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

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!