Torridon & Kinlochewe Steering Group
/The Torridon and Kinlochewe Community Development Plan Steering Group brought together seven community organisations to create a community-led development plan for the area.
The group’s vision is to “invest in the future of our community whilst maintaining and enhancing our natural and wild environment”.
With support from SCDC, the group carried out a community consultation and held face to face community engagement and action planning events – almost 50% of the community participated. They engaged with partners around the findings of the survey and put together their community development plan, which they will work to deliver over the next 5 years. They have continued to provide updates to the community about what is happening, via the community council.
As part of the survey, they tested community support for several potential projects around managing land or assets. The group are currently now looking into the feasibility of a community asset transfer of Torridon Primary School which has been mothballed for years and has gone to final consultation to close.
They have secured funding through the Scottish Land Fund and Community Regeneration Fund and appointed consultants to carry out a two-stage study. Firstly, to carry out an options appraisal around ideas the community has for use of the building and then, in the second phase, consider the feasibility of the preferred option with costings.
Aware of the limitations of their time and energy, the volunteers are also now looking in funding options for a development worker to work with them to support the delivery of the action plan.
Key points to date:
A well-run community consultation needs to be backed up with regular updates to keep the community involved and informed as to how things are progressing, especially during periods of "behind the scene” work.
It is important to engage with partner organisations to establish what they can contribute to the action plan.
A well-written plan helps show funders that a project has grown out of a need and has community backing.
