Background
The Tomintoul & Glenlivet Development Trust was established in May 2012 after a period of community consultation on how best to address the economic decline which had been experienced locally, prompted by the two main hotels in the village of Tomintoul closing.
The stated Aim of TGDT is:
To develop, inspire and embrace a sustainable vibrant future for the Tomintoul and Glenlivet area.
The Vision of TGDT is:
A vibrant and sustainable community for Tomintoul and Glenlivet, providing opportunities for employment, enterprise and cultural regeneration that can support the infrastructure necessary for a quality way of life.
The Mission of TGDT is:
To achieve the Vision through the delivery of development projects and ongoing initiatives, supported by a small portfolio of managed sustainable social enterprises.
The regeneration strategy development was supported by the Cairngorms National Park Association, with a baseline audit of the area being undertaken in October 2011. This helped to identify potential opportunities for the regeneration of Tomintoul and the wider Glenlivet area. These opportunities were discussed and prioritised at a public meeting in November 2011, attended by over 60 people from the local community. All of the information from that meeting was fed into the Strategy and Action Plan to regenerate the area and is a document that all community organisations can use to prioritise actions and obtain funding to deliver key projects within it. A Draft Master Plan was also produced to guide what the landscape and buildings would look like in the future and how they should be used. The Draft Master Plan was subject to Community Consultation in February 2012 and a Summary Feedback Report produced.
At the meeting in November 2011 there was strong support for a Community Development Trust to be established to take forward the opportunities identified. A working group was created to develop the structure for the Trust and was supported by Karen Derrick of Voluntary Action Badenoch & Strathspey. In June 2012 a meeting was held to appoint 8 Directors to the Trust, this was undertaken by a sealed vote and marked the formal start of the regeneration project. Funding support was secured from Cairngorms National Park Authority, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Moray Council and the Crown Estate for a period of 3 years. The Directors first task was to recruit a Local Development Officer and Lindsay Robertson was appointed as Local Development Officer in November 2012.
The Trust works for the AB37 9 postcode area, which includes Glenfarclas, Cragganmore, Morinsh and Bridge of Brown as its external boundaries.