A development trust is a community-owned and led organisation, working proactively to combine community-led action with an enterprising approach to addressing and tackling local needs and issues. Across the country, development trusts are enabling communities to make their own plans and aspirations a reality.

The four defining principles of development trusts are that they are:

• Engaged in the economic, environmental and social regeneration of a defined area.

• Independent, aiming for self-sufficiency and not for profit.

• Community based, owned and managed.

• Actively involved in partnerships and alliances between the community, voluntary, private and public sectors.

Advantages:

• Community led, owned and managed.

• Ability to attract funding.

• Embedded in the community.

• Committed to long term future of an area.

• Incorporated body, reducing risk for those involved (see below).

How are they different to Community Councils?

Development trusts and community councils have different but complementary roles. Development trusts deliver projects and actions on behalf of the local community, whereas community councils represent the local community.

Find out more:

• https://dtascot.org.uk/

• https://towntoolkit.scot/case-studies/development-trusts