Aspiring Places: Community Projects in Argyll and Bute - Evaluation and Options on Future Retention
Argyll and Bute Council · 13 August 2025
Back to Oban Lorn & the Isles Area Community Planning Group — 13 August 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Bute • Helensburgh • Islay • Oban • Mull • Campbeltown • Iona • Dunoon • Tiree • Lochgilphead • Seil … Classification: OFFICIAL Aspiring Places; Community Projects in Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership Groups August 2025 Lucy Dunbar – Project Officer Milly Leggett – Project Officer Stuart Green – Project Manager
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Bute • Helensburgh • Islay • Oban • Mull • Campbeltown • Iona • Dunoon • Tiree • Lochgilphead • Seil … Classification: OFFICIAL Last Update to CPG’s – February 2025 Set out Council’s Decision of September 2024 for agreement to; 1. Adopt Consul Democracy (a digital tool for citizen participation) 2. Engage with all community groups over the same period of time. 3. Provide guidance to inform community groups of potential funding opportunities. 4. Subject to a trial period, alternatively report to members on; a) The outcomes of the initiative through a formal evaluation and; b) Future recommendations on the long term viability and retention of the Aspiring Places – Community Projects in Argyll and Bute initiative. Revised vision; to create in one place, a comprehensive picture of all community projects to increase the likelihood of collaboration, securing external funding and implementation of projects in a planned approach to place.
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Bute • Helensburgh • Islay • Oban • Mull • Campbeltown • Iona • Dunoon • Tiree • Lochgilphead • Seil … Classification: OFFICIAL Launch March 2025 – Argyll and Bute Voices & Aspiring Places Platform. April – May; Funding Connections Roadshow taking in: Bute, Dunoon, Islay, Jura, Lochgilphead, Mull and Oban. The project team attended a separate community event in Helensburgh in March. ‘Expressions of Interest’ in three funding streams was completed.
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Bute • Helensburgh • Islay • Oban • Mull • Campbeltown • Iona • Dunoon • Tiree • Lochgilphead • Seil … Classification: OFFICIAL March to April 2025 Plus attendance at community event in Helensburgh March 2025.
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Bute • Helensburgh • Islay • Oban • Mull • Campbeltown • Iona • Dunoon • Tiree • Lochgilphead • Seil … Classification: OFFICIAL No of project submissions and expressions of interest by area. • ‘Unknown’ – in this instance no location was selected by the project proposer. • Outwith Argyll and Bute; unexpectedly 2 submissions were from organisations outwith the area seeking to develop projects Argyll and Bute wide. • Funding – information on next slide.
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Bute • Helensburgh • Islay • Oban • Mull • Campbeltown • Iona • Dunoon • Tiree • Lochgilphead • Seil … Classification: OFFICIAL Expressions of Interest - Three Funding Streams Council colleagues responsible for matching government funds with community projects used the site to invite ‘expressions of interest’ as follows: 1. CNI – Carbon Neutral Island Fund; A Scottish Government Fund. • Note that this was open only to Islay (as prescribed by Scottish Government). 2. RCGF – Regeneration Capital Grant Fund; A Scottish Government Fund. 3. CLLD – Community Led Local Development Fund; A UK Government Fund. Community projects already on the platform could simply ‘connect with funding’ through a simple selection option from within their project proposal.
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Bute • Helensburgh • Islay • Oban • Mull • Campbeltown • Iona • Dunoon • Tiree • Lochgilphead • Seil … Classification: OFFICIAL Next steps Evaluation - August 2025 (survey closes 03 August 2025). Business Case for Future Retention of Site - October 2025 Council Decision – December 2025 ‘Close project’ – February 2026; this stage formally closes the project whilst ensuring that the agreed decision on the platform is implemented. Aspiring Places continues to operate as usual until any future decision is made and will be communicated to all.