Moray Community Groups Benefit from Oil Industry Processes

2 February 2006

Performance improvement consultancy, Facilitators UK, has been assisting community groups in Moray in developing their proposals for grant applications.

The Aberdeen based company has donated one of their business toolkits to Moray Action for Communities (MAC), a European Union Initiative under the leader+ scheme which helps to support organisations in the voluntary sector. Local community groups can get in touch and work with the MAC Group in order to secure financial support.

John Davidson, a Partner in Facilitators UK, explains how the tool kit has been helping Moray community based organisations develop grant applications from initial proposals into first class grant applications: "Each MAC Grant application is determined on the key concepts of innovation, sustainability, community capacity building and development. MAC runs one-day workshops for local community groups, whereby they can help participants think along those lines and therefore produce applications for grants that are more likely to be successful."

"The workshop is based upon the toolkit that Facilitators UK has donated to MAC. The toolkit ensures that participants: focus on the frame of their application; brainstorm possible alternatives; select the most appropriate alternative based on the key concepts; understand the process of submitting their application; write an effective proposal; and undertake a review of the entire exercise. At the end of the workshop participants have the insights to develop a first class application for consideration by the MAC Local Action Group," added John.

He went on to explain that the toolkit upon which the workshop focuses is based on oil industry methodology. "Many of the multi-national oil companies employ very similar processes," said John. "In essence the methodology is quite straightforward and ideal for community groups. It is fantastic that a methodology used to develop an oil field can be successfully adapted for use in a community grant application."

Tony Bowmer, MAC Project Officer, added, "It is rather interesting to note that local organisations such as Rothes Community Ltd, Pilmuir Residents Association, Moray Against Poverty Network and Moray Waste Busters have all used a similar process to companies such as Shell and BP. The toolkit donated by Facilitators UK has been immensely successful and we are very grateful for their assistance. Local Moray community organisations have benefited thanks to their expertise."

Further Information

Please contact John Davidson for further details.

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