LEADER: Cooperation and Networking in Scotland

Chris ParkinSouth Lanarkshire Rural Partnership

LEADER Programme ManagerSeptember 2008

Local networking at South Lanarkshire LAG level

• Community Planning Partnerships

• Rural community conferences

• Collaboration between groups

• Resource efficiency

Building confidence and cohesion

• Rothesay expedition• Team building• Listen and learn• Identify like minds• Establish where common

priorities exist• Establish working

relationships• Action Two as a

necessary evil

South of Scotland cluster

• Communities on the Edge

• Equestrian tourism development

• Rural land-based skills audit

Scottish level networking• Coordinators meetings – information, consistency and

showcasing• Shetland - common response to SRDP consultation• Uist – promoting the LEADER approach ‘sustainable development challenges us to work creatively with each other across

sectors, responsibilities and policy areas…..LEADER provides us with an established mechanism to facilitate this’

Highs and lows

Value of LEADER collaboration and networking

• Shortening the learning curve• Bouncing ideas• Common interpretation of guidance…establishing consensus• Consistent and appropriate outputs and outcomes• Integrating, enabling and building links• Louder voice…lobbying to secure commitment• Integration with other funding strands…securing resources• Approach based on Partnership…using LEADER as the joining tool

Thank you

Chris Parkin, Programme Manager

chris@ruraldevtrust.co.uk

01555 665064

The Rural Development Trust

30 Hope Street,Lanark,Scotland, ML11 7NE

www.southlanarkshireleader.com