Winter 2025

Hello all, and welcome to the Winter Edition of our newsletter,

As we near the end of 2025, I’d like to take the opportunity to ponder on the past, present and future here at DTAS.

Looking back, the past (busy!) year has been about continued growth, resilience and impact. DTAS has supported communities across all corners of Scotland through challenging times, but also exciting times of growth and development. Our 2024/25 Annual Review shares how our work developed over the last 12 months.

A key development for us this year has been the creating and launch of the Resilience and Recovery Programme. Launched in October, the programme combines tailored support, training and grants of up to £100,000, providing a clear pathway for participating organisations to build long-term resilience. This programme is open only for DTAS full and provisional members.

And looking to next year and beyond, this week we launched the DTAS Community-led manifesto. This is for all who want to see communities empowered to shape their own futures.

Based around five pillars for change, it sets out practical, systemic reforms and actions that can be embraced by any political party or government committed to stronger communities and a healthy and wealthy Scotland:

1. A sustainable and supportive environment for communities
2. Developing local democracy
3. An inclusive, sustainable, wellbeing economy
4. Land reform and community ownership
5. A just transition and climate action

Read our manifesto here

Stronger Starts funding for projects supporting children and young people – Apply Now!

Tesco Stronger Starts  funds thousands of local community projects across the UK to support children and young people with a stronger start in life to apply. A wide range of projects fit the bill – improving school playgrounds, growing and food projects, outdoor play and purchasing kit for healthy activities. A current priority is projects with a food element (e.g. providing a healthy snack or lunch).

The scheme provides grants of up to £1500.

Applications are needed now, particularly for projects in Scottish towns and villages.

Visit Tesco Stronger Starts Grants | Greenspace Scotland to find out more or to apply.

Upcoming events

Follow the DTAS Eventbrite page to ensure you don’t miss out on more events being added in the new year!

The importance of peer learning

Thank you to all this year’s four Regional Gathering hosts – Arrochar and Tarbet Community Development Trust, Roystonhill Community Hub,  Huntly Development Trust, and Castle Douglas Development Forum – for sharing your learning with so many DTAS Members and aspiring Development Trusts.

Look out for our 2026 Regional Gatherings, which we’re planning in Perthshire, Scottish Borders, Fife and East Ayrshire.

Brig Inn pub

The Brig Inn Pub & Hub Ltd recently launched their Crowdfunder to raise £30,000 to enable the purchase of their village pub. The money raise will boost a grant the group have received towards the purchase from the Scottish Land Fund. Find out more!

Fountainbridge Canal Community Development Trust

In more Crowdfunding news, Fountainbridge Canal CDT in Edinburgh have recently launched their crowdfunder to raise the final funds needed to replace the iconic Lochrin Belle with an electric barge, which is expected to save 1.7 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. Watch their Crowdfunder video to learn more about them transforming their community canal boats to electric!

Community Wealth Building PhD

A PhD research project is underway at Glasgow Caledonian University in collaboration with DTAS. It is investigating CWB’s development, implementation and impact, with a particular focus on the role of community organisations.

Complete this short survey as part of this research and be entered into a Prize Draw! You do not need to be familiar with CWB to take part. Survey takes 5 minutes.

Your responses will contribute to the development of DTAS support services and advocacy as the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill progresses through parliament.

Complete Survey and enter Prize Draw

Community Right to Buy Review

Over the summer there was a consultation on community rights to buy which DTAS and many of our members responded to. The Scottish Government’s Community Right to Buy consultation analysis is now published and is informing their ongoing review of community rights to buy.

Summary of key findings:

• Combining the existing rights to buy: Respondents were asked for their views on merging the three compulsory rights and opinions were divided on this. Specifically, 36% supported a merger, 29% were opposed and 27% were unsure. Respondents’ hesitation focussed on which of the rights would be merged, especially in relation to crofting.
• Community body structures: Respondents were asked for views on the proposition that the residence and voting eligibility requirement be reduced to anything over 50% of the community. Sixty percent supported this proposal, citing difficulties in securing participation, especially in urban and remote areas
• Petitions and ballots: Most respondents supported reduction in some levels of community support and turnout. Whilst majority agreed that votes against should be considered to ensure fairness. However, opinions varied on implementation, with support for adaptable thresholds based on community size and type
• Late applications:  Mixed views on this, including support levels, compliance, business plans, and sale prohibitions
• Third-party purchasers: Respondents were generally supportive of allowing third-party purchasers under compulsory rights with a strong emphasis on safeguards
• Option agreements: Majority favoured public registers of option agreements. Broad support for community applications to remain valid if options are not exercised. Plus support for restricting the types of option agreements that impact on community right to buy, but legal concerns were also noted
• Appeals: Majority  supported extending the appeal period, with suggestions ranging from 28 days to 6 months, to allow for informed decisions
• Registration Period: Fifty-seven percent of respondents favoured extending the registration period for registrations under Part 2 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 from the current five-year period. A large number favoured increasing from 5 to 10 years, with some suggesting simplifications could be made for renewals if it was not extended.

Published responses to the Scottish Government Community Right to Buy Consultation Review are here.

Have you lost a beautiful pen?

We’ve recently discovered a Montblanc pen in our office pen box – we suspect it may have been left behind at the DTAS Conference or during one of our workshops. It’s a lovely pen and we’re sure its owner is missing it! If you think it might be yours, please get in touch and describe it – we’d be delighted to reunite you with it.