1. Community Learning Exchange
Amanda Cornish
Coordinator
Community Learning Exchange

2. Community Learning Exchange What is it?
A learning opportunity for community groups
Realistically funded with proportionate administration
Administered by the Scottish Community Alliance (SCA).

3. Community Learning Exchange What’s its purpose?
To grow the capacity and resilience of community organisations through
peer-to-peer learning
benefiting from the experience of those who have been there before
making new contacts and seeing different perspectives.

4. Community Learning Exchange Who can take part?
Open to any member of the
Community Resources Network Scotland (CRNS)
(through its membership of the
Scottish Community Alliance)

5. Community Learning Exchange What’s covered?
For the visiting organisation:
100% of the costs of a visit up to £750
Including
Mileage at 45p per mile – or the cheapest/most convenient form of public transport, or the hire of a mini-bus or similar if that is more economical
Accommodation costs up to £70 per person per night B& B
Subsistence up to £25 per person per day (no alcohol).
For the host organisation:
Fee of up to £300/day.

6. Community Learning Exchange … and there’s more
Multiple groups
The host’s fee rises to £500.
Study visits outwith Scotland (but within the United Kingdom)
Considered where a similar project does not exist in Scotland.
Mentoring
Opportunity for time-limited flexible mentoring relationships that support identified learning outcomes.

7. Community Learning Exchange What it won’t fund
The exchange will not fund:
Delegate fees for conferences, seminars, workshops etc.
Travel/attendance at events or the hosting of events
Training courses, delivery or attendance.

8. Community Learning Exchange So how does it work?
There’s an application form.
CRNS will verify the application.
If approved by SCA a grant offer letter will be sent to the applicant group, along with a grant acceptance form.
Once the signed acceptance form, agreeing to the terms and conditions, is returned to SCA, the funds will be released.
The funding will also include the hosting organisation’s fee. It is the responsibility of the visiting organisation to pay the hosting organisation the agreed fee.
A survey monkey monitoring form should be completed within one month of the visit taking place.
The paper work is not arduous.

9. Community Learning Exchange Thinking creatively
Is there
best practice within the resources community sector which is worth learning from?
expertise outside the sector which you could learn from?
a start up or embryonic organisation which could learn from more established operations?

10. Community Learning Exchange Feedback
For us, breaking the isolation was important. It has been of considerable value to step away from day-to-day business and sit down over tea and cake with people, just like ourselves, working just like ourselves to increase access to creative activities for the people around us.
The hosts were most helpful. Although many aspects of our project differ, very many factors and the organisations and process involved are the same. Simply hearing this is only possible on a visit.
We made excellent contacts, many of whom have offered to give ongoing support if we want it, which was something we had not anticipated!
All three host organisations had made very good arrangements for our visit. They all had a clear idea of our needs and designed the visits to meet them. The visits created much discussion and debate between participants and proved to be very positive and motivating.
It was well worth the trip.I learnt as much by listening to the volunteers as they worked.
Thank you so much. Argyll is a big country with a lot of us living and working remotely, without financial help this exchange would not have been possible.
It was a very positive experience for all of those involved both on the day and in the feedback that participants sent to us afterwards.

11. Community Learning Exchange

12. Enterprise Accelerator
A partnership between the Scottish Community Alliance and Community Enterprise
Designed for community organisations NOT currently trading

13. Enterprise Accelerator
Fills a gap
There is business support for organisations with a record of successful trading and with the potential for growth. eg Just Enterprise, First Port. Partnerships for Procurement etc
Many community organisations struggle to qualify for support within this framework.  
Many organisations have the potential to develop sustainable trading activities but need help in the transition to become more enterprise orientated.  

14. The Process
Level 1 - basic self assessment health check mediated by a consultant
Governance in relation to trading
Finance
The organisation keeps appropriate records of every financial transaction
Team
The Board works well together and everyone understands their role
Working in Partnership
The organisation is well known by relevant local groups
Creating Impact
The organisation knows what impact it would like to make

15. The Process
Level 2
An enhanced level of more specialised technical support identified during the course of Level 1 support.
Recognition of niche markets requiring bespoke support ie in the case of CRNS: re- use, recycling, retail, marketing, etc.
May involve technical advice on corporate governance, Intellectual Property, VAT etc.

16. Enterprise Accelerator
The Referral Route
A similar referral mechanism to the Community Learning Exchange.
Any group wishing to access the Enterprise Accelerator programme would require to be endorsed by CRNS or another of the SCA network organisations.