The themes for the work over the coming year will continue to be:

• Stimulating social entrepreneurship and the creation of new community organisations and services;
• Building the capacity of community based organisations;
• Supporting the development and growth of those most forward thinking organisations.

The key threat to the sector continues to be the decline and withdrawal of ring fenced regeneration funding and the suspension of applications to the Big Lottery Fund from May 2005, whilst the programme is reshaped and revamped. However, the Scottish Executive has now launched Future Builders, which is offering a fund of £17M to the sector over two years. There are also increasing opportunities for the sector with the opening up of the public sector procurement market.

Projects

The team is developing a more proactive role and plans some intensive work with SIP funded projects that are under threat owing to the diminishing SIP funds. We will also build on developing relationships with the Local Housing Associations to expand their wider action activities, with a focus on sustainability, social economy development and new service provision for their residents.

During 2005/06 the Social Economy Team will give equal priority to three themed programmes of activity:

Starting Organisations (Project Design and start-up Programme)
The Social Economy Team will stimulate new opportunities for local residents to develop entrepreneurial solutions to community needs. Through intensive support and guidance the team will help nurture and establish a range of new community led projects, services and enterprises, with particular focus on areas of service provision for Housing Association Tenants and in sustainable development. The team have produced guides to starting up third sector organisations and social enterprises will market these and hold workshops to stimulate new ideas.

Growing Organisations (Social Economy Growth Programme)
The Social Economy Team will actively target and assist a small number of social economy organisations to develop and upscale their activities. This work will include individual organizational support alongside support for joint working and networking development. In so doing the team will help create new wealth, new jobs and new services for local residents.

Sustaining Organisations (Sustainable Funding Programme)
The Social Economy Team will actively target and help safeguard those community projects and services most vulnerable to the decline in regeneration funding. A combination of strategic planning, funding diversification and income generation support, tailored individual organisations needs, will provide a solid foundation for sustainability. Organisations will be actively encouraged to develop their own capacity in relation to strategy development, business planning and funding applications.

Partnerships

The team will continue to work closely with the LDC Network and CEiS and to further develop relationships with Communities Scotland in terms of developing a service to local Registered Social Landlords. Above all, the service will remain responsive to the changing environment and the changing needs of local client organisations.

Development

Over three years, the Social Economy Team has developed a robust and responsive range of services to meet the needs of client organisations. Services will be enhanced during 2005/06 in six main areas:

Developing Sector Networks

A programme of events and information sessions targeted to specific sectors – such as health and care, children and young people, legal advice and support services, environmental. These sessions will include presenting issues of particular interest to the sector and include networking opportunities to encourage closer co-operation and possible joint working.

‘Community Champions’

A programme of activities will be designed to help promote a culture of ‘social entrepreneurship’ locally and to extend the opportunities for local residents to get involved in new community economic development activities

‘Business On Board’

An initiative will be developed that provides a range of opportunities for the commercial businesses sector to engage with and support the local social economy as part of its commitment to corporate social responsibility

Service Diversification

The team plans to capitalise on the work that was carried out in 2004 / 05 to generate earned income. We have worked to raise our profile and have tendered for a small number of contracts. On the back of this work we anticipate securing an increasing number of contracts.

ICT.

Whilst Castlemilk Connections has been working effectively with local organisations supporting their ICT development, we intend to provide a much more integrated package of support incorporating main stream business development and ICT support.

Wider Action Activities

Work has developed over the past year with the local housing associations that has broadened out the Wider Role remit. We intend to develop this especially in areas such as ICT provision, sustainable development and the provision of support to local tenants to develop and manage services to plug gaps in local provision.