Fraser

We found our first employee!

18 January 2022 by Fraser

Starting in February, we welcome our first employee whom will help us deliver our charitable purpose for the benefit of all in Dufftown and District. Very soon, we will announce more about them along with some of their focus areas that they will be working on.

We are going to consider turning the ground floor of the Clock Tower into a project office so we can have a physical presence for those that are not online or for those that are passionate about sharing a particular idea face to face. The project office would be open at dedicated times.

Watch out for a more formal introduction to come…

Looking for our first employee!

14 October 2021 by Fraser

The DDCA are proud to announce that we have secured funding for our first employee!

Over the last 4 years, the DDCA has been growing from strength to strength and now we require more resource to support our charitable purpose and the continued work that we deliver for the residents of Dufftown and District.

The role will be a full time position with a fixed term contract for 2 years and this role is part funded from the Dorenell Wind Farm and part funded from Highland and Islands Enterprise.

For more details on the role and for details on how to apply, please see the documents below:

DDCA Advert Community Development Leader

DDCA Community Development Leader Job Description

DDCA Job Application – Community Development Leader

DDCA Recruitment Pack

Dorenell Circular Route

19 May 2021 by Fraser

Recently the DDCA chaired a meeting of all interested parties to discuss the possibility of establishing what would be an iconic path network joining up the communities of the Cabrach, Dufftown, Glenrinnes, Glenlivet and Tomintoul. These are the communities that surround the Dorenell windfarm.

During the meeting, their was representation from EDF, the communities, community groups from further afield and strategic partners. While this is a long term vision entailing significant work, it is very important for the DDCA to support Dufftown to create further tourism interest all year round.

If anyone is interested in taking part, hearing more or supporting this very exciting project, please get in touch. This activity is run under our Outdoors and Amenity sub-group led by Andy Meynell.

Discover Dufftown

21 April 2021 by Fraser

Dufftown gets ready to welcome visitors back!

While everyone is busy making up their beds, readying their shops and restaurants, the DDCA have been busy creating a new feature on the Community website designed to make it easier for visitors to know what to do in Dufftown!

The website has sections for local business, local shops, restaurants, places to stay and now a list of Things to Do in Dufftown!

With thanks to Speyside Youth for their energy on the topic of Discover Dufftown – More to come on that soon… We are excited to hear your ideas of what can be listed under the Things to Do section of the website. Please get in touch to let us know.

Discover Dufftown

Dufftown Wildflower Meadow

10 April 2021 by Fraser

DDCA develops wildflower meadow to support biodiversity improvements

The DDCA sought permission from the local church to establish a meadow in the grassed area in front of the church house. We had in excess of 7 volunteers take part in phase 1, where we prepared the ground ready for sowing the seeds once they arrive!

This was a very exciting project for us, the first for 2021 where we can encourage volunteers to take part in a socially distanced and Covid safe way. With much excitement around the 20,000 daffodils planted last year and yet to emerge in 2021… I wonder how many wild flower seeds we will sow… 1 Million? Who wants to count them?

We hope the insects and bees appreciate the buffet when they finally emerge later this year.

Phase 2 is the actual seed planting process so stay tuned for a date to help out with that.

Dufftown Net Zero Carbon Starts Now!

8 April 2021 by Fraser

Did you know Transport generally accounts for a third of UK CO2 emissions?

Did you know that Scotland has banned the sale of Petrol and Diesel cars from 2030?

The DDCA is here to help!

The DDCA are Partnering with Moray Carshare to bring Dufftown’s first Community Electric car into use. The DDCA purchased the car in February 2021 and we have been working with The Moray Council to secure Dufftown’s first electric car charger in the Mortlach Memorial Hall Carpark. While the electric charging point is almost completed, we are finalising an agreement with Moray Carshare to operate the electric car for the benefit of local residents.

Did you know that it costs £22 for two adults to take a return trip to Elgin? With the electric car, this regular journey would cost roughly £18 for a 3-hour trip.

Check out Moray Carshare’s Website for more information and become a member: www.moraycarshare.co.uk

Dufftown History Trails

6 April 2021 by Fraser

While it has taken sometime to find our feet on our Sub Groups, the Protecting Heritage group has been busy!

The Dufftown History mobile application

The mobile application was to be built by a student from Moray College in Elgin, but unfortunately had to stop due to personal circumstances. Now a Dutch Company, has offered to build the app for Dufftown at no costs. The app will be built natively for both iOS and Android which makes it very stable and professional. As an extra bonus the app will have the LiveTours software integrated so it can be used during guided walks as well. James Gillies, a local resident from Glenrinnes, has provided all the narratives for the points of interest at no charge, so a working version of the app could be available in June or July 2021.

Every new app has little imperfections so we will require the help of some local app testers to find them. So, if you like history and especially that of Dufftown, please do volunteer!

Illustrating Dufftown’s History

To complement the mobile application a series of local interpretation boards, designed to highlight Dufftown’s history while also encouraging locals and tourists alike to Discover Dufftown are to be released. A sneak-peak of what is in development is included in this article. The signage will also include a proposed Story Walk from Gordon’s Cross to the Giant’s Chair.

To find out more or keep updated about our progress, please subscribe to our newsletter, get in touch via the website to volunteer or just to ask a question.

DDCA Launches Affordable Housing Project for Dufftown

2 April 2021 by Fraser

Dufftown and District Community Association (DDCA) launch a period of consultation, scoping and design for future expansions to Dufftown’s housing stock. The housing will be affordable in nature with a targeted approach to attract future residents as defined by community consultation. The Housing design will be fit for a Net Zero Carbon future with appropriate steps made to ensure that the housing is compatible for living through a changing climate.

The DDCA are working with the Communities Housing Trust to support our approach, consultations and project scoping, delivering a design ready for tendering to construction partners. The provision of affordable housing in Speyside to support new families and local residents to move up the housing ladder is in high demand, along with housing for those in their later years who require assisted living to stay in their local community.

Fraser McGill, Chairperson of the DDCA said “The DDCA began a partnership with the Communities Housing Trust in April 2020 after learning of the underlying challenges in our community. The trustees felt that good quality affordable housing designed to minimise fuel poverty and support local families to stay in Dufftown would be a game changer for the community. Having heard of the approach that the Communities Housing Trust has helped foster in Tomintoul, we are pleased to be working with such a forward thinking organisation. Delivering affordable housing that is owned by the community and for the community will ensure that the resident’s interests are always met.”

The Communities Housing Trust have been working with our neighbours at Tomintoul to help them develop the old school into locally tailored housing to improve their community. Joe Gribben has been involved in that project and is really getting to know Speyside’s needs.

Joe Gribben, Community Led Housing Officer, Communities Housing Trust said “We are very pleased to be supporting DDCA in their efforts to address the shortage of affordable housing in Dufftown. Community led housing projects respond to local need and can have many benefits for the community and its businesses.”

The DDCA take time to ensure our strategic stakeholders remain appraised of our plans, allowing us to seek help and advice as required. We recently met with Richard Lochhead to update him on our strategic plans to develop the DDCA and the opportunities that we are developing in Dufftown and District.

Richard Lochhead, who met with the DDCA prior to the election period in his role as MSP said “After hearing of the DDCA plans for Dufftown and specifically their approach on community housing, I pay tribute to all their efforts to support the local community. A supply of affordable housing in Dufftown is essential to allow young people and working families in particular to live in a good quality home in their own community.

“The DDCA is doing a remarkable job for the community in so many ways and I commend their vision and hard work which goes to show what grassroots action can achieve. There is no doubt that their work has the potential to transform Dufftown.”

After an initial period of development, consultations will be made public by autumn to help shape the future needs of the affordable housing.

www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/moray/3032899/affordable-housing-project-to-be-launched-in-dufftown/

Dufftown Clock Tower update

29 March 2021 by Fraser

Dufftown Clock Tower to become a Heritage Museum

In December 2020 the idea was developed to transform the Dufftown Clock Tower in a heritage museum. An application for a repair grant from Historic Environment Scotland is one of the major financial aids to realise this project. Diageo, who own 3 distilleries in Dufftown, are also willing to contribute.

In the meantime, Angela Dow, a conservation architect, is making the drawings and calculating an estimate of the repairs. The next step is to send in a final application to HES.

To comply with the necessary outcomes (heritage and society, heritage and the economy, heritage and creativity and heritage and environment) a plan was created to showcase/exhibit Dufftown’s history on several floors:

In the entrance hall we will give locals the opportunity to showcase and sell their craft and arts. This will also be the point of gathering as we do not want unattended visits and limit the amount of people that can at one point visit the exhibition.

On the first floor we will create an exhibition of the first known use of the tower, a jail. We have collected a huge amount of data we can use for this. We also want to showcase the history of Dufftown including the rise of distilleries and which impact they had on Dufftown.

The second floor will be about the clock that hung MacPherson and the illicit still that was supposed to be hidden in the tower when the excise man had their office in it.

The third floor will be a projection of the working clock mechanism by using a webcam. The clock is too fragile to have people go into that area. We will also use this area to show a bit more about old Dufftown with photographs, newspapers and storyboards.

To find out more or keep updated about our progress, please subscribe to our newsletter, get in touch via the website to volunteer or just to ask a question.

Constitution changes approved at Annual Meeting

29 March 2021 by Fraser

At the Annual members meeting held on the 24th March 2021, the following main changes to the constitution were unanimously approved.

Change 1 – Modernising our charitable purpose for future activities:

Amendment of Charitable Purposes to:

4	The Organisation has been formed to benefit the community of Dufftown and District as defined by the Dufftown Community Council area (the “Community”), with the following purposes (the “Purposes”):
4.1	The advancement of citizenship or community development.
4.2	The provision of recreational facilities, or the organisation of recreational activities with the object of improving the conditions of life for the persons for whom the facilities or activities are primarily intended.
4.3	The prevention or relief of poverty in the community of Dufftown and District.
4.4	Any other purpose that may reasonably be regarded as analogous to any of the preceding purposes.

Change 2 – Broadening membership criteria:

Added Junior Members – Aged 12-15 years old.

Associate Member – e.g. Another charitable group becoming a member but without the ability to vote.

Co-opted Trustee – Gives the Trustee’s the ability to recruit specific skill sets into the board of trustees that we require to manage our expanding activities.

Change 3 – Minimum number of members:

We require a clause in our constitution to be eligible for Community Asset Transfers, the new clause reads:

8	The organisation shall have not fewer than 20 members at any time; and
8.1	In the event that the number of members falls below 20 the Board may conduct only essential business other than taking steps to ensure the admission of sufficient Ordinary Members to achieve the minimum number.

Change 4 – Specific inclusion of a Vice Chair person:

As we develop the charity, we are required to consider succession planning. We are seeking to include a specific trustee role of Vice Chairperson. The constitution already allows the trustees to self-arrange ourselves into office bearer roles e.g. Secretary, Treasurer and Two Dorenell decision panel representatives.