Community Facilities in Rural Scotland
In 2008 Professor Malcolm Moseley helped with the analysis and interpretation of data for a report produced for the Scottish Government entitled 'Community Facilities in Rural Scotland: A Study of Their Use, Provision and Condition'. The report can be accessed on line at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/01/05144855/0
The research was led by Dr Sarah Skerratt and colleagues at the Scottish Agricultural College and involved both desk research and an extensive survey of rural Scotland's community buildings - mainly village halls and similar meeting places. The research objective was 'to gather and analyse data on the current provision and condition of rural community facilities in Scotland and to assess the nature and level of their use'. As is broadly the case in England, the picture is one of an immensely valuable, but sometimes underused, community resource and of great management challenges for the 'faithful few' who work hard to keep the facility thriving in their locality.
