The View down the Kyles of Bute

Following their successful applications to Leader Argyll and the Cruach Mhor Windfarm Trust, the Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust (CGDT) is recruiting a Development Officer to work on a freelance basis for two years. The position, which is worth £24,000 plus expenses to the successful applicant, will involve preparation, implementation and follow up on a variety of projects from public consultations to project managing capital projects in a wide range of endeavours. The Development Trust has prioritised renewables schemes, and these will form the basis of the first year’s work, alongside, smaller, but no less important micro projects like getting laptops into village halls.

Colintraive and Glendaruel are two rural communities in South-west Cowal, Argyll, united by proximity, the ColGlen shinty club and long tradition, with a total adult population of just over 250, and beset by all the issues which characterise rural decline: aging population, lack of employment, poor housing stock and falling school roll. The Development Trust is tasked with revitalising the community ensuring its longterm economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability – and the Development Officer is a key figure in this.

Founded at an inaugural meeting in November 2008, the trust consists of ten board members, including local resident and MSP, Michael Russell who says of the project:

A small and fragile community like Colintraive and Glendaruel must go forward or it will inexorably decline - in population, in services and in viability. A development officer focussed on securing economic opportunities within the community, and accountable to that community, will be a vital step forward. In a very real sense this appointment could and must secure the future for all of us who live here.

Application packs, including research materials and information are available to applicants from Sybel Peters, Camusfernan, Colintraive PA22 3AR, tel: 01700 841 200

For more information on CGDT, click here

This project is funded by:

THE CRUACH MHOR WINDFARM TRUST 

and

The Trustees met on 2nd June to consider applications. Dunans Charitable Trust applied for assistance to fund the restoration and preservation of Dunans bridge. Major funding had already been obtained elsewhere and the Trust approved a grant of £5000 for legal costs, feasibility survey and access improvements. Before deciding on an application by the Glen Hall for a crèche more information was required. £995 was granted towards the costs of a Midsummer music festival organised by Nick Lewis. The Shinty club apply annually for a training grant for young players and a grant of £890 was approved. An award of £1000 was agreed towards a summer outing and other benefits for Kilmodan Primary. A grant towards costs of football training and equipment was discussed but held over. The Fellowship  was assured of assistance towards transport costs.

The annual grant from Scottish Power is considered low compared with awards made to more recent Trusts. The local authority and Scottish power are discussing a small increase.

The trustees remind the public that provided a grant application was for the benefit of the community it does not matter that the recipient was or might become profit making. All applications will be considered.

Alex McNaughton

The Dunans Charitable Trust is delighted to be the recipient of a grant from the Cruach Mhor Windfarm Trust. The funding will support the continuation of the extensive work that has so far been undertaken, to preserve, protect and create access to Dunans Bridge as well as the transferral of ownership to the trust.

In 1971 the Bridge was awarded an A listing in recognition of the unique place it occupies in the nation’s built heritage as the only example of a triple-arch rubble construction with eight octagonal piers designed by Thomas Telford. Playing a pivotal visual role in the designed landscape around Dunans, the bridge stands some 13.5 metres from the stream bed, straddles one of the Ruel’s tributaries and is flanked by magnificent native and exotic specimen trees. South-west Cowal’s  connection to Telford is well known and this example of his work is especially unusual and comparatively ‘undiscovered’ as a tourist attraction. With the recent addition of Caithness Stone steps and viewing platform the visitor is able to gain access to the base of the bridge and experience Telford’s monumental design at close hand.

The trust continues its work and next year will see further progress being made in the continued restoration and regeneration of the Dunans site as a whole in becoming a pivotal destination in Cowal and a positive addition to ColGlen’s assets.

The Dunans Charitable Trust, A Scottish Charity No.SC038431 www.dunans.org

The Cruach Mor Wind Farm Trustees held a public meeting in the Glendaruel Village Hall on 23rd January attended by the Trustees, representatives from Argyll & Bute Council, Scottish Power and seven members of the public.
The Chairman, Alex McNaughton, explained that the meeting had been called principally to adopt a Constitution for the Trust which had operated until now under the terms of an unadopted constitution provided by Scottish Power when it was set up in 2003. This constitution was adopted along with necessary working rules relating to the financial year, the audit of accounts and the holding of the Annual General Meeting.
The Trustees had operated under the understanding that grants could not be given to a profit making enterprise but, after consultation with the solicitors acting for Scottish Power, were advised that grants could be awarded for charitable, educational, environmental and other purposes and that if these were for the benefit of the community, it did not matter that the recipient was or might become profit making.
The accounts for the three completed operating years were circulated and approved. They showed that the Trust had awarded grants totalling £52,257.50 and that the funds held totalled almost £67,000.  The Wind Farm Trust might be able to help with the projects of the Development Trust but made a plea for local organisations to come to them for financial assistance with their projects.

There seems to be much confusion and misunderstanding of the workings of the Wind Farm Trust.

The Trust was set up in 2003 by Argyll and Bute Council and CRE Energy who provide an annual grant. The first payment of £21,000 was received in 2003. Subsequent payments in June each year have increased annually through inflation and the last of £22,762 was received in June 2006. The bank pays interest on the account.
The area benefiting from the funds is that covered by the Colintraive & Glendaruel Community Council. The Trustees comprise one member of the Community Council from Glendaruel (Tom Mowat) and one from Colintraive (Bridget Paterson, who has now resigned from the Community Council and also as a Wind Farm Trustee), a local authority Councillor (Douglas Currie who retires in May), an elected representative (Alec McNaughton) and a representative from Scottish Power. A&BC also have an interest in the Trust and receive copies of minutes. The chair is Alec McNaughton and the Secretary/Treasurer is Tom Mowat. The Trustees meet quarterly. and claim no expenses and there have been no running costs.
The Trust received a constitution from A&BC and Scottish Power and guide lines for awarding grants were determined. Trustees were restricted to awarding grants to ‘groups and organisations which undertake activities which benefit the joint community of Colintraive and Glendaruel’. This has been interpreted as allowing grants only to non profit making groups. A condition which has caused concern is the need for ‘match funding’ which requires any group applying for more than £1000 to have a similar amount of their own or from some other source, often not easy to achieve. The Trustees have found this too restrictive and referred the matter to Scottish Power. This coupled with changes to the constitution was referred to their solicitors some months ago and the outcome is awaited.
The Trustees consider all applications and have to date given grants totalling £46,100. The largest grant has been £28,000 to the children’s playpark and grants totalling £5,600 have been given to the school for various projects. The shinty club, the Gun club, the village Halls, the Cowal Way, the Fellowship and the Newsletter have also benefited. The Trust funds are there to be used for the benefit of the community and cannot be spent unless applications are made. Application forms are available from the secretary.
Alec McNaughton, Chairman
Tom Mowat, Secretary/Treasurer