HIE welcomes influential report on rural community development

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has been praised as a model of UK excellence for many of its rural community development initiatives. A national report launched in Scotland by the Carnegie Trust's Commission for Rural Community Development cites a number of Highlands and Islands initiatives supported by HIE as examples of best practice.

The commission was set up two years ago by the respected Carnegie UK Trust to research the challenges and opportunities facing Britain's rural areas in their changing role as contributors to a balanced and healthy society.

The 27-strong panel was chaired by Dame Diana Brittan and included leading environmentalist Jonathon Porritt; former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Steel; the Bishop of Exeter, Michael Langrish; Sir Ben Gill and Lord Haskins.

The report, launched nationally at the Farmers' Club in London on June 20, cites schemes in the Highlands and Islands as models worthy of duplication, such as the Caithness Partnership's people's panels and the work of the Scottish Land Fund administered by HIE between 2001 and 2007.

It identifies asset-based approaches as the best hope for future rural sustainability and in its section on Optimising Assets alludes to evidence that Britain's rural communities are becoming more interested in asset-based community development.

The widely acclaimed report states: "Some of the more inspiring examples are in the Western Isles of Scotland, where local communities, following the 2004 Land Reform Community Right to Buy legislation, have been supported by the Lottery and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to purchase land and buildings from private owners."

The Commission called on others to take the network's lead in its recommendation that 'all regional development agencies establish specialist teams to support community asset transfer and ownership building upon the model of Highlands and Islands Enterprise."

Also picked out for praise in the Commission's nationwide survey of locally relevant services is the HIE-backed Atlantis Centre in Argyll. Oban and Lorne Community Enterprise Ltd took on the asset of the local swimming pool and have transformed it into a sports complex including gym, sports hall, squash courts, café and outside facilities.

And in their estimation of Valuing Local Distinctiveness, commissioners were impressed with Aviemore Destination Management Organisation, being Scotland's first private sector led destination not-for-profit management organisation whose activities are directed towards community benefits from tourism.

Commission director Kate Braithwaite said: "Where HIE has pioneered, a great many others want to follow. Achievements such as the creation of Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company are greatly envied by other rural development agencies in the UK and Ireland and there is a lot of interest in coming to visit HIE to learn more about how the network has set and achieved its objectives."

Chris Higgins, head of HIE's enterprising communities team who was one of the commissioners said: "It is interesting that such an eminent collection of minds could examine community development projects across Britain and commend so many in the Highlands and Islands.

"Their observations that strong communities emerge where ample opportunities are provided for people to develop new skills to thrive in a developing world, is central to HIE's social and economic ethos, so our conclusions do have a lot in common. We look forward to working further with the Carnegie UK Trust in future to take the report's recommendations forward."

The full report - A Charter for Rural Communities - The final report of the Carnegie Commission for Rural Community Development - can be downloaded from the Carnegie UK Trust website's publications section