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

Have you got a business idea for the Development Trust? A plan which will run as a social enterprise and contribute to ColGlen’s economic and social viability? If you have the Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust would like to hear about it!

The Development Trust will consider any viable plan: from Microhydro schemes throughout the community, to a laundry service; from a farm shop selling local produce to running a commercial bus service between Colintraive and Strachur – whatever the idea is, the CGDT will be glad to give it serious consideration.

Once you have submitted the idea, the board will run it through our assessment criteria. If the idea scores well enough a business plan will need to be prepared. If you have opted to be kept informed as to the idea’s progress, we’ll come back to you and ask you more about your idea and your vision for it.

In partnership with the community, the Development Trust will be putting together a series of initiatives which will form a coherent vision for the future for ColGlen – contributing your ideas now could have a significant impact on that process, influencing strategy for years to come.

To contribute an idea, please fill in this form.

The newly incorporated Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust’s AGM is to be held at Glendaruel Village Hall.

All members of the community are very welcome. Membership of the Trust will be taken up at the AGM and will cost £1 for a year’s subscription. Only residents of Colintraive and Glendaruel qualify for membership, but all those with an interest in the trust’s business are very welcome to come along and express their views and ideas.

After the business of the AGM, tea, coffee and biscuits will be served and there’ll be the chance to chat informally with trust directors, contribute ideas and ask questions.

If you’d like more information, please contact Charles Dixon-Spain via email or on 01369 820 115

The Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust is very pleased to announce that the draft Memorandum and Articles have passed their last test before incorporation. At the beginning of the month the Charities Regulator OSCR wrote to confirm that they are satisfied with the submission made in June by the group.

Once the Development Trust has been incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee with Charitable Status, an AGM will be called and the trust’s business proper will begin.  An announcement on the date of the meeting will be made shortly.

Charles Dixon-Spain writes: As Chair of the Steering Group, I’m delighted to report that our recommendation to form as a Company Limited by Guarantee with Charitable Status was accepted unanimously by those attending the Public Meeting called on the evening of the 24th June at Glendaruel Village Hall.

Despite dreary, wet conditions, the meeting was well attended and heard about the progress made towards incorporation by the steering group who reported on all aspects of their investigations.

With Alex McNaughton’s introduction, Alan Polland’s report on Voluntary Associations and mine on our eventual choice, we laid the basis for Annie Craig’s summary on our investigation of other trust’s work, Donald Walker’s description of our formation of idea assessment criteria and John McEwen’s report on how we implemented our Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&A).

With the community’s approval of our recommendation we must now wait for the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator’s (OSCR) approval of our M&A which could take up to 8 weeks or more. Once that approval is given we will form the company with the steering group acting as interim directors. An AGM will be called within a month of formation, at which everyone will be welcome.

The business done, Joanna Sinclair introduced Archie Thomson, Chair of the Renton Community Development Trust who gave a lively and inspirational address on sustainable development. We’ll certainly be taking up his kind invitation to visit Renton and see for ourselves what social enterprise has achieved for Archie’s community.

Minutes of this meeting will be published on this website shortly.