SEAD (Scottish Education and Action for Development)

Background

Comrie is a small rural community of 2000 set in the Scottish District of Perth and Kinross. In April 2005 they were visited by Orkney Development Trust, and were encouraged into setting up a development group of their own with an objective of creating a sustainable development plan for the village, in the form of a development trust. A community meeting was held in October 2005 with outside speakers, and facilitated sessions leading to 120 people voting to set up the Development Trust. In June 2006 the Development Trust was launched over a weekend (launch activity details available on website). A big opportunity for creating sustainable living through local resources soon came up in the form of the sale of the 90 acre Cultybraggen Army Camp. The newly established Development Trust communicated via the 56 local groups and enlisted a 72% population turnout for the community right to buy vote in which 95% voted ‘yes – buy!’

What are they doing

The group is very busy with monthly open meetings and bi monthly board meetings, 7 working groups; equalling about 15 to 20 activities a month. The Trust communicates internally and to the rest of the community via regular press releases, the Comrie Bulletin, of which there are 3 a year, delivered to every house; through contributions to existing Local Newsletters as well as regularly updating the village postboard. The main current project is financing and management of the community land purchase which has raised over £700,000 in charitable grants, Big Lottery Funds, loans from charitable foundation and commercial loans. The group has since also received about £30,000 funding for community projects such as a community cinema.
The next plans include the long term development of Cultybraggen Camp over the coming decades, creating an oral history project, commencing an initiative in renewable energy, increasing community facilities such as building a skateboard park, and launching a ‘Going Carbon Neutral’ action plan. The group hopes to hire four staff for the Development Trust using fund money from Growing Community Assets and income from developing social enterprise.

Despite it being hard work, as volunteers to find the time to ensure a continued high level of involvement, notwithstanding, the Development Trust now has over 600 members. The founders believe that the key has been not having any funds for the starting stages of the project; the buy-in has come from a solid base of genuine community interest and desire.

Comrie Development Trust Top Tip

Don’t necessarily label your activity as climate change. A positive way to get engagement is to promote the groups objectives as steps and pathways to help a community increase its sustainable development.

Helpful resources

National: Forum for the Future; Development Trusts Associations Scotland
Regional: Sustainability South West
Local: Bovey Climate Action
Specialist: Hard Rain

Contact details

Name: Alan Caldwell Associates, Specialists in community planning & regeneration
Web address: www.alancaldwellassociates.co.uk