What is a development trust? A development trust is an independent, community led, local organisation. Development trusts recognise the importance of local people establishing and prioritising their own objectives from the outset, and aim to tackle a wide range of social, economic, environmental and cultural issues.
Strathnairn’s development trust, the Strathnairn Development Company (SDC) was set up as an independent Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) in late 2019. There are many excellent community groups in Strathnairn providing specific services that contribute to community development, such as SCATA, Farr Hall Committee, SMI and the Woodlands Group. SDC differs somewhat in that we are set up to respond to and deliver on a range of community aspirations, including larger projects involving developing funding proposals, recruiting and managing community employees, acquiring land and assets when appropriate, and supporting and working with other community groups and a range of partners to do so.
There are over 350 development trusts registered as members of the Development Trusts Associated of Scotland (DTAS), and as such we are part of a national social movement, whom we share with and learn from. We are also members of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), Social Enterprise Scotland and the Highland Third Sector Interface (HTSI).
Throughout Scotland, development trusts are enabling communities to make their own plans and aspirations a reality and building vibrant, sustainable communities – from developing renewable energy projects to creating community hubs/centres, and from running employment initiatives to managing environmental projects and recreation facilities, communities are finding that a development trust is an important vehicle to meet the community’s needs and aspirations.
Development is not about simply about providing economic benefits to residents, but about empowering and enhancing the wellbeing and resilience of community members through social, cultural, environmental and economic connections and collective actions. Development is as much about the process of getting people and organisations together – to share ideas, interact, act, learn and grow – as it is the material outcomes generated.
What has SDC been doing in the 5 years it has existed? Through funding, primarily from the SCBF, we led Strathnairn’s first Community Action Plan (CAP) in 2021, employed our first Community Development Officer in 2023/24 and have run and managed budgets for numerous events including the last two Farr Galas, ceilidhs, digital training, Gaelic classes and community consultation events (see https://www.strathnairndevelopment.scot/documents/ for links to summaries of recent activities). We are currently run by a volunteer board elected by members of eight local trustees with a range of skills and interests, ably led by our Chair, Prof Mike Danson who brings a wealth of relevant experience.
What is SDC currently doing and planning? SDC’s main goal is to deliver on the priorities Strathnairn residents voiced in the CAP (although this is dynamic and will be regularly revisited) – including provision of a community hub offering social opportunities to all, including our youth, affordable housing, regular social events, improved public transport and safe, active travel infrastructure. You may not have heard of us, particularly in the absence of a newsletter over the last few years, but we are actively working on various priorities. We aim to employ community development officers and project staff to realise this potential. We are also continually discussing how we can ensure the future resilience of our community and enhance local facilities and opportunities we may otherwise only find in Inverness. And hope to initiate a process to produce a Local Place Plan in the near future. Through Community Development Officers we also hope to continue to support other community groups and ensure we create an environment in which volunteers find support, respect and fulfilment.
So please do take the simple step of completing this form to become a member of SDC. We encourage everyone to join, to ensure you can have a voice in this key community group, receive updates about what we are planning and doing, have options to get involved in or voice your perspective on the projects and activities that you care about the most and contribute alongside many others to sustainable community development in Strathnairn.