How to engage your community: A practical introduction

How to engage your community: a practical introduction

If you're planning a project and want to understand what people in your community think, this session is a great place to start.

We'll look at simple, effective ways to speak to local people, encourage honest conversations and gather views that genuinely reflect your area.

What you'll learn:

You'll come away with practical ideas you can use straight away, whether you're organising a local initiative, supporting a community group or want to understand how to involve people in decisions that affect them.

Who this is for:

This workshop is designed for complete beginners, or if you are looking for a refresher. You don't need to know anything about planning or community engagement, just an interest in your place and the people that live there.

Who can attend:

The session is free and open to anyone across Scotland. It's a chance to pick up new skills, meet others who care about their local placemaking, and feel more confident about getting people involved in things that matter.

For accessibility requirements, further information or any questions, please contact Anne Krippler at anne@pas.org.uk

About this training series

This event is part of a new series of training sessions delivered by Planning Aid Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government through the National Planning Hub.

Our programme has been designed to give communities and individuals the confidence and knowledge to play an active role in shaping their local area.

Through these sessions you’ll learn:

• How to engage effectively with the planning system, particularly around electricity and renewable energy applications, understanding the process, knowing where your voice fits in and how to make it count.
• How to prepare strong community-led plans (including Local Place Plans and Community Action Plans), learning about relevant community engagement skills and with sustainability at the heart of your approach.

Each session is practical, accessible and focused on real-world challenges.

This is a one-off programme of sessions and will not be repeated, so we encourage early booking if you’re interested. The sessions will be recorded and will be available to rewatch for 3 months.

Explore the full programme of training sessions on our Eventbrite page to see what else we’re offering and to find the topics most relevant to you.