Our History
Community Links was established in February 2002 as an Independent Community Consultation and Engagement organisation serving local communities that were represented by the Blantyre and North Hamilton SIP - who themselves were originally established in 1999 to tackle a variety of deprivation issues in the area. Our company which is limited by guarantee with charitable status, was established by Community Representatives and our Memorandums and Articles ensure that communities drive our activities. Evolving from this, Community Links now, following an EGM in November 2006, has the ability to work across all communities in South Lanarkshire with a particular emphasis on areas which fall into the worst 15% for deprivation as identified by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).
Funding over the years has come from the Communities Scotland (Empowering Communities Fund and Network Support Fund), Voluntary Action Fund, Lanarkshire Key Fund, Big Lottery (Dynamic and Inclusive), and Lloyds TSB Charitable Foundation. We are currently part funded through the Government’s Fairer Scotland Fund, who regards community empowerment as a vital part of the Scottish Social Economy. The remainder of income required to sustain the project is generated through our Consultation and ICT services.
Community Matters Newspaper
Formerly known as ‘The Local Gossip’ the newspaper was relaunched as ‘Community Matters’ in 2005.
Community Links took over production of the publication in 2002. It has been developed and expanded and now has a circulation of 45,500 per quarter. Almost 40,000 homes in Blantyre, Cambuslang, Hamilton, Larkhall, and Rutherglen, receive a copy with the remainder being distributed via community centres, libraries and public offices.
ICT Project
In 2003 Community Links received funding from Community Learning and the Digital Champion project. We used the funds to successfully apply to the "Tools for School" initiative. Initially 20 households received a free PC for learning support. We managed to secure further funding and appointed an "ICT Buddy" providing IT support to those households. In 2005, with funding from Voluntary Action Fund, the ICT project appointed another member of staff, extending services to local voluntary organisations. The project has grown from strength to strength with over 350 household installations and over 30 voluntary organisations receiving ICT support and advice. The project evaluation has shown the need to reduce the digital divide between affluent and deprived communities and whenever funding is secured we will continue to do so through our referral scheme.
Annual report pdf’s from 2002 -2009 will be uploaded soon
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