Community Enterprise

30/09/2026

We are inviting residents of the Outer Hebrides to share their experiences with heating and energy costs. Help shape solutions that are practical, affordable and tailored to island living.

We're very excited to be working with Tighean Innse Gall - TIG Community Energy Scotland Community Land Outer Hebrides Uist Beò Hebridean Housing Partnership and BE-ST to find local solutions to high energy costs.

As we head into the colder months, this work couldn't be more timely. Please take a few minutes to share your experience. Find the survey link in the comments below 👇

Share your experiences of energy bills and home comfort in the Outer Hebrides. We are seeking to understand real experience so we can develop and test affordable, high impact energy efficiency measures in real island homes. This survey is aimed at residents to identify their own circumstances.

31/08/2026

Sometimes, something as simple as finding a toilet can be the difference between being able to work, meet a friend, go shopping, or leave the house at all. 🏡

For one local wheelchair user in Forres, the lack of an accessible toilet meant she had to stop eating and drinking before heading to work for the day. It was a situation that made the volunteers at Ray's Opportunities realise that something had to change.

In 2025, the volunteer-led charity bought the closed Leys Road toilets from Moray Council, with a vision to create ‘Ray’s Restrooms’, an accessible Changing Places toilet and welcoming space where people can have the privacy, dignity and support they need.

Crucially, the people who know these barriers first-hand have been at the heart of making it happen.

Among them is Alan, 72, who has progressive MS and has used a wheelchair for the past ten years.

For Alan, Ray's Restrooms isn’t simply about having somewhere to go to the toilet.

Alan told us:
“The Changing Places toilet not only provides a toilet, but a space of comfort to deal with things like a failed urostomy or catheter bag. Somewhere quiet, clean and bright - not degrading. A place for everyone - a place for nursing mothers, a place with baby changing facilities for families, facilities for all sorts of abilities and disabilities. I really like the name ‘restrooms’, it’s a nice notion. It’s not just a toilet, but somewhere where you are just able to deal with yourself – whatever that might be. If you have a disability, you might need a bit of private space to be able to sort things out, whether its clothing, adjusting equipment or respite.”

To bring Ray’s Restrooms to life, the group needed funding not only for the build but also for future maintenance. Through our free Accelerate programme, we supported the charity by providing guidance on funding opportunities, helping them strengthen their funding applications and offering support with crowdfunding.

Today, Ray’s Opportunities have secured more than £120,000 through the Changing Places Toilet Fund and crowdfunding, while building new skills and confidence to continue to take their work forward.

We’re proud to have supported Ray’s Opportunities as they turn a barrier into action, bringing them one step closer to transforming their local closed toilet block into a place of dignity and inclusion for the people of Forres. ❤️

26/08/2026

It’s International Dog Day, and our infamous ambassadog, Bess, has been sniffing around our brand-new website. 🐶

Find where Bess is hiding on our website for the chance to win a Community Enterprise goody bag. To enter, simply explore our new website and send us a DM telling us which page she’s hiding on. 🔎

The winner will receive a Community Enterprise goody bag which includes our new merchandise, and a sustainable gift hamper from Social Stories Club. Social Stories Club are part of Social Enterprise Scotland's 'Buy Social Scotland' and curate hampers featuring quality goodies from purpose-led organisations.

While you’re exploring, why not have a look around our new website and find out more about the work we do? You might even discover how we can help your community unleash its potential - excuse the pun!

Deadline for entry is 9am on 7 September, and the winner will be announced later that day.

Good luck, and happy exploring! 🤞

[Accessibility: Please note we’ve tried to make this competition as accessible as possible. Bess is hidden within an image on our website and is identified in the alt text, so screen reader users can take part too.]

24/08/2026

Today, we’re excited to introduce our new brand and website. 🙌

Our new brand is built around a simple idea that has always been at the heart of how we work: joining the dots.

With challenges facing communities and organisations becoming more complex, our new design reflects that making good things happen means bringing the right people, expertise and resources together.

Though we may look different, who we are hasn’t changed. We’re still committed to providing trusted, practical support, working alongside people and going the extra mile to help turn ideas into reality.

Alongside our new look, we’ve also launched our new website - making it easier to get to know us, explore what we do and connect with us.

In this blog, our Chief Executive, Douglas Westwater shares more about the changes, the story behind them and our continued commitment to supporting the third sector.

🔗 Link in comments.

21/05/2026

Since 2018, we have been supporting children from some of Glasgow’s most deprived areas, and we have seen first-hand the incredible things they can achieve when they are given the right support.

We believe every child deserves the learning support they need to grow in confidence, reach their potential, and build a brighter future.

Your kind donation can make a lasting difference, helping us ensure that no child is left behind.

👉 Donate today to support our work: www.justgiving.com/campaign/brighterfuturescampaign

We would be incredibly grateful for your generosity. ❤️ You can also support us by simply sharing this post with your friends and family, every share helps. 🫶

12/05/2026

Community Enterprise is currently reviewing how we communicate. To help shape this work, we’re inviting people who work in, or with, the third sector to complete our Brand Awareness Survey. ✍

The online survey takes around 15 minutes, and you don’t need to have worked with Community Enterprise before to participate. 🤝

As a thank you for taking part, we’re offering survey participants a free place on our exclusive webinar, ‘Flexing Your Brand Narrative’, designed to support mission-led organisations with their communications.

Hosted by our Marketing and Communications Lead, the session will share practical ways to tailor your messaging for different audiences and channels - without losing what makes your brand (and values) distinctive.

The online session takes place on 15 June at 2pm, and is aimed at anyone who works (or volunteers with) a community group, charity or social enterprise and helps with campaigns, media or social media.

In the session, we’ll:
- Encourage a more creative approach to communications, so messages inspire action 🚀 ✨
- Build confidence when posting across different channels (including social media) ✍
- Share simple tools and templates to help you plan and stay strategic 🎯

To secure your free place, complete our Brand Awareness Survey by 15 May.
🔗 Link in comments.

30/03/2026

DEADLINE 31 MARCH: Help shape a Multibank for Glasgow City Region ✍

Are you part of a third sector group, charity, or public‑sector organisation working with communities in the wider Glasgow City Region? 🏡

Could you benefit from receiving surplus goods to distribute to local people who need them? 🤝

We want to hear from you! 🗣️

Community Enterprise is supporting The Big House Multibank with a feasibility study to explore whether a Multibank could operate across the Glasgow City Region, providing practical support to people and families facing material hardship.

The Multibank model works by partnering with organisations to distribute surplus goods from businesses - such as clothing, furniture, toiletries, and baby items - to the individuals and families who need them most.

The Glasgow City Region includes eight local authority areas: Glasgow City, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, and West Dunbartonshire.

Your insight will help us understand community needs, referral pathways, and opportunities to work together. Agencies such as schools, social work, and health visitors are also warmly invited to complete the survey.

Deadline: 31 March ⏰

Please take a few minutes to complete our short online survey. Your contribution will help shape a system that strengthens community support, reduces waste, and helps families thrive.

🔗 Survey link in comments

20/03/2026

Sandwick Youth And Community Centre is entering an exciting new chapter. ✍️✨

With a helping hand from the Accelerate programme, the centre is evolving into a space full of new possibilities. 💫

Located at the heart of Sandwick, and led by volunteers, the centre initially centred support around children and young people through it's under-5s toddler group, and Youth Club, delivered by Shetland Islands Council. However, the team saw greater potential for the building: an opportunity to support the wider community, improve local wellbeing and address issues such as rural isolation.

Lynsey, volunteer Secretary of SYCC, told us:
“We all got together and realized that this is a building in the middle of the village that’s underused and needing a bit of TLC. Can we get some funding, improve it and make it more welcoming for more groups and for a bigger variety of folk, rather than just a youth centre and toddler group?

So, over the past few years, we've got a few more groups. We’ve got exercise classes, bands that practice from the building and there's a Makkin’ and Yakkin’ group. We also have space for private meetings, for example, there’s families who meet with social work here. There are clubs in the south of the island that have closed, so we’re even getting people from a wider area too.

The centre has become more community focused rather than something just for kids. Our mission is to make it a more open and friendly place for community use.”

To strengthen the centre’s long term sustainability and support its management, SYCC needed to gain SCIO status. Their previous application had been unsuccessful, so they reached out to Accelerate, who helped them secure their SCIO status.

Lynsey shared:
“Accelerate was so simple and not onerous for us. Our advisor, Lynda, simplified the SCIO process and said what we need to do. I think just having somebody to hold your hand, when it feels a bit confusing, was really helpful. We felt confident that she was experienced and knew what she was speaking about. She’d given examples of other groups that came through similar things, similar kinds of groups to us, so it’s good having those live examples.

Accelerate is great, we really appreciate the support, and I don't know if we’d have got the SCIO status without it".

Securing SCIO status was just the first step for the team at SYCC. Reflecting their mission to provide support for all, the centre will soon relaunch with new branding and a new name: The Sandwick Community Hub. ⭐️

But as things change, some things will always remain constant. The community will still be welcomed by the same friendly faces and the trusted presence of SYCC at the heart of the village - right where they belong. ❤️

🏷️ Scottish Rural Action