Many from across Scotland’s community sector will have been saddened recently to learn of the sudden death of former civil servant Alasdair McKinlay. While most civil servants tend to move around different departments over the course of their careers, Alasdair proved a notable exception to the rule.

In the late 1990s, the then Scottish Executive funded a £1million training and development programme for the newly-announced Social Inclusion Partnerships, which became known as Working Together Learning Together. It was delivered by SCDC, Glasgow University, SCVO, the Poverty Alliance and Community Learning Scotland. It was the first programme of its kind in Scotland and it was commissioned by Alasdair, who was a hands-on contributor throughout, and who worked with great enthusiasm to help achieve positive outcomes for local community participants. The key themes of the programme were action on poverty, community participation and effective partnership.

Alasdair, already bitten by the ‘community bug’, went on to work for the long departed but not quite forgotten Communities Scotland. Always a believer in the value of getting out and about to see at first-hand what made Scotland’s communities tick, he was forever encouraging colleagues and inviting Ministers to join him on his many visits. That singular approach to his work marked him out as a particularly effective public servant and made a huge impact in changing how the community sector was perceived within the Scottish Government.

But, of course, he did much, much more. He led on what was effectively the Scottish Government’s first published strategy for community empowerment – the 2009 Community Empowerment Action Plan. He introduced the concept of community asset transfer to Scotland and was responsible for delivering the landmark 2015 Community Empowerment legislation. The very existence of Scotland’s internationally regarded National Standards for Community Engagement is in large part down to Alasdair’s commitment to see them delivered. Up until the end of his career he remained committed to the principles of community led action and local governance.

If his achievements as a public servant are worthy of huge recognition, it will be his qualities as a human being and as a friend to many that he will be most fondly remembered. He was often challenging, sometimes forensically so, but always encouraging. On a personal basis he was thoughtful, sensitive and generous to a fault.

Over a career there are people that you remember with particular affection for the contribution they make and how they go about it. Alasdair McKinlay is one of those people. He will be sadly missed by many of his colleagues in the community and voluntary sector.

Co-signatories

Fiona Garven, Retired Director, SCDC

Angus Hardie, Retired Director, Scottish Community Alliance

Stewart Murdoch, Retired Chair, SCDC, Retired Treasurer IACD

Brendan Rooney, Healthy’n’Happy Community Development Trust and Scottish Communities for Health and Wellbeing

Cathy McCulloch, Retired CEO, Children’s Parliament

Douglas Westwater, CEO, Community Enterprise

Peter Kelly, CEO, Poverty Alliance

Sarah Davidson, CEO, Carnegie UK

Stuart Hashagen, Retired Co-Director, SCDC

Tressa Burke, CEO, Glasgow Disability Alliance

Ian Cooke, Retired Director, Development Trust Association Scotland

Lorraine Gillies, Retired CEO, Scottish Community Safety Network

Kim Wallace, Deputy CEO, Social Enterprise Scotland

Dawn Brown, Head of Programmes, SCDC

Dr Alan Barr, Retired Co-Director, Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) and University of Glasgow

Pauline Hinchion, Retired CO, Scottish Communities Finance Ltd

Clare McGillivray, CEO, Making Rights Real and Board Member International Association of Community Development (IACD)

Aidan Pia, Retired Director, SenScot

Angela Morgan, Retired CEO, Includem

Judy Wilkinson, Glasgow Allotments Federation

Susan Paxton, Director, SCDC

Margaret Lindsay, Former SCDC Consultant

Pauline Smith, Director, Development Trusts Association Scotland

Jo Kennedy, Lead Partner, Animate Consulting

Prof. Oliver Escobar, University of Edinburgh and Citizens’ Participation Network

Paul Ballantyne, SCDC Board Member

Andy Milne, Retired Chief Executive, SURF