Community participation

Community participation is worth 40% of the total points (40/100). It’s all about working together for the benefit of the local area, through things like:

• Being inclusive – the group is a part of the community and has an openness which enables any member of the community to support, contribute to or have a say in its work if they wish.
• Engaging – the people involved with the group’s activities are part of the community and are actively trying to involve other community members.
• Local ownership and direction – the decisions about what needs doing and how things are done are taken by the group after consulting the local community.
• Making a difference to local people – evidence that the group’s work has the support of local people and is improving aspects of their daily life.

Environmental responsibility

Environmental responsibility is worth 30% of the total points (30/100). It’s all about caring for your local area’s environment, though things like:

• Promoting responsible dog-ownership to reduce dog fouling.
• Supporting our Clean Up Scotland campaign to reduce littering, dog-fouling, abandoned cars, graffiti, flyposting and flytipping.
• Practising environmentally responsible approaches, for example by using peat-free compost, composting of green waste, minimising water usage, and establishing local recycling.
• Developing community green spaces by increasing the use of the spaces and developing the skills and involvement of users.
• Conservation activities such as supporting local wildlife through installation of bird/bat boxes, log piles or bee hives; planting of pollinator friendly plants; re-introducing native species or controlling non-native/invasive species; and creating new habitats or renovating existing ones such as ponds, wildflower meadows, and coppicing.
• Efforts to encourage a sense of local heritage, for example through education and heritage-related activities such as tree trails, history leaflets, and signage/interpretation boards.

Gardening achievement

Gardening achievement is worth 30% of the total points (30/100). It’s all about beautifying your area through good gardening practices such as:

• Good plant choices for the local conditions (soil, climate, aspect), which suit the natural and built environment; a good balance between seasonal and permanent planting.
• Appropriate quality of maintenance, for example good pruning, mulching, and a lack of weeds.
• Creativity – planting that shows originality and local flavour.
• Development of community gardening activities, for example developing areas in partnership with village halls, church groups, allotment societies, residents’ associations; and undertaking group planting events for window boxes, hanging baskets, bulbs, and wildflower areas.
• Taking on the maintenance of neglected areas such as barren verges or waste ground.