.

For this second open bidding round into the Fund, we will focus on projects that support jobs, skills and economic opportunities, addressing immediate priorities facing the region. This reflects our mission to ensure the Fund is responsive to identified needs and continues to maximise the impact of our investment to deliver benefits for businesses, workers and communities as we transition to a net zero future.

Information and Support

The Fund team will hold a series of online information sessions for prospective applicants to attend on the following dates:

• Wednesday 21st May 14:00-15:00
• Thursday 29th May 11:00-12:00
• Monday 9th June 14:00- 15:00

If you would like an invitation to one of these sessions or have any queries regarding the funding call, please get in touch with the team at: justtransitionfund@gov.scot

Kincardine and Mearns Local Learning Partnership has developed a plan for 2025 - 2026 following a discussion around the emerging needs in the local area, under the focused priorities in the ALCP Plan 2024 - 2027. Two subgroups were created to form specific plans to meet these emerging needs.

One group focused on volunteering; guidance has been created to support organisations to promote their volunteering opportunities with Volunteer Scotland. Volunteering will be a constant agenda item at LLCP meetings and will have a space on our Engage HQ page. This will result in appropriate support to existing and potential volunteers to find a wide variety of volunteering opportunities within communities. This encourages partnership working and increases volunteer recruitment.

The other subgroup is focused on support for young people who are leaving school and are considering moving onto college. This subgroup consists of Community Learning and Development staff, Skills Development Scotland staff and the Aberdeenshire Employment Support Team. A project is being developed to meet the needs of this group by identifying the learning needs of the individuals.

Elaine Strachan

CLD Lead

Kincardine and Mearns LLCP

Saturday 29^th March, 10 am – 3 pm, Inverurie Community Campus

Summary

Aberdeenshire Community Learning and Development service in collaboration with Youth Scotland will be delivering various youth work training sessions on the day. This learning opportunity is available for all new or existing community organisations / volunteers delivering or wishing to deliver universal youth work provision in their communities. Aberdeenshire Community Learning and Development Service is supporting and promoting this initiative as part of our Community Capacity Building service priority.

This project is supported by the Scottish Government’s Rural Community Led Local Development Fund 2024 / 25 and planned and facilitated by Aberdeenshire Community Learning and Development.

On the Day

• Volunteers / organisations will have the opportunity to participate in various practical training workshops, discuss ideas, challenges and possible solutions with regards to universal community based youthwork.
• Volunteers / organisations will have the opportunity to share good practice and foster peer support between groups and individuals.

Outcomes of Aberdeenshire Youth Work Training

• Volunteers / organisations are equipped to develop, deliver and sustain universal community based youthwork provision.
• Volunteers / organisations develop positive networks and connections. Participation Outcome, Aberdeenshire Rural Youth Strategy Report 2024.
• Volunteers / organisations perspectives are broadened through learning new skills.
• Volunteers / organisations identify common aspirations for universal community based youthwork across Aberdeenshire.

For further information contact: douglas.findlay@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Booking required: Eventbrite Link

North East Scotland College Careers Fairs on Tuesday 4th March at the Altens Campus and on Wednesday 12th March at the City Campus. Open from 10 am until 2 pm with a quiet session available from 10 am to 10.30 am for a calm, relaxed space to explore opportunities at your own pace.

Aberdeenshire Council is developing a bold new strategy to safeguard the local economy and make it fairer and more sustainable for the benefit of its communities.

Community Wealth Building (CWB) is a people-centred approach which will bring together communities, businesses, a wide range of public sector bodies and commercial partners to build a stronger local economy.

Among the main focus points will be keeping and growing local spend by supporting businesses to bid for local authority and other public sector contracts.

It will also support communities to realise their ambitions to hold a greater stake in the local economy, through a host of new opportunities including community asset transfers.

As demonstrated successfully by other local authorities who have developed a CWB strategy – including North Ayrshire Council which established the first in Scotland – the council is firmly committed to ensuring public land, resources and assets are utilised more effectively to meet community and business needs.

As part of the initial engagement work, a series of online workshops is being held to gather the views of local partners and stakeholders across key sectors, which will feed into the development of the draft strategy.

An online workshop for the Third Sector, aimed at community groups, charities, and social enterprises, is being held from1.30 to 3.30 pm on Thursday, 16th January – interested groups can register at Eventbrite.

Community wealth building uses five pillars to create more economic benefits for an area:

Spending

Increasing local procurement, commissioning and wider investment, using public spend to deliver community benefit, fair work and build local supply chains.

Fair employment

Increasing fair work and developing local labour markets, ensuring the workforce are in well paid jobs that benefit from an effective voice, security and flexibility.

Land and property

Ensuring that communities maximise benefit and generate wealth from local land and property.

Inclusive ownership

Stimulating the development and growth of locally owned enterprises that generate local wealth. In particular, the encouragement of employee owned businesses, cooperatives and social enterprises.

Financial Power

Ensuring that the flows of wealth generated within the local economy works for the wellbeing of communities and businesses.

Chair of the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, Cllr Alan Turner, said: “I am delighted to see work starting around a community wealth building strategy for Aberdeenshire which will provide us with the means to deliver wellbeing for every community across the north-east. By working hand in hand with those communities and our commercial sectors, we will enable them to create and own wealth in their local area.

While absolutely acknowledging that Aberdeenshire has a thriving and diverse economy, we know it can be improved to provide more equity for businesses. Our priority is to maximise economic opportunities for everyone across Aberdeenshire by putting people at the very heart of those vital local economies.”

Vice-chair Cllr Isobel Davidson added: “I’m really excited about a community wealth building approach which will offer excellent opportunities for local people to create a more inclusive and thriving community and ensure that the benefits of local economic growth are properly and rightfully invested across Aberdeenshire.”