Being part of a community is more than just living in a particular area: it’s about connection, understanding and support. Here in Scotland, The National Lottery Community Fund has embraced an approach to community engagement through its place-based teams.

This speaks to our UK wide strategy, ‘It starts with community’ which reaffirms our commitment to place based working and our local, relational approach to funding. By empowering local teams with autonomy and resources, we aim to make decisions which are informed by the experience of people living in those communities.

Our regionally focussed funding teams cover the length and breadth of Scotland allowing us to deepen those local connections that help us make better funding decisions.

Let’s delve into what this means for you and why we think this approach helps us to better understand the different needs of the communities we serve.

Our place-based teams

Our eight place-based funding teams cover the following areas:

1. Highlands and islands which covers Argyll & Bute, Highland, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles
2. North East which covers Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen, Moray, Angus and Dundee
3. Central which covers Fife, Stirling, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Perth and Kinross
4. West which covers West and East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
5. Edinburgh and Lothians which covers Edinburgh, West Lothian, Midlothian and East Lothian
6. South which covers Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders and North, East and South Ayrshire
7. Glasgow which covers the whole city
8. Lanarkshire which covers North and South Lanarkshire

So what does this mean for you?

When you enquire, you’ll be assigned a Funding Officer who will be able to offer advice, support and feedback throughout the application process and during your project if you are successful in your application.

They will also have an understanding of which other organisations run in your area and can put you in touch with those who do similar work to you who you might be able to learn from and collaborate with.

Where possible, you will speak to the same person at the enquiry, assessment and grant management stage; and this means that your Funding Officer will be able to build a relationship with your organisation which helps with conversations about future funding applications if this is something you want to do.

We take projects that are Scotland wide or that deliver across more than one area on a case by case basis although our priority is to fund projects that are more local and community based.

Building meaningful connections

Perhaps the most significant advantage of the place-based approach is the ability to build genuine connections with local organisations and community groups. By being present in the community, attending events, and engaging with stakeholders, our Funding Officers can build trust and collaboration. This grassroots engagement not only ensures that funding reaches the right projects but also encourages community-led solutions.

Eddie Baines, one of our Funding Officers for the North-East team, shared his thoughts on why this approach works so well for him:

“The place-based approach for me is great. I live very close to where I fund which means I can visit lots of great projects and immerse myself in the communities I get applications from.

So when it comes to assessing I already have a great notion of why it’s needed or what the groups do as I know them well. The assessment calls are like phoning a friend for a catch up!”

Tailored approaches

Another advantage of having place-based teams is their ability to identify cold spot areas where not as much funding is going to. By being present in the community and having a clear picture of what projects have been funded in their area, Funding Officers may notice that there haven’t been many funding applications from a certain geographical area, or from particular communities such as LGBTQ+, black and minority ethnic communities or older people.

They can then take a more targeted approach to put more support in place or carry out more outreach work to support groups in that cold spot so that they can access our funding.

In-depth community understanding

Beyond this targeted approach, place-based teams immerse themselves in their communities. They delve into local demographics, upcoming changes, and existing resources to gain a comprehensive understanding of the area’s needs and strengths.

Take the Central team, for example. They actively participate in neighbourhood networks and keep up to date with local news, meaning the team stays up to date with emerging trends and challenges, ensuring that their funding decisions are informed and targeted.

Funding Officer, Stephen Cox, who has covered the Clackmannanshire area for six years, has found the place-based approach helpful in more ways than one:

“One factor in the success of place team working in Clackmannanshire has been our excellent working relationship with the local TSI. This was a really successful partnership project which provided a good level of support to a number of organisations at a difficult time.

“Because I’ve been covering Clackmannanshire since 2018, people know who I am, and know that I’m generally around every week, which is good for existing grant holders who want to talk about applying for additional funding.”

Find out more about our funding

You might find some of our friendly Funding Officer’s out and about at your local neighbourhood network meetings or at funding fayres so come along and say hello if you’d like to find out more about our available funding.

To find out more, visit our website: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk to explore funding opportunities and discover how you can make a difference in your community.