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Power to the people as community revolution hits Scotland

A ground-breaking initiative which aims to give Scotland’s ambitious community activists the chance to turn their town centres into multi-million pound business hubs has reached a landmark stage.

The innovative project equips local residents with unique support, advice and skills to bring creative ideas to transform their town centres to reality – helping to substantially boost High Street economies and revive community spirit.

The Scotland Can Do Innovation Challenge - which is being supported by the Scottish Government’s £3m Scotland Can Do Action Framework - is being run by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre in partnership with 1001 Enterprising Scots.

The first 15 groups from towns across Scotland to sign up to the challenge will see their creative ideas move onto the final phase in late October.

Iain Scott, creator of 1001 Enterprising Scots, believes the concept could change the face of Scotland’s town centres forever.

He said: “The Innovation Challenge offers a unique opportunity to look at how we can develop our town centres in a different and aspirational way.

“For too long, we’ve used old thinking and solutions to solve current day problems to revitalise our town centres. The digital revolution means we use our towns in totally different ways and employing traditional ideas, such as cutting parking costs, is no longer enough to bring change.

“What has been missed is the realisation that Scotland’s Town Centres are full of amazing people and amazing places – and by combining these together there can bring monumental change.

“This project is about raising the awareness that true innovation starts with something small, using a mix of local knowledge and expertise and a lot of energy to get it off the ground.

“Imagine a derelict – but much loved – building in Crieff or Callander for example, transformed into a hub which generates more than £26 million in turnover? This could be the reality for many of Scotland’s town centres if the Can Do initiative keeps going from strength to strength.”

Several Scottish town groups are already heavily involved in the project, including Falkirk, Carluke, Oban, Coupar Angus, Creiff, Callander, Peebles and Linlithgow.

The range of ideas put forward so far includes Peebles Community Trust wishing to buy a vacant estate with 17 acres of garden to develop green tourism and local enterprise and employment; Coupar Angus Regeneration Trust building towards the opening of an arts and business incubator in the town’s former Culross print works, while the CamGlen (Cambusland and Rutherglen) Bike Town Project aims to support the drive to make both towns the ‘healthiest and happiest places to live in Scotland’ and create new jobs and businesses.

The Minister for Local Government and Planning, and one of the driving forces behind the Town Centre First Principle, Derek Mackay, has praised the level of participation the Can Do Towns Innovation Challenge has attracted so far.

Mr Mackay said: “I am delighted to see the level of buy-in and enthusiasm that has already been demonstrated through the Challenge and would like to offer my warm congratulations to its participants just for being part of this pioneering journey.

“I am very confident that the work the challenge participants are engaged in now will be instrumental in creating a more vibrant, creative and entrepreneurial future for our nation.”

The Innovation Challenge is open to any groups in towns across Scotland. Typically those taking part are in a Development Trust Association (DTA), Business Improvement District (BID) or have started some local group.

The project does not look for fully formed proposals – it seeks short and simple ideas in the first instance which outline how communities can be transformed into inventive spaces or ideas to benefit town centres.

Each idea then goes through a unique, development process described as the “Enterprise Artery Model” – this involves initially discussing and testing ideas, refining and testing the concept before culminating in turning the idea into a solid, well-researched proposal.

This includes an “Enterprise Talk Oot’ described as “nothing like Dragon’s Den” where in partnership with planners, lawyers, financiers and strategists their proposals are fully tested and assessed. The “Talkoot” - a traditional form of social participation where people gather to work together for the good of the community - will take place on October 27 Glasgow, where all 15 towns will look to take their ideas to the next stage.

The aim is to create final, fully fledged projects – supported where required by crowd funding and/or crowd sourcing – that can be taken external financers or local authority planners to stand the best possible chance of being approved.

Iain added: “In the past great ideas have floundered because they could not manage to get round the obstacle course. Our phased development process, and in particular the Talk Oot, means we are able to give the groups the complete wherewithal to ensure their ideas are as fully rounded and complete as they can be to ensure there is no other option but to allow them to proceed.”

Mandy Haeburn-Little, Director of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, said: “The progress of Innovation Challenge has been impressive. By encouraging and growing resilient business in our town centres, we make Scotland a more attractive place for people to live and enjoy – and, of course, where people want to spend money.”

The Innovation Challenge is heavily inspired by the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem concept – which involves a group of companies or start ups which share similar goals, forming a network to explore economies of scale.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ross Stebbing .