Community Action Planning in Nesting

Participation, People, Place and Money icons in a line

Working together to shape community priorities

Nesting, Girlsta and Wadbister Community Action Plan

The Community Development Company of Nesting (CDCN) is a community-led organisation working to improve quality of life in the Nesting, Girlsta and Wadbister areas.  In 2024–25, CDCN partnered with Community Enterprise to develop a Community Action Plan (CAP) to reflect the community’s priorities for the decade ahead, closely aligned with the Shetland Partnership Priorities.  

To inform the initial approach to developing the CAP, CDCN had worked closely with the Shetland Island Council’s Community Involvement and Development Officer (covering the Nesting area) to ensure the process was grounded in community consultation while remaining practical and deliverable.  This approach helped identify shared priorities and collaborative opportunities, avoiding duplication and enhancing feasibility – principles closely aligned with a place-based framework.

Community voices driving development

Following in-depth discussions between CDCN, the SIC and Community Enterprise, the CAP was built on strong foundations of local insight, including:

  • A community survey completed by households representing 198 people (around 34% of the population).
  • Engagement with 30 stakeholders and local service providers.
  • Focus groups with parents, young people, and business owners.
  • Events including a community pop-up (100 attendees) and a community lunch.
  • Local drop-ins, including one at the Nesting Scrapstore.

Based on this approach, 5 themed community opportunities were identified:

  1. Sustainable environment – tree planting, biodiversity, local growing.
  2. Resilient community assets – housing, improved facilities.
  3. Better connectivity – roads, transport, digital infrastructure.
  4. More activities – playparks, events, cafes.
  5. Stronger engagement – volunteering, community involvement.

Also identified were key partners to collaborate with to ensure the CAP was not only based on what community members wanted—but on what could realistically be delivered.  This included direct conversations with several Shetland Partnership organisations to help shape the CAP by contributing their expertise.  For instance, HIE advised on economic development opportunities, ZetTrans provided insight into rural transport challenges, and VAS shared ideas around community volunteering and engagement.  This collaborative input helped ensure the plan was both meaningful and achievable, with a clear understanding of delivery pathways and shared roles. 

Contribution to the Shetland Partnership

The resulting Community Action Plan was published in September 2024 and contributes to all four Shetland Partnership priorities:

  • Participation: Community members actively shaping local development.
  • People: Improved wellbeing, activity and social connection.
  • Place: Investment in infrastructure, housing and green space.
  • Money: Funding secured and support that reduces household costs.

This case study shows how local leadership, inclusive engagement, and long-term thinking can come together to build stronger, more connected communities—offering a practical example of place-based development that could inspire other areas across Shetland and beyond.

CDCN’s Community Action Plan 2024-2034 can be found here.  

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