Community Links Scotland

What Community Links Scotland does

Community Links Scotland (CLS) is a Clydebank-headquartered regeneration consultancy and Scottish charity (SC032934) established in 2002 as a Company Limited by Guarantee. The organisation provides community development and funding procurement services to registered social landlords, housing associations, charities, and community groups throughout Scotland, with a delivery concentration in Inverclyde, Argyll & Bute, West Dunbartonshire, East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, and Glasgow. Service lines include community regeneration support, community asset development, community action plans, funding procurement, feasibility and options studies, project development and management, workshop facilitation, and statistical and policy analysis, alongside an in-house Chartered Landscape Architect capability.

CLS operates a full cost recovery pricing model, charging consultancy fees on a multi-year contract basis at a non-profit distributing level, supplemented by client membership fees from registered social landlords and grant funding for specific projects and community initiatives. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organisation has secured over £51 million in capital and revenue funding on behalf of clients across more than two dozen documented community projects, including a £2.4 million community hall for Arrochar and Tarbet Community Development Trust, a £3.5 million+ programme for Parklea Branching Out, and a £2 million+ Roystonhill Community Hub for Spire View Housing Association.

Beyond external consultancy, CLS delivers three internal community-facing projects: Healthy Pathways (wellbeing and resilience programme launched 2021), the Energy Advice Service for West Dunbartonshire residents facing fuel poverty, and Threads of Time, a National Lottery Heritage Funded Clydebank heritage project. The team comprises 13 staff and interns led by founder-Director Stephen Singer (25+ years community regeneration experience) and Operations Director Louise Bacon (25+ years landscape architecture and urban regeneration). The organisation is governed by a voluntary board drawn from client registered social landlords and community representatives.

Name

Community Links Scotland

Legal name

Community Links Scotland

Website

https://comlinks.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Links Scotland is a Clydebank-based, non-profit regeneration consultancy providing funding procurement, community development, and project management services to housing associations and community groups across Scotland, with in-house landscape architecture and three direct-delivery community projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Regeneration Consultancy

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Community Engagement & Service-Learning Partnerships (EDALAOAI)

Keywords

• Community regeneration consultancy
• Funding procurement services
• Community action plans
• Feasibility studies
• Landscape architecture services

Headquarters

HQ city

Clydebank

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: CLS are funded through a combination of client membership fees, and external consultancy work. They use a full cost recovery system to identify their charge out rate at a non profit distributing level.
2. Client Membership Fees: Funding attracted from client members who are registered social landlords and community organisations
3. Grant Funding: Additional funding obtained through grants for specific projects and community initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Community Links Scotland is a regeneration consultancy that supports housing associations, registered social landlords, and not-for-profit community organisations across Scotland with community development services. Core offerings include funding procurement (over £51 million secured), business plans, community consultation, community action plans, feasibility and options studies, project management, and in-house landscape architecture. The organisation also runs targeted local projects including the Energy Advice Service and Healthy Pathways wellbeing programme for West Dunbartonshire residents.

Product overview

Community Links Scotland operates as a regeneration consultancy offering a portfolio of internal community projects alongside external consultancy services. Internal projects include Healthy Pathways (wellbeing and resilience), the Energy Advice Service (free energy support), and Threads of Time (heritage programme). External services encompass Community Regeneration Support Services, Community Asset Development, Community Action Plans, Funding Procurement, Feasibility and Options Studies, Community Landscapes, Project Development and Management, Workshop Facilitation, and Statistical and Policy Analysis. The organisation works with Registered Social Landlords, housing associations, charities, and community groups throughout Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Healthy Pathways: A project promoting well-being and resilience in West Dunbartonshire since 2021, connecting community members and offering a safe space to share experiences and grow personally and collectively.
• Energy Advice Service
• Threads of Time

Products and services

• Community Regeneration Support Services Regeneration consultancy services delivered to housing associations, charities, voluntary sector organisations and social enterprises across Scotland. Includes community engagement, statistical and policy analysis, and ongoing project support throughout the project lifecycle.
• Funding Procurement Identification and securing of project funding for community organisations and housing associations. CLS has secured over £51 million towards capital and revenue costs of urban and rural regeneration projects.
• Community Action Plans Preparation of comprehensive community action plans that create a roadmap for change, with clear objectives, timetabling, schedules, and cost breakdowns. Delivered across Argyll & Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire and West Lothian.
• Feasibility and Options Studies Feasibility studies and options assessments to identify and evaluate project proposals with local support and outline implementation pathways for community regeneration initiatives.
• Community Asset Development Support for community groups in developing and managing assets, including business plans for community asset transfers and ongoing community business development.
• Community Landscapes Landscape services support provided by an in-house Chartered Landscape Architect for community projects, covering physical environment design aspects of regeneration work.
• Project Development and Management Ongoing support for project development during the aspiration stage and project management during the implementation stage of community regeneration initiatives.
• Energy Advice Service Free and confidential energy advice service for residents of West Dunbartonshire who are struggling with heating their home, paying fuel bills and managing fuel debt. Delivered via home visits, phone, Zoom, FaceTime or WhatsApp.
• Healthy Pathways A community wellbeing project promoting resilience and connection for residents of West Dunbartonshire since 2021. Offers weekly sessions including Book Club, Craft Club, Tapping into You personal development, and Sewing groups, along with social activities and outings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Secured over £51,000,000 towards capital and revenue costs of projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ardbeg DistillerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with South Islay Development to establish the £1 million Ardbeg All Islay Fund following the sale of a rare Ardbeg 1975 cask. CLS assisted with guidance, preparation, questionnaire layout and delivery. CLS has been a member of the approvals committee meeting three times each year to appraise and approve individual applications.
• Financial FitnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInverclyde based service providing targeted financial capability service to improve standards of living for tenants. All three Inverclyde Housing Associations (Oak Tree, Cloch, Larkfield) buy in services through CLS support, providing welfare rights, money and debt advice.
• The Mungo FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Tenancy Support Service delivery between 2010 and 2019, working to help motivate and build a person's confidence to manage better and sustain their tenancy.
• Simon Community ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Tenancy Support Service delivery from 2019-2023, working to help motivate and build a person's confidence to manage better and sustain their tenancy.
• The Wise GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Energy Advice through a variety of funding secured between 2017 and 2024, supporting individuals in fuel poverty including help to switch supplier, reduce energy consumption, and understand energy bills.
• StarterPacks InverclydeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Cloch Housing Association's My Cloch Plus project to ensure households are provided with necessities for a basic standard of living.
• Oak Tree, Cloch and Larkfield Housing AssociationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThese three housing associations work together to maximise resources for their tenants. CLS supports all three associations, which collectively support over 3,750 homes with 85% of stock in SIMD20 deprived areas.
• Clydebank Housing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner22-year partnership with Clydebank Housing Association, a social housing provider operating for nearly 40 years with over 1,200 homes. CLS has successfully accessed funding and support for various projects including CHA Power Limited, Social Economy Centre, and Centre81.
• Spire View Housing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner10-year partnership supporting the creation of Roystonhill Community Hub (£2m+), park development, food pantry, and various staff roles including tenancy support, welfare rights, energy advisors and heritage engagement officers.
• North Glasgow Community Food InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to establish the Royston Community Pantry, a membership-lead shop providing fresh food at marked-down prices.
• Rosemount Development TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership supporting community development, heritage projects including Royston Community Heritage Art Project (£27,000), Community Development Officer funding (£200,000+), Glenconner Park Business Plan, and St Rollox Janitor House Options Study.
• Glasgow School of ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Royston Spire Project funding and lighting/design competition.
• Dunbritton Housing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproximately 980 properties across West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute. CLS supported employability projects, community growing, Dumbarton Harbour Heritage project, and various other initiatives.
• Knowes Housing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproximately 1,050 properties across West Dunbartonshire. Partnership includes Flourishing Faifley support, Watchmeal Crescent transformation, and Art in Regeneration programme.
• Andy Scott (Sculptor)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigned and implemented two sculptures as part of Art in Regeneration programme in Faifley community.
• RIG ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed art and engagement elements for Dumbarton Harbour Heritage project alongside Alan Potter.
• ACT ArgyllminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to secure funding and manage delivery of training and employability projects focused on environmental improvements.
• Magic Torch ComicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for graphic novel production as part of Threads of Time heritage project.
• Magic Torch (Paul Bristow)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital storytelling workshops with Clydebank Asbestos Group, producing five short narrative reels.
• Chloe Patience (Textile Artist)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTextile artist leading workshops for Healthy Pathways creating the 'Bankie Spirit' bespoke fabric for Threads of Time exhibition.
• Glasgow School of Art - Centre for Advanced TextilesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided creative trip and insight into contemporary textile design and digital printing techniques for Healthy Pathways members.
• Magic Torch ComicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Y Sort It to produce graphic novel telling Clydebank's story through young people's contributions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO): National umbrella body for Scotland's voluntary sector, providing funding advice, policy support and capacity building to charities and community groups — a broader incumbent in the same nonprofit support ecosystem.
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE): Scottish Government economic and community development agency for the Highlands and Islands — comparable in delivering community regeneration, funding facilitation, and project development support to rural and urban areas.

Others

• The Architectural Heritage Fund: UK-wide charity providing grants and support for community-owned historic building reuse — thematically adjacent given CLS's heritage projects (Threads of Time) and community asset development work.

Direct peers

• Locality: England-based national membership network for community-led organisations and social enterprises — directly comparable in providing funding, peer support and policy advocacy to community organisations.
• Inspiring Scotland: Scottish charity that designs and manages outcome-focused investment funds for disadvantaged communities — closely comparable in providing structured funding and capacity support to community organisations.
• Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS): Membership body supporting community development trusts across Scotland with training, funding advice and capacity building — directly overlapping CLS's community regeneration and asset development work with similar geographic scope.
• Social Enterprise Scotland: National body promoting and supporting social enterprises and community businesses in Scotland — directly comparable as CLS supports many social enterprises with asset development and funding.

Regional players

• Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA): Welsh equivalent of a national voluntary sector support body — comparable service model (funding advice, capacity building, training) but operating in a different UK nation.
• Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA): Northern Ireland's umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector — directly analogous to CLS's role of supporting community groups, but serving a different UK jurisdiction.

Emerging players

• CHEX (Community Health Exchange): Scottish charity supporting community-led health organisations — overlapping with CLS's Healthy Pathways and wellbeing work and similar target audience of community organisations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/com_links
• Facebookfacebook.com/comlinks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-links-scotland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Links Scotland