Hot off the press! Why not have a read of the July newsletter and see how you can get involved in local community action this coming month.
Want to make sure you don’t miss our newsletters? Go to the very bottom of our website to sign up and receive them straight to your inbox.
Hot off the press! Why not have a read of the June newsletter and see how you can get involved in local community action this coming month.
Want to make sure you don’t miss our newsletters? Go to the very bottom of our website to sign up and receive them straight to your inbox.
As the summer has arrived to Dufftown a group of volunteers helped to get the Tininver Park bike shed tidied up.
It was a real team effort supported by volunteers and generous community members. Andy from Moray Landscapes brought his strimmer to clear the long grass, Hendersons donated paint and brushes, and volunteers from Edrington helped on the day to get the outside of the shed painted. Thank you to all those who helped us spruce up the shed!
Hot off the press! Why not have a read of the May newsletter and see how you can get involved in local community action this coming month.
Want to make sure you don’t miss our newsletters? Go to the very bottom of our website to sign up and receive them straight to your inbox.
Sixty four years ago a young Dufftown fiddler, Alex Grant was one of the star turns at a variety concert in the Mortlach Hall along with the Hillside Skiffle Group, Auchindoun WRI and a host of other talented local folk.
A recording of Alex, who died in 2000, will feature once again in a new community concert being planned as the finale of the Dufftown Stories project. The concert will take place on April 21st 2023 at the Mortlach Memorial Hall in Dufftown.
Through the magic of technology, Alex, who was recorded by Edinburgh University for the School of Scottish Studies Archive, will be heard once again, this time accompanied live on piano by Hamish Napier, the Grantown musician. Mr Napier commented, ‘Alex was a great fiddler in his day, remembered I’m sure by many and we thought that it would be a great idea to include him in this modern-day version of the kind of event that was once popular in the town.’
The item will be one feature of a programme which aims to capture the spirit of the 1959 event and celebrate local musicians and dancers past and present. The 2023 version will showcase local dances from Dufftown Dance Club, tunes, stories and songs from the area, music from popular music club, The Stramash, some poems from editor of the popular magazine and Facebook page Dufftown Speirin’s, Jim Nicol, and a new setting to music of one of Dufftown poet Mary Symon’s best-loved poems. Children from Mortlach Primary will perform songs
written by them at a workshop with Hamish Napier and fellow Dufftown Stories project worker, David Francis.
The project has also produced a ‘Dufftown ABC’, a listing of the town’s distinctive and best- loved features in a poll by townspeople and school children. The ABC has been produced in poster form with illustrations by Aberlour artist, Steve Carroll.
The evening will round off with a dance with music from talented local family Alison and Brona Gillies and their band. Tickets cost £5 (concessions £3, under 16s free) and are available from Costcutter, Balvenie Street, online or at the door. Raffle proceeds to the Mortlach Hall.
Dufftown Stories is one of a series of projects under the banner of The People’s Parish, an initiative of Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government’s Culture Collective programme. The People’s Parish brings together artists and people in local communities to reflect on the places where they live, connecting community, local history, folklore and creativity.
At the end of March tsiMoray held their annual conference for community organisations and the public to come together for sharing thoughts around community-led development in Moray. The theme for this year’s conference was around communities leading the change to help shape an economy that works for people, places as well as the planet. Here is what I took from the day.
The day offered a diverse programme of speakers, workshops and networking to build on a shared vision for a community-led wellbeing economy. In my capacity as the community development leader for Dufftown & District Community Association as well as being the deputy chair of the Moray Local Action Group, I was excited be one of the panel speakers to share my experience on the topic. Some of my key points involved how, on the ground, communities are identifying their priorities and embracing partnership working. Last year alone, over £250,000 was distributed through the Moray Local Action Group towards projects where communities identified what works and is important to them. Communities are also creating an economy that works for everyone through farmer’s markets, community transport initiatives, and community larders. This is an economy that is circular, local, and sustainable. Lastly, communities all around Moray and beyond are recognising and improving their assets. Whether it is a unique building, skills or relationships, these assets are important because they contribute to our sense of identity and pride of where we live.
I felt humbled to get the opportunity to hear the other panel speakers share their perspectives on community-led development. Former Welsh Government minister Jane Davidson spoke about their Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act, Jane Morrison outlined the core values of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance, Hannah Moneagle shared her experience of representing communities to be heard by decision-makers, and Philip Revell reflected on the future of the funding landscape at the National Lottery.
Our current challenges, such as climate change and inequalities, affect us all. The best way to find solutions that are creative, effective and fair is to get people from all generations, backgrounds, and experiences to join in and become changemakers. At the event were snippets of thoughts and ideas documented in a collage by Alexander Williamson. There was one in particular that really spoke to me. I have included a photo below for you to read it yourself.
Hot off the press! Why not have a read of the April newsletter and see how you can get involved in local community action this coming month.
Want to make sure you don’t miss our newsletters? Go to the very bottom of our website to sign up and receive them straight to your inbox!
MoneySaver’s Debt Advice Locator Tool – Find free debt advice near you.
Moray Citizens Advice Bureau – Provides free, independent, impartial and confidential advice across a range of issues including Benefits, Consumer, Debt, Employment, Housing, Legal, Relationships and Immigration.
Moray Council: Money Advice Moray – Help if you are facing money or debt problems including crisis help, income maximisation, budgeting and help to make benefit applications.
StepChange – Free debt advice and money management.
Help for Households – See what support is available to help with the cost of living and find out how to save money with energy saving tips.
British Gas Energy Trust – Charitable trust open to all consumers. They can help actually pay off fuel debt or buy energy efficient goods.
Turn2Us – Find out what benefits and tax credits you might be able to get as well as any trusts or benevolent funds that you might be able get help from.
Financial Conduct Authority – Advice on dealing with the financial impact of the cost of living crisis.
Moray Firth Credit Union – Safe, accessible savings and fair, affordable low-interest loans.
Home Energy Scotland – Impartial energy efficiency advice.
REAP Scotland – Energy advice including help with bills, switching providers, and available grants/loans.
Moray Energy Efficiency Scheme – Scottish Government funded scheme to reduce fuel poverty in Moray. Projects include solar panels and battery storage, internal or cavity wall insulation and air source heat pumps. Check website for more information on eligibility criteria.
Breathing Space – Free, confidential, phone and webchat service for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16 experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety.
Shout – Free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope.
Papyrus – Suicide prevention helpline for young people.
Samaritans – Provides confidential non-judgemental emotional support for anyone who is struggling to cope
Childline – Counselling service for children and young people up to their 19th birthday in the United Kingdom provided by the NSPCC.
On March 1st 2023, we hosted our quarterly Dufftown & District community forum. The aim of the evening was to facilitate information sharing between community groups and networking with external organisations, such as Active Schools, Sports Development and Moray Council.
20 participants attended the forum. These included residents of the community, community group representatives, ward Councillors and representatives from Moray Council departments.
First, community groups were asked to give a brief update on achievements in 2022, key activities for 2023 and how to get involved. Residents voiced that what they saw as Dufftown’s key achievements in 2022 were the come-back of many events since the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the Dufftown Highland Games. Residents also enjoyed the many walks that the area has to offer. For 2023, residents would like to see the area attract more visitors and shops to regenerate the high street.
The last half of the meeting consisted of focussed discussions around 3 action points in the Dufftown & District Community Action Plan 2021-2026. These were:
Personally, my favourite aspect of this community forum was the chance to hear about all the great work that has happened in the community over the last few months. It was also useful to having the chance to network with organisations from outside of Dufftown & District, such as the Moray Unpaid Work Team. They can carry out work that is of benefit to the local community over the whole of Moray. This includes supporting local charities and community groups, painting, litter picks, grass cutting, upcycling furniture to name but a few.
I am really excited for the next community forum as it will be slightly different… We will be hosting a ‘Meet the funders’ event where some of the key funders in the area will come along to Dufftown & District to speak to local community groups and charitable initiatives! Watch this space for more information to come, and get in touch if you want to be added to the Dufftown & District community forum mailing list!
The full report of the Community Forum March 2023 can be found here: Community Forum March 2023
While the past week’s snow in Dufftown & District has made it feel very wintry again all of a sudden, Spring is definitely on its way. The days are getting brighter, the snowdrops are out in full bloom and community activity is back in full strength! And there has been no limit to the diversity of events on offer here in Dufftown this March. Let me tell you about a couple of my favourites this month.
Having followed the progress down at the Keith and Dufftown Railway Association over the past year, I was delighted to be invited to the inaugural run of the Dram Tram on March 3rd. Volunteers have put in hard work to transform this old carriage into a unique whisky-themed train experience – complete with a bar and snug! On the night, supporters and donors were treated to drinks and nibbles on our journey to Drummuir and back. As it was my first time travelling on this train line, I found it amazing to see familiar buildings and sites from a completely new perspective. The Dram Tram will run bespoke events during the Speyside Whisky Festival and you can book your tickets online. You can also hire the train for private events. I have been told it has already been booked for a wedding this summer – what a great idea! I’d like to thank the crew for inviting me to such a special evening and I look forward to being on board soon again.
To balance the extravagant evening on the Dram Tram, I took the opportunity to ground myself with the DDCA spring gardening workshop (pun intended) on March 8th. Our local gardening genius June provided all the participants with two planters each and all the necessary equipment to plant up a beautiful spring display. Since it is a sin to garden without cake, we were lucky enough that the Bread House Dufftown provided us with yummy treats. The planters need to stay covered until all this snow and frost has disappeared but I look forward to seeing them bloom once the Spring temperatures are back.
For the remainder of March, a couple of more fun activities are on offer. On Saturday March 25th, Le Petit Moose is coming all the way from Banchory to teach a needle punch workshop. And on March 31st, Tuminds from Inverness will be going over an Ipad skills refresher with the Aigan Court residents. As for myself, I will take every opportunity to enjoy those rare rays of sunshine!
