Area plans

Community Learning and Development Strategy and Area Action Plans

Welcome to the Highland Community Learning and Development Strategy and the eight Area CLD Action Plans that underpin the Strategy.  These documents have been produced by the Highland CLD Partnership and the eight Area CLD Planning Partnerships whose members cover a range of public, academic and voluntary sector organisations.  The Strategy has been written with the support and guidance of Communities Scotland.  In particular it benefited from “Working and Learning Together to Build Stronger Communities” guidance from the Scottish Executive and Communities Scotland on new roles for Community Learning and Development.

This Strategy has been agreed by the Partners of the Highland Community Learning and Development Strategy Partnership and is a plan for the work which will happen across the Highlands over the next three years.  It is an attempt to produce a co-ordinated and measurable plan for the work that the Partnership will deliver to support WALT in empowering and regenerating our communities.

Our Vision

Our vision is to have “stronger communities in a stronger community planning process”.  This commits us not only to implementing the key goals set out in Working and Learning Together of helping young people and adults achieve through learning and building community capacity; but also to influence the way community planning is developed.  Community planning is ultimately about enabling communities to achieve their potential.  This is best achieved when the communities have the skills and abilities to articulate and work towards their own visions.  The development of the eight Area CLD Action Plans has seen the creation of local CLD Partnerships to draw up plans which have been based on local needs analysis and which will result in local action.  This is a significant shift in the planning process with local communities being more closely involved in the definition of local needs, further supporting our vision.

For our Partnership, our vision for the period of this plan is to be in a position to take a primary role in planning and delivering actions on the theme in future Community Plans. This will involve change as we learn to “plan, do and review” better, together.

Any comments regarding either the Strategy or the Action Plans are welcomed or if you wish to become involved in either the Highland or Area Partnerships, please contact Barry Northedge at:

Barry Northedge
Principal Community learning and Development Officer
Education, Culture and Sport
The Highland Council
HQ, Glenurquhart Road.
Inverness, IV3 5NX

tel. 01463 702835
mob.tel. 07795 612606
fax.01463 711177
barry.northedge@highland.gov.uk