Engage Newsletters
Keep up to date with Engage Renfrewshire
Engage Update - 22 April
The next Renfrewshire Volunteer Fair is coming up, and we want YOU to be part of it!
This is an opportunity to showcase your organisation to local members of the community, share the volunteering opportunities you have available, and highlight the many benefits of getting involved in volunteering. If you’re struggling with volunteer recruitment, this is the perfect chance to connect with potential volunteers who are eager to make a difference.
Don't miss out—get in touch today to reserve your FREE stall and be part of this amazing community event!
When: 02 June 2025
Where: The Tannahill Centre, 76 Blackstoun Road, Paisley PA3 1NT
Time: 12-2pm
Get in touch with Louise, our Volunteer Development Officer to reserve your space - lwalker@engagerenfrewshire.com
Celebrating Renfrewshire Fund
A fund that supports young people to create, design and deliver projects in Renfrewshire is accepting expressions of interest before opening for new applications later this month.
The Celebrating Renfrewshire Fund aims to make the area a better place for young people to live, giving young people aged between 12 and 25 a voice in their community and a chance to shape how life in Renfrewshire will be for them in the future.
Last year, more than 45 successful projects were awarded funding, including access to industry standard recording studio equipment, alcohol and drugs awareness training for young footballers, and free tennis sessions for school pupils.
The fund is facilitated by Renfrewshire Council’s Community Planning and Community Learning and Development teams who support a steering group of young people. The group represent the voices of young people across Renfrewshire and provide an essential role in shaping the guidance for the fund each year.
Anyone aged 12 to 25, or groups who work with that age group, can apply to one or several of the seven Local Partnership areas for up to £3,500. Each application must meet at least one of the five priorities.
The priorities for 2025 are:
- Reducing isolation and improving mental and physical wellbeing
- Cost of living
- Employability and life skills
- Substance use and addiction
- Violence and staying safe
This year, the Steering Group are asking all organisations wishing to apply to Celebrating Renfrewshire to sign up to attend a support session ahead of submitting their applications.
These will be held online on
- Monday 28 April
- Wednesday 30 April 11am to 12pm
- Tuesday 06 May 10am to 11am
Application forms will be sent out following the sessions.
Visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/CelebratingRenfrewshire to sign up.
If you are unable to attend the session but still wish to apply to the fund, please get in touch with the team directly at celebratingren@renfrewshire.gov.uk.
Renfrewshire Council’s Young Person’s Champion, Councillor Bruce MacFarlane, said: “Celebrating Renfrewshire gives young people a real opportunity to have a direct say on what they would like to see in their communities."
“Young people are central to the success of Celebrating Renfrewshire and it is their ideas that are voted on by other young people who decide what to take forward to make Renfrewshire a better place to live.
“I would encourage anyone who has an idea, no matter how big or small, to get in touch with the team who will be more than willing to help.
“I am looking forward to working with this years steering group and seeing what proposals are brought forward.”
Once applications close, young people will be able to vote for their favourite projects. Successful projects will be awarded funding as part of the participatory budgeting process.
For more information, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/CelebratingRenfrewshire
Freedom of Information Webinars
Want to make the most of your freedom of information (FOI) rights in Scotland? Join us for a free webinar celebrating 20 years of FOI in Scotland by learning how to make successful FOI requests, tackle common challenges, and receive timely, accurate responses.
What you’ll learn:
- How to make effective FOI requests
- Solutions to common challenges
- Real-world FOI success stories
- Tips for a smooth process
Dates:
Tuesday 29 April 2025 | 14:00 - 15:30
Wednesday 30 April 2025 | 18:00 - 19:00
Where: Online (via Microsoft Teams)
Cost: Free
Register: tinyurl.com/WebinarFOI
For more details contact: enquiries@foi.scot
Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill
The Economy and Fair Work Committee wants to hear your views on the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill.
This Bill was introduced by the Scottish Government on Wednesday 20 March 2025.
Community Wealth Building (CWB) is an approach to economic development that tries to use the power of ‘anchor organisations’ to grow and retain wealth within a local economy.
Anchor organisations can be public, private, or third sector bodies that have a large enough presence in a local area to be able to change economic outcomes. These could include local authorities, the NHS, large private sector employers, universities and enterprise agencies.
Read more and submit your view here
Exploring Barriers faced by Social Enterprises in Scotland
What is this research about? This study examines how social enterprises in Scotland engage with two sets of standards: the People and Planet First verification standards and the Voluntary Code of Practice for Social Enterprises in Scotland. It aims to identify the factors that make it easier or more challenging for social enterprises to meet these standards, why some may find one easier to follow than the other, and the differences in awareness, interpretation, and adoption between the two. Additionally, the research explores the challenges social enterprises face in aligning with aspects of the Voluntary Code, as well as broader barriers to growth and long-term sustainability within the sector. Your input will help shape future support strategies for social enterprises in Scotland.
Who is conducting and funding the research? This research is partially funded by Social Enterprise Scotland and supported pro bono by Edinburgh Napier University. The research is being conducted by Dr Wendy Wu, Principal Investigator, and Dr Ivana Popovic, Research Assistant, staff members at Edinburgh Napier University.
How can you participate? If you decide to take part, you can choose from the following options (you may select more than one):
1. Complete a survey
The survey should take no more than 30 minutes to complete. We would appreciate it if you could complete the survey by 2nd May.
You can access the survey here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=WNzgmUucIEiGFwTDhsJUxnjVfRihGZtKu-fmxRYyWrZURVlKTjBJTjhaMzFPOFVLVVFBVEU2OFBLQS4u
2. Join a focus group discussion
You may also participate in a focus group discussion. To register, please reply to this email (i.popovic@napier.ac.uk) with your availability for the following dates:
- 23 April – 1-3 PM
- 25 April – 12-2 PM
- 28 April – 12-2 PM
- 30 April - 1-3 PM
- 2 May – 12-2 PM
You may select multiple options. Once responses are collected, we will confirm the three final focus group dates based on the availability of the majority of participants.
3. Participate in a one-on-one interview
You can take part in a one-on-one interview, lasting no more than one hour.
To register, please email i.popovic@napier.ac.uk with your availability, and we will get back to you with further details.
Before you decide to participate
It is important to understand the purpose of this research, what your participation involves, and how your data will be protected.
Please take a moment to carefully read the Participant Information Sheet, Privacy Notice, and Consent Form before making your decision.
These documents are available at the link below: https://edinburghnapier.padlet.org/ipopovic1/participant-information-sheet-privacy-notice-and-consent-for-bzjbwnknuuybv4lh