What is a Community Development Trust?
Community Development Trusts are organisations set up to give their community a bigger stake in the future of that community, through ownership or management of an asset, or through committing themselves to a pro-active role in the overall health and development of their place. They do not need to be Charity registered though most are or are in the process of achieving this.
Development trusts are community organisations which:
- are owned and managed by the local community
- aim to achieve the sustainable regeneration of a community or address a range of economic, social, environmental and cultural issues within a community
- are independent but seek to work in partnership with other private, public and third sector organisations
- aim to reduce dependency on grant support by generating income through enterprise and the ownership of assets.
Tillydrone Community Development Trust
TCDT was set up in 2012 by a group of local residents with the support of St Georges Church, the University of Aberdeen and local policitians and wanted to work together to develop and improve facilities for the community.
Having been involved in numerous small projects and developed plans for Both the Benholms Tower and Gateway projects, TCDT gained Charitable status in 2020 ( SCIO Registered Charity in Scotland SC050475). The Charitable aims of the trust are:
- the advancement of community development, the arts, heritage and culture, provision of recreational facilities and the relief of the needs of the inhabitants of Tillydrone in the City of Aberdeen and in furtherance of these by;
- Promoting projects of all kinds in the area of Tillydrone which will benefit the public there.
- Promoting the interest of the people of Tillydrone in relation to development of the area.
- Encouraging the community of Tillydrone to participate in decision-making which affects them.
- Acting as a vehicle by which the community of Tillydrone can exercise its rights under the Community Empowerment Act.
TCDT is currently run by a small board with the support of a management committee. Membership is free and open to all residents of Tillydrone and those with an interest in the area. Please click here to see the ‘Join Us’ section of the website for applications.