The Coastal Communities Network has been granted charitable status.
A coalition of community-based conservation groups across Scotland’s coastline, has been granted charitable status – becoming the first fully independent community-led conservation network in Scotland.
Fauna & Flora established the Coastal Communities Network (CCN) in partnership with the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) in 2017, with the aim of providing better support to community groups and organisations working to safeguard Scotland’s coastal and marine riches.
Today, this coalition comprises over 30 organisations.
Working together, CCN members address a wide range of pressing issues, including the environmental impacts of salmon farming, unsustainable fishing practices, marine plastic pollution and the degraded condition of marine habitats.
Over the past eight years the network has gone from strength to strength and will now operate in its own right – having gained charitable status as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
This latest milestone for the coalition that Fauna & Flora co-founded is a pivotal moment in its evolution.
Sarah Doherty, CCN coordinator, said: “CCN exists to connect and strengthen community-led efforts to protect and restore local marine and coastal environments, supporting real, sustainable change.
“We’re enormously excited about this next step on the network’s journey, continuing to work with international and local partners to place coastal community voices at the centre of environmental action.”
Fauna & Flora has hosted CCN since its establishment, providing support to individual network members, helping establish operations, supporting governance structures, raising independent funds and helping to initiate projects. Enabling CCN to reach its defined objective of becoming the first fully independent community-led conservation network in Scotland was a crucial aspect of our long-term planning for the partnership.
With ongoing support from our many generous donors, Fauna & Flora will continue to support CCN as a core partner – working together with its members to ensure a positive future for Scotland’s local waters, coasts and communities.
Rebecca Plant, Scotland programme manager at Fauna & Flora, added: “Central to Fauna & Flora’s global mission is to enhance and support effective conservation action, driven by the people living closest to nature.
“Across Scotland’s coastal areas, there are a number of passionate individuals and community groups who are dedicated to tackling the variety of issues impacting their local biodiversity – from destructive fishing to plastic pollution to climate change.
“Through CCN members, we provide direct support to these local heroes – enabling them to drive real conservation impact.”
