Aileen MacVicar

We are looking for Trustees!

17 March 2025 by Aileen MacVicar

As we progress with the Clock Tower Project now is a really great time to get involved with the DDCA and become a Trustee!

The Board of Trustees is key to the continued functioning of the charity. Without trustees, we cannot operate. This is not a huge daunting commitment– Trustees are required to attending a monthly meeting, in person in Dufftown or virtually. You will also be required to answer a few emails a week to allow us to progress projects.

In return for volunteering as a trustee with us, we offer the opportunity to give something back to the community, personal growth, and having a role in shaping our many exciting projects.

We would particularly like to hear from anyone who will be willing to take on the role as treasurer.

Criteria for a Trustee of DDCA:

You Live, Work or are passionate about Dufftown and District.
You are willing to accept other people’s views and ideas, consider them and constructively debate your point of view.
You are willing to donate your time to the DDCA while having the commitment to complete actions.
You bring energy and ideas to the DDCA and in return the DDCA provides opportunities for personal growth, development and the satisfaction of professional execution of our strategic plans.
Desirable but not essential skills: Leadership, Influencing, HR skills, IT/Systems, PR/Communications, Knowledge of Charity governance, Strategy Development, Project Management, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.

Responsibilities of a DDCA trustee:

Read and follow the DDCA constitution
Adequately prepare for trustee meetings and regularly attend (Once per month normally).
Monitor the financial position of the charity and ensure corrective action is taken were appropriate
Participate in appropriate governance of other risks including following OSCR guidance on safeguarding, prevention of fraud and inclusion leadership.
Actively participate in DDCA subgroups and monitor the progress of projects.
Declare any conflict of interest
Be a role model and ambassador for the DDCA

For more information or to register your interest in the role please email aileen@dufftowncommunity.co.uk

Exciting Update on the Clock Tower Project

13 March 2025 by Aileen MacVicar

Back in 2017 the council switched off the power to Dufftown’s Iconic Clock Tower and left an unacceptable situation for our community. We wanted to help, and on the 6th March 2018 we secured a maintenance agreement from the Council which allowed us to rewire the power supply to the clock so that it was safe from water ingress and it allowed the DDCA to pay the electricity bill to get the clock going again.

Later, in August 2020, we purchased the Clock Tower from Moray Council who had no intention of repairing or looking after the Dufftown Clock Tower. Since then we have acted to safeguard the Clock Tower and its future.

Since buying the Clock Tower, we have studied options, consulted with the community and agreed that the best future use of the Clock Tower is a holiday rental accommodation on the upper floors and a mixed use community space on the ground floor. This took quite some work to achieve and wouldn’t have been possible without our valued staff at the time – Viktoria.

Today, we wanted to share with you the good news that we have reached a milestone event, having spent over a year toiling with Planners, Architects and funding applications, we have now submitted a request for planning permission to achieve the below plan for the Clock Tower.

We trust this is welcome news to you all and we look forward to sharing progress with you again as updates occur.

Getting to Know You!

28 February 2025 by Aileen MacVicar

As I approach the end of my first month in post, I would like to say ‘Thank you’ for the welcome to the role and your Community!

My main focus has been getting to know the DDCA, the local area and I am beginning to meet some of the Charities and Groups in Dufftown and District. This week I had an inspiring visit to the Keith and Dufftown Railway, met their team of talented volunteers and heard about their plans over the coming months. I also had a tour of the station and was lucky enough to see inside the carriages and workshop. I had to share a picture of the ‘Dram Tram’ for anyone who hasn’t seen it as it truly is a thing of beauty.

This week, I have also had the pleasure of meeting Julie for Speyside Youth and Mandy from the Community Centre, both gave me a real insight in to their work and plans for the future and I am looking forward to working with them both and hope to make it a long to a Speyside Youth event soon too.

I will continue to make introductions with other groups in the area as well as getting to know the surrounding communities. We hope to have our first Community Forum in April and I will confirm the date over the next week.

As ever, please feel free to contact me on -aileen@dufftowncommunity.co.uk

Appointment of Community Development Officer

13 February 2025 by Aileen MacVicar

Dufftown and District Community Association (DDCA) are excited to share the news that we have successfully appointed a Community Development Officer to further our charitable work. The role has been vacant for nearly a year as the DDCA secured funding for a further two years.

Strengthening our approach to community development

The board of Trustees are excited to share the news that we have recruited Aileen MacVicar as our Community Development Officer after an extensive recruitment effort. Speaking on behalf of the trustees, Fraser McGill said “Third sector funding has been a challenging environment over the last year and securing funding for the role has taken more time than planned, but we are pleased to have secured funding for two years from our partners. Progress on key projects slowed during this time but we hope to speed up progress and communication of progress on our key projects in 2025.”

The continuation of development of the Dufftown Clock Tower is the leading project for 2025, along with the rental ebike scheme and community larder. In recent years the community has benefited from regular forums which this role has coordinated, establishing them again is key to a coordinated progressive community.

Aileen joins the DDCA as it approaches a key milestone on the Dufftown Clock Tower, planning submission is due in March 2025 to secure the future use as a self-contained rental accommodation in the upper floors and a mixed use community space on the ground floor. This project will require significant effort to fundraise and programme manage the development.

Introducing Aileen…

For the last 14 years I have lived in Rothienorman, just outside Inverurie, with my husband and three growing boys. Our village is small, so I understand the needs and struggles of a smaller community as well as the benefits. We enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle with our dog, Pippa, and I am a keen cyclist and runner – occasionally I take on challenges and attend events when my children’s social life allows!

I attended University at Robert Gordon’s in Aberdeen, where I studied Retail Management, and was raised in Edinburgh and Fife. My early career was in the Corporate Events and Wedding Industry, which I was a part of for over 11 years. I then took on various roles which allowed more flexibility when raising a young family; these included Sales, Administration, a supportive role in the Wedding Industry, and Childminding.

My first week has been busy! I have spent time in Dufftown and District, gathering my bearings, and learnt about the community priorities and those of the DDCA. I also had the opportunity to meet the other trustees, and I look forward to working with them to further the success of Dufftown and District as a community.

Over the next few weeks, I would like to get to know you all, meet up, hear about other groups and charities in the area and find out how we can all work together to make positive changes for Dufftown and District.

In the meantime, if you have any events that you would like to send through to me so we can post them on the website please do or feel free to say ‘Hello’ my email address is aileen@dufftowncommunity.co.uk would be lovely to hear from you!

Aileen MacVicar

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