As we stated in recent communications through summer 2024, the relationship between our benefit fund and development trust is really important for our ability to deliver projects and activities contributing to sustainable development in the Strath. And experiences to date have shown this is something we need to work on.

SDC reported at the August 2024 Community Council meeting that we were in discussion with the Highland Third Sector Interface (HTSI) to take advantage of their free guidance service for strengthening community governance and collaborations. The SDC Board thought that would be a great option but unfortunately they advised we were better placed to request for an accredited process through the Edinburgh-based national organisation Scottish Mediation. We were surprised but enquired about what this means and sought advice from other regional and national organisations in our development network. In the end, after describing a few facts about the issues with our collaboration with SCBF to date, we have been advised by at least 7 regional and national organisations (including the Development Trusts Association for Scotland, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and the Scottish Community Development Centre) that this would be a very appropriate first step for us. They emphasized that we should not try to simply sort this out ourselves without the facilitation of external, impartial experts. These organisations also emphasized that far from being something negative and only suited to serious conflicts, mediation is a very constructive, quick (being done over a single day and usually within a week of parties consenting) and free process providing an opportunity for community organisations to improve their working relationships. We have also been encouraged by the responses from several community groups and residents endorsing this approach.

Our Board acknowledge this suggestion has not been popular with SCBF, and some others. We fully understand the sentiment that we may be able to discuss things and make some progress ourselves. But please try to see SDC’s perspective. All of these organisations with all their expertise have advised that before we do anything else in respect of the collaboration between SDC and SCBF, we request a 1 day mediation. As a volunteer board of a charity, we have responsibility to make informed decisions and to ignore this advice would be very questionable. Therefore, we feel it is quite objectively the right thing for us to do and our board unanimously support a mediation in the current circumstances. We are not playing politics here, but acting with integrity, focused on establishing good governance, and with a clear focus on how we can best deliver sustainable development for the residents of Strathnairn. Note that this does not mean SDC are inactive or unwilling to meet with community groups. We will happily meet with any and all community groups about any topic, other than how SDC collaborate with SCBF.

We contacted SCBF about mediation on the 2nd September 2024, and had hoped by now we could report about its completion, but we understand SCBF’s Board have reservations. We suggested at the September Community Council meeting that SCBF communicate with Scottish Mediation to ask any questions about the process.

Some have questioned whether we (SDC and SCBF) are really in a situation requiring mediation. To very briefly recap, SDC’s board feel that we cannot function as a charity, seeking to deliver sustainable development in Strathnairn, with the current issues in our working relationship. To put volunteer time and resources in is futile until we find better ways to work together. We have outlined the specific qualities of governance we feel need to be urgently addressed, being the trust & respect between us, the lack of processes and quality of communications through which we collaborate, and the transparency and accountability in decisions and actions affecting one another. We have made several suggestions for how they could be addressed, including:

a) Establishing regular meetings between board members (ideally between female board members with decision making power) to align our visions and co-produce project ideas and pathways to execute them. Community Council meetings are not the appropriate place for this and we currently have no communication at all beyond them. That is a glaring issue to address.

b) We have suggested skills and training audits of our boards to equip us with the knowledge of community development to cooperate on sizeable projects, and help us create a more caring environment for volunteers. All of us could use training in different aspects of how to manage community organisations and to deliver development.

As yet, we have not received positive reactions from SCBF to these, nor alternative options, nor indications of a desire to reflect and improve. This is why mediation is being overwhelmingly advised as our first step. However, we remain open-minded and will endeavour to find channels to improve our working relationships. We hope we can report on progress soon.

The Board, SDC.

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.

We wish to follow up on our recent statement about issues affecting the realization of development in Strathnairn, to ensure we can reconcile these and move forward constructively together.

Of course many community groups are doing amazing work with great results for the community, and there is much to celebrate. However, the relationship between SCBF, SDC and SNCC is pivotal to deliver larger projects residents have voiced as priorities such as affordable housing, a social hub, paths for active travel, improved public transport and outdoor spaces. As our statement highlighted, it is these types of projects which are not being delivered. This is due to our collective weaknesses in governance – the structures and processes through which decisions are made, objectives defined and the ways we interact to do so (governance is different to management, which comprises the day to day activities through which decisions are implemented).

Our benefit fund and development trust are separate charitable organisations with SCBF acting as authority over funds which SDC applies for, with limited additional interaction. In most other communities across Scotland (including Strathdearn, Stratherrick, Garve and many more), the model is for these organisations to sit side by side, sometimes under the same umbrella organization, and to work closely, continuously, to formulate shared strategies, ideas, proposals, projects and events in the community. In Strathanairn, the SDC and SCBF boards have somewhat divergent understandings of what development means and pathways to deliver it. The main way we interact is only at community council meetings, which have become slightly undignified recurring events of throwing blame at one another and moving further apart. Past experiences and individual relationships add to the dysfunctional mix. Taking sides, playing politics to undermine the other, and arguing will not help improve the situation. We all need instead to acknowledge there is a problem, come together with humility, maturity and the community’s interests at heart to let the past go, co-design improved governance processes based on mutual respect and trust and forge a better more collaborative path forward.

We understand why our public expression of our Board’s perspective may induce negative reactions among SCBF directors, as we have at times felt from your own public expressions about our ‘failures’. Yet, we hope we can all reflect, now put aside past experiences and personal grievances and collectively look to reset, think innovatively and put our heads together in an improved effort to deliver sustainable development in the strath.

We do not make these suggestions reactively or speculatively but through experience and expertise. SDC is a registered SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation) and constituted to run its own affairs. SDC’s Chair is a respected professor of economics who advises the Scottish government on poverty and social policy and has played a role in numerous large social development projects from Glasgow to the Highlands. SDC’s secretary teaches courses and works with communities across Scotland to further cultural connection and empowerment. Our vice chair is an applied social scientist specializing in the governance of community institutions and his publications are widely utilized by development practitioners around the world. We could go on. So we understand the many different qualities of governance, relationships and leadership that are necessary for successful development projects, and where improvements could be made in our organisations.

As a community we are in such an advantageous position in Strathnairn with our own funds available, good community assets and many community groups. But we do lack some resources and opportunities, and are over reliant on Inverness to provide them. We are far behind other rural communities in some respects, suggesting we could rethink our approach and learn from others. Imagine if we were at the beginning again, with the first funds from wind farms becoming available. How would we set up our benefit fund and development trust and establish their boards and the platforms they work through to ensure they deliver for the community? What differences might there be to the current situation, and how have other communities done it to good effect?

Why should we make changes in how our benefit fund and development trust work together? The SDC board believe this reflection and change is essential for the following reasons:

1. To build the cooperation required to co-create and achieve larger projects. Development is challenging! Other communities’ benefit funds and development trusts sit side by side, planning, conducting and assessing most activities collaboratively. Ours are clearly far too detached, structurally and in thinking. This means we lack the mutual understanding and trust required to properly support community employees or to initiate and deliver large, long term projects.
2. To make the lives of volunteers easier and more fulfilling. This not unique to SDC, but we hear of numerous instances where volunteering has become hard, such as funding renewal being an arduous process. Criticism and uncertainty can bring stress and fatigue. At SDC, the recruitment of CDOs has been difficult and time consuming. But people do change jobs for all kinds of reasons. To be labelled as failures without even being consulted and have funding frozen, and decisions taken away from us is deflating. It dampens enthusiasm at times when support is required. All community volunteers are stretched already. With support, praise and encouragement for creativity it can be more fun. Such positive atmospheres attract more people, make people more likely to lead events or projects and share their ideas rather than suppressing them.
3. Creating the space for ideas to flourish. Better collaboration and more informal spaces for sharing and developing ideas can lead to innovation, such as finding staffing solutions that can unlock potential to achieve positive things for the community.
4. The alternative is dire. Conflict, blame, political manoeuvring and burning of bridges will not bring these things for the community. Arguments and aggression at public meetings are undignified and unhelpful and have become too common here. When we talk of needed improvements in governance of our local organisations and their interactions these are the changes and the likely benefits we envisage. It is time to step up and show leadership qualities with the bigger picture of a better future in mind.

The option we favour to inspire improvements in Strathnairn is to come together in a set of facilitated meetings to both equip our community group boards and volunteers with the skills they need, and to help them build shared visions about how our community groups fit together, for how volunteering could best be supported through staff, resources and funds, for the types of projects to run and how best to deliver them.  

This could be an inspiring event, a means to forge better understanding and relationships between community groups and a way to bring in new volunteers, community group leaders and project managers. 

We intend to write a proposal to SCBF for such an event as a progressive way forward for our groups. We all wish to produce social benefit for the community, and to do so we must avoid bickering and revisiting past grievances and instead move forward in a spirit of cooperation. We look forward to constructive discussions soon. If you support such an event or approach, we would love to hear from you. Also if you have alternative ideas or if you disagree, we always welcome your feedback at michael@strathnairndevelopment.scot .

We hope you are enjoying the summer weather and all that is great about the Strathnairn community and environment.

As the Board of SDC, we are providing this update so that you can all see what we have been doing over the recent months (see the summaries from Jessica, the Community Development Officer on the website:  https://www.strathnairndevelopment.scot/documents/). This shows how much has been achieved in implementing the aspirations of the community (see the Community Action Plan on that page) as promised.

We have been working with community groups and other organisations to create strategic and detailed plans for the coming year (see the SDC Planned Work 2024-25). However, these are on hold as we have not received funding from the Strathnairn Community Benefit Fund to employ the services of two part-time Community Development Officers to support community groups and Strathnairners in their plans and activities.

We expand below on the achievements, our plans and our frustration.

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It has been brought to our attention that our email communications have not been reaching our members for some time. We had been posting updates on our social media pages and the Strathnairn Facebook group, but an error in our systems meant these were not also emailed to you. For this we apologise, as we fully understand that many people do not use or monitor social media. We have now established a system whereby regular email updates will be provided, based on the activity summaries we produce to report to monthly Community Council meetings.

The absence of a Strathnairn community newsletter also means less regular communication, and we have volunteered to produce a bi-monthly ‘What’s On’ newsletter to plug that gap until a newsletter is re-established. Next edition is due out in August. Your feedback on the first issue is welcome and thanks to those who contributed.

In the meantime, allow us to recap some of our main activities for the past few months:

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The SDC Board: SDC has ten trustees with a variety of skills and interests, and a wealth of experience in the governance of community organisations (https://www.strathnairndevelopment.scot/).We are delighted to share that our Chair, Prof Mike Danson, has been invited to address the closing plenary of the DTAS (Development Trust Association Scotland) annual conference this August!

In February we said goodbye to trustees Kirsty Adam, Scott MacDonald and Jillian MacLennan. We thank them for their fantastic contributions over many years and look forward to keeping in touch. We are also very excited to welcome Elna Harvey, Aileen Taylor, Guy Harris, Justyna Szczachor and Haldane Robinson to the Board.

Community Development Officer (CDO): Jessica Boughey, our CDO since November 2023, sadly left in May 2024 as she found a new position at the Highland Council that suited her personal circumstances and career path well. As a Board we were delighted with her initiative, commitment and support over the 6 months she spent with us, and we are sure many groups in Strathnairn have benefitted and agree. Her detailed and strategic work has contributed towards implementing our Community Action Plan and generated legacies that we build upon. Her performance assessments were very favourable, and it is with genuine regret that we said goodbye to her. The SDC Board considered our options, sought external advice about recruitment and HR from our community development network including DTAS, SCVO, the Scottish Government, SSE and development practitioners in the Highlands. On hearing from several interested candidates we submitted a proposal for two part-time CDO roles to SCBF in June – to enable complementary skills and a team environment. A month later, the only feedback received from SCBF is that they have concerns whether the CDO role offers value for money and are withholding funding. This has prevented us from advertising the posts. We hope this will be resolved quickly.   

Neighbouring straths and other Highland areas with less people and fewer funds commonly have ten or more community staff and project managers, achieving wonderful things for their communities. We urge more aspirational thinking on this front. Our CDO is only our first employee and we need to have reasonable expectations of what a single person can do and what increased employment could add. The need for SDC, SNCC and SCBF to collectively manage expectations and not overburden our first community employee was discussed at several meetings in 2022. Current needs for a CDO or multiple community employees in Strathnairn extend far beyond what volunteers can deliver in pursuit of development aims: to facilitate a Local Place Plan; to progress affordable housing; funding proposals for things like a Multi Use Games Area, for sustainable travel, safe pathways for young, old and all in light of our increased traffic burdens, more and improved outdoor recreation spaces; to run events; collaborate with external organisations like Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Climate Hub and other neighbouring communities. SDC regularly meet with and try to learn from other Development Trusts in the national network about their approaches, successes and challenges.

Community Hub Steering Group: This group comprises two members from each of SDC, SCBF, the Community Council and Farr Hall Committee and has met regularly since November 2023. The group’s remit is to advance thinking and plans for the widely expressed aspiration for a social hub, with Farr Hall agreed through consultation as the primary venue. A social hub is a welcoming, inclusive, multi-purpose community space for everyday social interaction and use, to generate cumulative social benefit and generation of ideas, friendships and actions. This represents a step change from a hall with a reservation system, so requires thoughtful planning and upgrade of facilities. There are many examples and guidance on how to establish a hub, and the group have had informative outings to Strathdearn and Boat of Garten to understand their facilities, staffing, decisions, successes and challenges.

Around 50 people attended a consultation day in January and discussions about specific possible features of the hub have advanced. See the reference document produced by the Steering Group showing the trail of decision making to date, reflecting the different preferences voiced (from cosy social spaces to gym to after school clubs and pump track) and the current status of their planning, and the consensus about next steps. Certainly residents have expressed that a hub in Strathnairn should primarily serve the local community rather than seeking to attract others and their revenue. Strathnairn Connect and Farr Hall Committee have already been doing fantastic work in piloting and running a local café, hotdesking, craft clubs, markets etc. on particular days.

It is planned that consultant architects (specialising in community spaces) will be engaged to help explore options for delivery of the wider aspirations in the future – three firms have been approached and quotes of c.£6,000 obtained for engaging the community in a brief feasibility study to better define what a hub should deliver for Strathnairn and to then provide drawings of different design options which could deliver that.

The steering group supported Farr Hall Committee’s wish to progress with building improvements in the meantime, whilst hub plans develop, by extending the front room used for the community café. At the time of that decision this was expected to cost below £100,000 and not compromise future hub plans or SCBF’s budget. However, at the most recent Steering Group meeting it came to light that the Farr Hall improvements are now estimated to cost £350,000, also including toilet improvements and a storage space at the back of the hall. SDC trustees have asked for confirmation of this figure and the status of both its planning application and any application of funds to SCBF, as well as a discussion as to how this impacts longer term plans for a hub and the engagement of architects. To our dismay and although we strongly disapprove of this unauthorised and counterproductive step, the SCBF Chair (rather than providing information and welcoming such discussion) declared at the June Community Council meeting that the hub steering group should be disbanded, and since June the group is no longer functioning.

We urge more transparent and cooperative interaction in future on matters of importance to the wellbeing of the community. Rest assured that with or without the steering group, SDC will continue to work collaboratively with the Farr Hall Committee on behalf of the community through transparent, joined-up, rational, long term thinking and strategic planning to deliver a hub and wise use of community funds. Not least, this must involve discussion of how community spaces in Daviot and elsewhere fit in with a hub.

It is vital that our benefit fund and development trust collaborate well, working alongside and respecting each other, creating alliances and supporting one another to make gains for the community. Yet currently we are not on this journey together, with SCBF instead issuing decisions without effectively engaging, listening and building shared ideas for how to progress. To ensure such instances of poor governance and politics as those described above do not happen again, we recommend that:

a) Informal fortnightly meetings between the leadership groups of the main community organisations take place as a platform for improved communication and cooperation. The lack of it is impeding development in the strath, making the lives of volunteers difficult and harming the community.

b) Community organisations should conduct a skills audit, training needs assessment and aim for diverse and inclusive recruitment. Trustees, directors and councillors of community organisations should undertake suitable training on the good governance of community organisations, to improve standards of cooperation, trust, cohesion, transparency and representation, as recommended by national organisations such as OSCR, DTAS, SCVO and government agencies.

c) We believe that the interactions between our main community groups need to be transformed, and further ways to move past the current situation and achieve more for the Strathnairn community could include a reshuffle and mixing of the 15 board members of SCBF and SDC, and a commitment from SDC, SCBF and SNCC that women be established as Chairs for at least the next three years (perhaps with some of their time funded). 

Gaelic language and culture events: Gaelic in Strathnairn events were held in late February and were very successful. Additional funding of £3,800 has been secured from Bord na Gaidhlig for more conversation cafes, talks on heritage and nature, bookbug sessions and approximately 40 free Gaelic classes, which are being held on Wednesday evenings in Farr Hall (contact us via michael@strathnairndevelopment.scot and check on the SDC and Strathnairn pages on Facebook).

Community cinema: Two fantastic cinema days were held in January and March in Farr Hall with the great financial and logistical support of Grazina at Community Film Scotland, so that these events were at no cost to the community. On these days we showed a kids’ film in the afternoon, and grown-ups’ movie in the evening. The kids’ films were packed, and the snacks and bean bags made for a great atmosphere. The grown-ups’ movies were reasonably attended, but we are considering options for documentaries with speakers, particular theme evenings, providing meals alongside etc. to increase numbers. There are possibilities for further funded events and training for organisers. If you are interested in becoming part of a Strathnairn Film Group, please get in touch (strathnairndevelopmentcompany@gmail.com).

Farr Gala: The gala in June was a great day, fun for all ages with a fabulous turnout, despite the low temperatures. Huge thanks to FANS, Paul Robinson from SDC and all who were involved in its organization. Anybody wishing to get involved next year, please let us know, all help very welcome (strathnairndevelopmentcompany@gmail.com).

Climate change event: A Climate Action Film and Conversation with guest speakers was held at Daviot Church in April. Through partnership with the Climate Hub, showcasing a film on Climate Action with partners from Highland Adapts and SSE in attendance.

Strathnairn Initiatives: Jessica arranged business coffee mornings for any small initiatives in Strathnairn with HIE in attendance. This first meeting was well attended and participants expressed an appetite for more in the future.

Local Place Plan: Jessica began the development of an engagement plan, further research and consideration of the consultation process, with a view to facilitating Strathnairn’s Local Place Plan process in the near future. Local Place Plans are led by and developed by the community, and contain their proposals for the development and use of land, and provide a new opportunity for communities to feed into the planning system with ideas and proposals. The local place plan for Strathnairn is an opportunity for real, community-based change.

Daviot Church: Support is being provided for the aim to increase community usage of the church through development of an events strategy.

So, a lot has been achieved in implementing the community’s aspirations in the Community Action Plan, and we have plans to progress more of these to fulfil the hopes of Strathnairners. But we need to be funded for the CDO positions so that we can continue this work and can support community groups in achieving their own plans. Our neighbouring communities are much smaller than us but each have 10 or more community staff to deliver for their residents by using Community Benefit Funds, Strathnairn deserves the same.

SDC have volunteered to produce a bi-monthly ‘What’s On’ newsletter to plug the gap until a community newsletter is re-established. Next edition is due out in August 2024. Your feedback on this first issue is welcome and thanks to those who contributed.

Two fantastic cinema days were held in January and March 2024 in Farr Hall with financial and logistical support from Community Film Scotland. On these days we showed a kids’ film in the afternoon, and grown-ups’ movie in the evening. The kids’ films were packed, and the snacks and bean bags made for a great atmosphere. The grown-ups’ movies were reasonably attended, but we are considering options for documentaries with speakers, particular theme evenings, providing meals alongside etc. to increase numbers. There are possibilities for further funded events and training for organisers. If you are interested in becoming part of a Strathnairn Film Group, please get in touch (strathnairndevelopmentcompany@gmail.com).

Gaelic in Strathnairn events were held in late February 2024 and were very successful.
Additional funding of £3,800 has been secured from Bord na Gaidhlig for more
conversation cafes, talks on heritage and nature, bookbug sessions and approximately
40 free Gaelic classes, which are being held on Wednesday evenings in Farr Hall
(contact us via michael@strathnairndevelopment.scot and check on the SDC and Strathnairn pages on
Facebook).

Jessica Boughey, our CDO since November 2023, sadly left in May 2024 as she found a new position at the Highland Council that suited her personal circumstances and career path well. As a Board we were delighted with her initiative, commitment and support over the 6 months she spent with us, and we are sure many groups in Strathnairn have benefitted and agree. Her detailed and strategic work has contributed towards implementing our Community Action Plan and generated legacies that we build upon. Her performance assessments were very favourable, and it is with genuine regret that we said goodbye to her. We wish Jessica all the best for the future, and look forward to bringing in a new CDO or multiple part-time CDOs soon to continue this progress and community benefits.