We have made it to spring! It has been another busy and productive month progressing projects, getting out and about at events and making plans for the year ahead.
This month we ran cooking classes with Moray Food Plus. I was lucky enough to attend a few of the sessions, spend time with Sarah who led the classes, and meet some of those who came along. It was brilliant to see people coming together in a relaxed space, learning new skills, sharing ideas and having a good chat while creating some amazing food along the way!
We also held our first Community Forum of the year. The main focus was the Community Action Plan and our plans to refresh it. We really want to make sure everyone in the community has the chance to get involved and share their ideas, so we will be looking at different ways to reach people and gather views over the coming months.
I attended an event at Number 30 in Huntly on the 12th of February which was a fantastic learning opportunity. It was great to hear about their project to turn an old building into a mixed-use space with a cinema and café. The event was also a brilliant chance to meet and network with other groups and charities across Moray who are working on restoring heritage buildings. It was really interesting hearing about their journeys so far, especially around project timelines, working with funders and the challenges and opportunities of working with older buildings. This was really helpful learning as we continue planning for the Clock Tower Project.
I have also continued developing my own learning for my role this month by attending the Development Officer Network, Social Impact Training and building my knowledge around AI for social enterprises.
Last week I headed up to Glenrinnes to support Claire, their Community Liaison Officer, at their coffee morning before heading back down to be at our own Warm Spaces lunch. It is always great to see these community spaces being well used, with lots of conversations, connections, delicious food and good company.
We were also really pleased to hear that our Expression of Interest to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Clock Tower Project has been successful. This is a really exciting step forward. We will now start gathering the information and evidence we need to move towards the full application and progress the capital works phase of the project.
We currently have three potential sites for the Growing Project and will continue working with the council and a private group to try and secure a suitable location so we can hopefully start making progress during this growing season. In the meantime, we will be at the Farmers Market on the 14th of March with more growing bags available, so the community can start growing at home and hopefully support the project once we have a permanent home for it.
Looking ahead, we have a few more events in the pipeline which we hope to share more details about soon once dates are confirmed. Our next clothing swap, car boot and re:loved sale will be on 18 April. Please get in touch for more information or to book a space for either the car boot or clothing sale.
As always, please do get in touch with any feedback, ideas or anything you would like to chat through.
aileen@dufftowncommunity.co.uk or 07928986261
