LEADER

[TITLE]

Farming and Rural Issues
- Scotland Rural Development Programme
  - LEADER
    - LEADER Networking Event
    - Stakeholder Group Meetings

Contact Details

Further details can be found by contacting the LEADER Adviser in the Scottish Government. Contact either;

For Northern Scotland and Islands: Anna Murray 0300 24 49838

For Southern Scotland: Elaine McGregor 0300 24 49843

Rural Communities Empowerment Team (RCET)
Scottish Goverment Rural Directorate,
C Spur,
Saughton House,
Broomhouse Drive,
Edinburgh,
EH11 3XD

LEADER

Leader

LEADER - Links Between Activities Developing the Rural Economy

LEADER is part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) which promotes economic and community development within rural areas. LEADER is a bottom - up method of delivering support for rural development through implementing local development strategies. Support, awarded by Local Action Groups (LAGs), is aimed at local projects with a wide community benefit that show an element of originality or experimentation where possible, and complement other activities within the local development strategy.

Aim

The aim of LEADER is to increase the capacity of local rural community and business networks to build knowledge and skills, and encourage innovation and co-operation in order to tackle local development objectives. LEADER accounts for 6% of the total Scottish Rural Development Programme SRDP allocation. Leader will deliver support of around £52m to rural areas. An additional £19.2m Convergence Funding has been awarded to 7 Local Action Groups LAGs in the Highlands and Islands in recognition of its previous status as a disadvantaged and remote area.

Local Action Groups

Funding is awarded by Local Action Groups ( LAGs) who take decisions on projects which are community driven and have a wide community benefit. These LAGs are a partnership made up of representatives from:

The local council
Local Enterprise Company
Business people
Other public agencies
Voluntary action groups
Community groups

20 Local Action Groups ( LAGs) cover around 95% of rural Scotland with quality local rural development strategies. Details of these groups, the amounts awarded and contact points are listed below. A map of LAG areas is available.

LAG	LEADER (£m)	Convergence (£m)	Contact	E-Mail

Argyll & The Islands	3.77	5.12	Sheila McLean Lorna Elliot	Sheila.Mclean@argyll-bute.gov.uk Lorna.Elliot@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Ayrshire	4.55		Sarah Baird	sarah.baird@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
Cairngorms	1.35	1.17	Patricia Methven	patriciamethven@cairngorms.co.uk
Dumfries & Galloway	3.83		Ros Halley	Ros.halley@dumgal.gov.uk
East Renfrewshire	0.46		Suzanne McCall	Suzanne.McCall@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Fife	1.79		Barbara Solway	barbara.solway@fife.gov.uk
Forth Valley & Lomond	3.73		Anne-Michelle Ketteridge	ketteridgea@stirling.gov.uk
Highland	9.09	7.50	Nicole Wallace	nicole.wallace@highland.gov.uk
Kelvin Valley	0.75		Paul Kane	KanePaul@northlan.gov.uk
Moray	1.94	0.4	David Watson	david.watson@moray.gov.uk
Orkney Islands	0.77	1.54	Alister Brown	alister.brown@orkney.gov.uk
Outer Hebrides	1.28	1.98	Kathlene MacDonald	kathlene.macdonald@cne-siar.gov.uk
Renfrewshire	0.63		Keren Ferguson	keren.ferguson@renfrewshire.gov.uk
Rural Aberdeenshire	4.52		Vicky Thomson	vicky.thomson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Rural Tayside	2.69		Rita Callander	Callanderrb@angus.gov.uk
Scottish Borders	3.26		Maria MacKenzie	m.mackenzie@scotborders.gov.uk
South Lanarkshire	1.98		Chris Parkin	chris@ruraldevtrust.co.uk
Shetland Islands	0.87	1.49	Thomas Coutts	thomas.coutts@shetland.gov.uk
Tyne Esk	3.14		Graham Young	gyoung@eastlothian.gov.uk
West Lothian	1.41		Avril Wallace	avril.wallace@westlothian.gov.uk

For application forms, guidance and advice contact your Local Action Group.

Full Technical Guidance for Local Action Group coordinators and administrative staff is available. This guidance is not aimed at potential applicants, please contact your Local Action Group for advice as each area will have it's own specific processes.

There is additional guidance for breaches and penalties.

Any publicity material relating to LEADER must contain logos for LEADER, the EU and the Scottish Government, in addition to any local branding.