“During the first lockdown, identifying that a lot of our residents who had vital care support had automatically been withdrawn, and were not receiving appropriate assistance, literally abandoned and on their own. On our first visit, seeing those people, already grey in colour. But on returning and visiting and being able to help these people, helping them out with shopping. We managed to access funding, via working with Cloudberry Communities and NCCV, and seeing kids come along to help, accessing vital support for those people, even when others left us. It took real strength from within, to bring a voice for them. Again, Cloudberry Communities found a way.” Annmarie – Chair Cardowan Community Meadow
Cloudberry Communities worked with a group of community volunteers in Cardowan, a former mining village who were desperate to save their precious greenbelt from development. We helped them with becoming a Scottish registered charity and made links with agencies such as Community Land Scotland to look at community ownership as a way of them retaining the land for the health and wellbeing of the local community. When the pandemic hit, and while they were awaiting confirmation of status and setting up a bank account we assisted them to access emergency food parcels for residents to ensure vulnerable households were looked after. This fantastic and passionate group of volunteers had the energy and determination to make positive change in their community and we were delighted to be able to offer the administrative support that they needed to get there.
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In March 2018 Cloudberry Communities began providing Community Organiser services to Glasgow Community Energy, an ambitious volunteer led organisation registered as a Community Benefit Society which aimed to install solar panels on community host buildings in the Glasgow area, reducing their carbon footprints by generating renewable energy for the buildings and using surplus profits for a community benefit fund to reenergise community activism and fund local priorities. During the project period, Cloudberry Communities undertook public and stakeholder engagement, held a community energy fait and workshops on community energy. Despite the pandemic Glasgow Community Energy successfully installed solar panels on two school buildings in 2020 and launched a share offer early in 2021 which was oversubscribed. Cloudberry Communities continues to support the project pro bono with one of our Directors taking a place on the organisations board of Directors.