Further boost for coalfields trust

The Coalfields Regeneration Trust has hit the ground running after winning a £40,000 Scottish Government award for its work to empower locals.

The trust has appointed Lorna Bett as a community engagement worker in Cardenden just weeks after receiving the funding for its Reclaiming Coalfield Communities programme.

Lorna, who was born and brought up in the area, is a director and treasurer of neighbouring Benarty Community Forum and comanages its community shop.

She said she was excited about the challenge of getting everyone in Cardenden involved in pulling together a new community action plan for the area under the trusts’s ‘Act As If You Own The Place’ process.

“It’s a great name and I think it will encourage people to feel part of the process and take ownership of it,” she said.

“I will certainly be doing everything I can to make sure that is what happens.”

Reclaiming Our Coalfield Communities is a joint initiative by the trust and the Scottish Electoral Reform Society, with the trust putting up £20,000 for each community to get priority projects off the ground.

Willie Sullivan, Scottish director of the Electoral Reform Society, added: “We believe that the ‘Act As If You Own The Place’ concept will take decision making closer the real experts, the local people who will be most affected.”