Joint Programme Secretariat
Northern Periphery Programme
Strandgade 91, 4 sal
DK-1401 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Phone: +45 3283 3784
Fax: +45 3283 3775
Measure: 3.2Eligible Budget: 1 260 800 euros
NPP Award: 630 400 euros
This project seeks to encourage the regeneration of networks of towns using a ‘hands-on approach’. It focuses on the need for bottom-up planning, with each town seeking to advance through the work of voluntary groups drawn from the local business and community sectors. Progress in participating towns can be benchmarked from their differing starting positions on three broad dimensions. Shared project officers will facilitate and service the local volunteer groups. The project also includes a community chest of seed finance that the local initiatives can draw on to kick-start modest priority projects of a social, economic or environmental nature. Local interaction and trans-national dissemination will be promoted through a Towns Forum and dedicated web-site.
Lead Organisation:
The Highland Council, Scotland
| Contact Person: Mr Jim Harbison Address: Planning & Development, Glenurquhart Road INVERNESS IV3 5NX Scotland | Telephone: +44 1463 702263 Fax: +44 1463 702298 Email: jim.harbison@highland.gov.uk Website: www.smalltownnetworks.com |
| Start Date: 01/08/2002 | End Date: 30/04/2005 |
Project Publications
Small Town Networks Presentation.pdf - 3287K
Small Towns Case Study.pdf - 737K
Small Towns Network - Final report.pdf - 309K
Objectives
The project aims to support progress in participating towns by benchmarking their starting positions on three broad dimensions. In each case it looks to encourage greater confidence and local ownership of the future, and to chart each community’s achievements as it progresses. A cycle, or more properly, a spiral of improvement is the objective with each town at different starting points and seeking improvement at its own pace.
Project Activities
Small Towns Network aims to resource the process of change in the Highlands by the appointment of shared project officers to facilitate and service the local volunteer groups. It will also establish a ‘community chest’ of seed finance which the local Initiatives can draw on to kick-start modest priority projects of a social, economic or environmental nature.
Expected Results
The above principles form a positive platform for practical community regeneration work, which is viewed as central to the future of the Northern Periphery as a vibrant and successful part of Europe. Small Towns Network aims to provide a shared agenda for regional agencies and local groups and requires active citizen involvement because this underpins the formation of ‘social capital’ and then nurtures it to reinforce a strong sense of community. A confident community can then invoke self-help, set its own goals, prioritise its own needs and mobilise its own resources. It can draw inspiration and help from its neighbours and the wider network. It can influence business, draw upon that sector’s commercial acumen, and where necessary (in circumstances of ‘market failure’) set up community enterprises.
Results So Far
• Local people surveyed to determine thier wishes and vision for the future
• Transnational Conference held in Finland, which included a Steering Committee meeting
• 20 Community Chest grants have been awarded, totalling just over €33000, for projects worth €193,000. These range from creation of a web site to environmental improvements through to support for a village officer.
• Work commenced on the organisation of the Highland Transnational Conference
• Discussions have taken place on a Swedish / Scottish exchange of Project Officers and initial discussions on sending a Highland Officer to Central Finland for an exchange
• A newsletter has been produced describing the work of the project and sent to a variety of people / bodies with an interest in the project
• A simple measuring procedure to monitor the progress of the Network towns has been completed by the various towns
• New events and marketing campaigns undertaken
• A draft has been prepared of a document containing “Visions” for the various small towns.
• Project website established, press releases issued, several presentations of project given to decision-makers
European Union
Cross Programme Initiatives
