Rural Communities Ideas into Action Fund
Support for rural community organisations
Rural communities are incredibly diverse; no two rural communities are exactly the same and third sector organisations play a pivotal role in supporting the unique set of needs of their local communities.
The Rural and Island Communities Ideas into Action Fund (RICIA) is a £3 million investment from the Scottish Government to encourage and  enable community groups to design and deliver innovative solutions to local challenges in rural communities across Scotland. As fund managers we have been working to listen and support small rural community organisations from around the country.
2022 Projects
Projects funded from the 2022 round will contribute positively to local people and local priorities.  They are led by their communities and will be completed by March 2023.
There are a total of 181 projects funded this year. From Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway, to Sandwick in Shetland.
Projects vary, from The Seed Box, Crossroads Community Hub, who will prepare a new community growing site, and an increase in its provision of supported day sessions for adults with additional support needs, to Rural Housing Scotland, who will create a Land Matchmaking Service in Harris and Uist to support affordable rural house plots. To smaller projects like Valleyfield Community Club who will use the funding to recruit a cook to provide families with hot food using produce from the organisation’s allotments, mini orchard and hens.
2021/22 Successful funded projects
120 not-for-profit community groups were funded as part of the inaugural Rural Communities Ideas Into Action Fund in 2021. The £1.8m of funding was part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to trial new approaches to community-led local development (CLLD).
The successful projects tested new approaches to CLLD from a broad range of themes including mental health & wellbeing, net zero and climate action ambitions and community collaboration. The projects funded were as diverse as Scotland’s rural communities, and included new approaches to affordable housing, local food production and delivery, facilities for sustainable tourism and youth skills development.
Rural Community Resources Hub
Our free resources to help rural community organisations develop key skills essential for safe and successful operation, covering topics from fundraising to the role of trustees.
These resources have been produced by Inspiring Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government to support Community-Led Local Development in Scotland’s rural communities. Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) gives communities the power to tackle their own, local challenges. By building knowledge and skills, supporting new ideas and encouraging cooperation, CLLD helps to create viable and resilient communities.
Contact Us
For all enquiries about our work with rural communities please email ruralcommunities@inspiringscotland.org.uk.
Our news
04.01.2023
Funding for rural communities
Community led projects to receive ÂŁ3 million funding boost. Over 180 diverse projects across rural Scotland, will receive grants ranging from ÂŁ100,000 to less than ÂŁ500, from the Rural & Island Communities Ideas into Action (RICIA) fund. The fund encourages and supports not-for-profit community groups with innovative approaches to community-led local development which include solutions
Read More29.11.2022
Insights on the cost-of-living
At Inspiring Scotland, we are very aware of the pressure that the increased cost-of living is having on people and the funded charities we support. Throughout Autumn 2022 our fund teams gathered and shared information from portfolio partners about: How concerned they are about cost-of-living crisis for people they support, their organisations, their staff and
Read More08.09.2022
Supporting community led action in rural Scotland
Rural Community groups can now apply for funding to deliver community led solutions in their area, through a newly announced £3m funding pot delivered in partnership with the Scottish Government and Inspiring Scotland. This will form the second tranche of an £11.6m funding package confirmed in this year’s Scottish budget, to continue to refine and
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