Development Trust secures £34,000 from Scottish Government’s Rural Community-Led Local Development Fund 2024-2025

Date: Tuesday 25 February

News Release

Four projects led by Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust (BRDT) have been awarded a total of more than £34,000 from the Scottish Government’s Rural Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) Fund 2024-2025, part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP).

The projects collectively aim to contribute to ensuring that the local development trust is in a position to meet the needs of the community in the years ahead.

The first project is to compile the 1200 comments, thoughts and ideas captured from members of the local community during the public engagement sessions that were carried out last year as part of work on the development of a Local Place Plan (LPP) for Blairgowrie and Rattray. The document needs to be registered with Perth and Kinross Council by the end of March this year and will, along with the community action plan for the town, form the basis of BRDT’s work in the town in the coming years ensuring that it continues to have a positive impact in the local area.

A second project is to carry out a feasibility study into the development of the public toilets building in Blairgowrie and Rattray.

The running of the vital public amenity was taken on by a group of enthusiastic volunteers, under the auspices of BRDT, in July last year following concerns that it was to be closed. Those involved are keen to further develop the offering by incorporating a local information centre and gift shop in the downstairs area of the building that will contribute to its long-term sustainability. The funding will enable the Trust to contract an architect to produce options drawings and costings for carrying out the work.

A feasibility study including options drawings and costings for the re-development of the BaRI Building in Blairgowrie town centre is the third project.

Community engagement over the last several years has consistently indicated a need for a community building in the town. This demand, along with efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of BRDT itself, could be met and enhanced by adapting the BaRI Building.

Ideas for the building include creating a purpose-built shop to house the popular BaRI Food and Refill Store, a community hall, meeting rooms and a professional standard kitchen that could support pop- up restaurants or a volunteer-run café.

The fourth project is a revamp of the Discover Blairgowrie website, which provides more than 150 local community groups and 250 local businesses with a platform to add their details, events and activities. The website also offers local residents and visitors to the town a ‘one-stop shop’ for information on what’s going on in Blairgowrie and Rattray. The funding will facilitate a re-design of the site and improved functionality, bringing the platform up-to-date and fit for purpose for the next five years.

Steve Johnson, development officer at BRDT, welcomed the news, commenting: “We are delighted that Perth and Kinross Council’s Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) Fund has given us this funding.

“The four elements of the over-arching project will all contribute to developing the sustainability and future resilience of BRDT as an organisation, and by extension, that of the community that we serve.

“Everything BRDT does is led by the community and the completed LPP will help inform our work in the years ahead, while the proposed redevelopment of two of our key buildings in the town will help us and our teams of dedicated and hard-working volunteers provide an improved service to residents and visitors alike.

“The revamp of the Discover Blairgowrie website is a significant project in itself but, on completion, will provide a comprehensive resource for thousands of people.

“We are therefore hugely grateful to PKC and CLLD for supporting us in our ongoing efforts to make a positive difference in our town and meet the needs and aspirations of our community.”

Explaining the importance of the CLLD funding stream, David Smythe, Community-Led Local Development Local Action Group Chairperson (CLLD LAG) commented: “The award of £34,707 towards this community project is one of several benefitting from a portion of £12 million of CLLD and Scottish Government funds available for the development of rural communities and rural enterprise until March 2025 in Scotland. Rural Perth and Kinross has been allocated £826,637 to boost community involvement and empowerment. It is a fantastic opportunity for us all and we are pleased we have been able to support it.”

For further information on BRDT and the work it does in the community, see the website at www.brdt.org.uk or follow ‘Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust’ on social media.

For further information or media enquiries, please contact Clare McMicking on 07514 343 042 or media@brdt.org.uk