DTA Scotland
About Development Trusts
What are they?
Development trusts are community run organisations that :
  • aim to achieve the sustainable regeneration of a community and therefore are concerned with the economic, social and environmental and cultural needs of their community
  • are independent but seek to work in partnership with other private and public sector organisations
  • are owned and managed by the local community
  • aim to generate income through trading activity that enables them to move away from dependency on grant support. All trading surpluses are principally reinvested in the organisation or community.
What do they do?
Local people set up development trusts to tackle local issues and to improve the quality of life in their community. As a result, development trusts become involved in a very wide range of activities.

Just some of the activities which development trusts are currently involved in include…………….running the local shop and post office .....…developing play park and recreational facilities ……...managing a housing development...……developing renewable energy projects such as wind farms …..……managed workspaces …………setting up training programmes …………running childcare or youth services …….……preserving the local heritage …………restoring and conserving historic buildings …………countryside ranger service........running the village petrol pump.......a multi purpose arts and crafts centre....property development......tourism......environmental improvemnts ....childcare.....furniture recycling.....running a sports centre ....commercial forestry and woodland management..... In short, anything and everything that might help build a vibrant and sustainable community.
Despite the diversity that is reflected in what they do, all development trusts are underpinned by a strong ethos of self help and self reliance and a belief that community regeneration which is achieved through community owned enterprise is the way to build strong and sustainable communities.