Marr Local Learning Community

Marr LLCP Lunch + Learn

Growing Neurodiverse Communities

Thursday 30 April, 1 pm to 1:45pm

Bring your lunch for a series of online talks focused on developing skills and overcoming common challenges experienced by community groups, established and emerging. Learn and connect with other groups and be inspired by examples of great community work – as well as learning from what hasn’t gone so well!

The talks are being organised by the Marr Local Learning Community Partnership (LLCP) and are planned to take place monthly. They will cover a range of topics that groups often find challenging in achieving what they want to do, from recruiting volunteers to dealing with red tape, dealing with conflict to making decisions as a group. Each time we will hear from a local community group or worker who has experience of that particular challenge.

For the sixth talk in this series, we are glad to welcome Bruce Phillips who is originally from Aotearoa New Zealand, but now lives in Huntly. Bruce has worked as a project manager, writer, curator and artwork producer. Throughout, he has had a focus on working with others to seek out unrealised potential, overlooked histories and to confront social inequalities. Drawing from his experiences of neurodivergence, he has actively advocated for neurodiverse (ND) inclusion in community and arts spaces, and was a member of Neuk Collective, an organisation that brings together, supports and advocates for neurodivergent artists in Scotland.

At this talk, Bruce will talk about lifting stigma around neurodiversity to grow ND community through public events, using past experiences as examples. He will talk about how his approach can apply across communities who experience exclusion and marginalisation from community spaces.

Each session will be facilitated by a member of the Marr LLCP who can signpost people to further support and information as required. These events are free and everyone is welcome.

Further information:

Register to join this talk by visiting this link:
https://ava.tfaforms.net/f/AVAMarrLLCPLunchLearn6AccessInclusionRegistrationForm

If you have questions related to this event, please email ed.garrett2@aberdeenshire.gov.uk / phone: 07342 057699.

The group organising these talks is made up of representatives from Aberdeenshire Council, NHS Grampian, Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action and Deveron Projects.

Accessibility:

• This talk takes place online using Microsoft Teams. Automated captioning is available.

• There is no requirement to have your camera on.

• Questions can be asked in person or via the chat function.

The next session of the Huntly Community Job Club will be held from 1 pm until 3 pm on Thursday 9th April at the Aberdeenshire Wellbeing Hub, The Business Centre, Gordon Street, Huntly, AB54 8FG. The Aberdeenshire Council Adult Learning Team will be talking about ICT and other learning opportunities which can help build skills for finding a job.

This is a partnership project delivered through the Marr Local Learning Community Partnership. For further information contact Ed Garrett on ed.garrett2@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.

The next session of the Huntly Community Job Club will be held from 1 pm until 3 pm on Thursday 26th March at the Aberdeenshire Wellbeing Hub, The Business Centre, Gordon Street, Huntly, AB54 8FG. Enable Works will be there to talk about how they can support people to gain skills and find jobs.

This is a partnership project delivered through the Marr Local Learning Community Partnership. For further information contact Ed Garrett on ed.garrett2@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.

The first session will be an opportunity for people to have their say on what they would like from a job club, and there will be refreshments and home bakes.

For further information email Ed Garrett
ed.garrett2@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Growing Learning and Partnership Working

The next meeting of the Marr LLCP will be an in person meeting in the community rooms at Alford Community Campus, on 17^th February from 12.15 pm until 2.45 pm.

The first part of the session will be a regular LLCP meeting. The rest of the session will be more interactive and will be an opportunity for groups and services in the Alford area to find out more about the LLCP, meet other local organisations and services and identify ways in which we can work better together.

Tea and coffee will be provided but please bring your own lunch. There will be time for informal networking. Do also bring any information you might have about your organisation or service as there will be a table for sharing this information.

Please can you respond to Susan Weetman at susan.weetman@aberdeenshire.gov.uk confirming your attendance at the meeting.

#4 Supporting Volunteering with Jane Mitchell

Thursday 27th November, 1 pm to 1.45 pm

We have the next in our series of Lunch and Learn talks, brought to you through the Marr Local Community Learning Partnership (LLCP). We invite everyone again to bring along their lunch for the next talk in what has been a series of online talks focused on enabling people to develop skills and overcoming common challenges they have experienced working with / for community groups, those established and those emerging. Learn and connect with other groups / people and be inspired by examples of great community work – as well as learning from what hasn’t gone so well!

We are excited to welcome Jane Mitchell, Mearns and Coastal Healthy Living Network (MCHLN) from Kincardine and Mearns, South Aberdeenshire. Jane brings a wealth of experience from her years working across a range of statutory and third sector services, including working in the fields of learning and physical disabilities, and mental health, both in children and adult services across Council and Third Sector Organisations. Jane is going to be discussing her experience of managing volunteering within MCHLN, a charitable organisation which has been in existence since 2002. She will cover working to meet the principles of the Scottish Volunteer Charter and will highlight the opportunities and challenges faced when an organisation has its foundations enabled through volunteering. Click on the links here for more information:

Home - Mearns and Coastal Healthy Living Network

Volunteers - Mearns and Coastal Healthy Living Network

Each session is being facilitated by a member of the Marr LLCP, who can signpost people to further support and information as required. These events are free and everyone is welcome.

Further information:

Register to join this talk by visiting Lunch + Learn Registration Form

The group organising these talks is made up of representatives from Aberdeenshire Council, NHS Grampian, Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action and Deveron Projects. If you have any questions relating to this event, including accessibility, please contact Ed Garrett on email: ed.garrett2@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or phone: 07342 057 699.

Accessibility: This talk takes place online using Microsoft Teams. Automated captioning is available. There is no requirement to have your camera on. Questions can be asked in person or via the chat function on the day.

Lunch + Learn

#3 Creating an organisation - Growing Greener Huntly and its Governance with Katrina Flad

Thursday 30 October 1 pm to 1.45 pm

Bring your lunch for a series of online talks focused on developing skills and overcoming common challenges experienced by community groups, established and emerging. Learn and connect with other groups and be inspired by examples of great community work – as well as learning from what hasn’t gone so well!

Each session will be facilitated by a member of the Marr LLCP who can signpost people to further support and information as required. These events are free and everyone is welcome.

Register to join this talk by visiting this link: https://ava.tfaforms.net/f/MarrLLCPLunchLearn3RegistrationForm

If you have questions related to this event, please email ed.garrett2@aberdeenshire.gov.uk / phone: 07342 057699.

The group organising these talks is made up of representatives from Aberdeenshire Council, NHS Grampian, Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action and Deveron Projects.

Accessibility:

• This talk takes place online using Microsoft Teams. Automated captioning is available

• There is no requirement to have your camera on.

• Questions can be asked in person or via the chat function

Marr Local Learning Community Partnership

#2 Navigating red tape with Bill Slee

Thursday 25 September, 1 pm to 1.45pm

Bring your lunch for a series of online talks focused on developing skills and overcoming common challenges experienced by community groups, established and emerging. Learn and connect with other groups and be inspired by examples of great community work – as well as learning from what hasn’t gone so well!

The talks are being organised by the Marr Local Learning Community Partnership (LLCP) and are planned to take place monthly. They will cover a range of topics that groups often find challenging in achieving what they want to do, from recruiting volunteers to dealing with red tape, dealing with conflict to making decisions as a group. Each time we will hear from a local community group or worker who has experience of that particular challenge.

For the second talk, we are glad to welcome Bill Slee from Alford. Bill will lead a session on navigating red tape in community work called A worm’s eye view, leading us through the process of establishing Alford and District Men’s Shed Greenspace, including Alford Community Orchard and allotments.

Bill Slee is a social scientist with over 40 years of experience teaching and researching rural land use and development. He has worked on social innovation, community energy, forestry, economic diversification of rural areas and policy evaluation, and chairs the Community Asset Transfer panel for Forest and Land Scotland which advises on transfer of forests to local community groups.

Each session will be facilitated by a member of the Marr LLCP who can signpost people to further support and information as required. These events are free and everyone is welcome.

Further information:

Register to join this talk by visiting this link.

The group organising these talks is made up of representatives from Aberdeenshire Council, NHS Grampian, Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action and Deveron Projects.

If you have questions related to this event, please email ed.garrett2@aberdeenshire.gov.uk / phone: 07342 057699.

Accessibility:

• This talk takes place online using Microsoft Teams. Automated captioning is available.

• There is no requirement to have your camera on.

• Questions can be asked in person or via the chat function.

Calling on young colleagues (up to 25 years), your views being sought!

Scottish Youth Parliament sitting is in 10 days time. The Youth and Communities Team are supporting Aberdeenshire MSYPs to get out and about gathering the views of local young people 12-25 years. You can help our MSYPs more widely represent Aberdeenshire by taking 10 minutes to share your views on motions they will be debating - see link https://engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/aberdeenshire-msyps and QR Code below. You can also follow MSYPs on their own Facebook page - (20+) Facebook

All colleagues please feel free to share with other young people (12-25) across Aberdeenshire. For more information get in touch with roisin.daly@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Thank you Roisin Daly, Senior CLDW, Youth and Communities Team

Year 2 CLD Partnership Plan 2024-2027: Engagement on themes

The Aberdeenshire Community Learning Partnership (ALCP) are currently engaging on the second year of the CLD Partnership Plan for Aberdeenshire 2024-27.

By completing the following questions, you will be supporting us to create a more informed CLD Partnership Plan for Aberdeenshire.

Click here for link to survey

https://engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/aberdeenshire-community-learning-and-development-partnershipplan/surveys/year-2-cld-plan-2024-2027-engagement-on-themes

The ALCP met with Local Learning Community Partnerships (LLCPs) in June 2025 to gather local intelligence and data. These considerations along with the consultation responses will provide the reassurance to continue with a priority focus into year 2 of the CLD Partnership Plan.

Theme 1: Community Empowerment Empowering people, individually and collectively, to make positive changes in their lives and in their communities, through learning.

Theme 2: Employment and Skills Mapping the community learning offer across Aberdeenshire ensuring progression and pathways are available to young people, adults and communities. This will develop clear progression access routes for learners to build the necessary skills and qualifications to progress in learning, training, employment and life.

We now ask you to consider if these themes are the right priorities, or not, and why. We also invite you to comment if any other priorities should be included now, or in the future CLD Plan for Aberdeenshire 2024-27.

A summary of this engagement will be posted here 2-3 weeks after the closing date.

The CLD Partnership Plan will be submitted to Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership Committee for approval in early-November and will be posted on this site thereafter.

This survey will close on Monday the 15th of September 2025