Background

Glentrool and Bargrennan Community Trust is an entirely volunteer-led development trust in a remote rural part of the South of Scotland. It is located within the Biosphere Reserve and the Dark Skies Park. A village of 100 people is trying to keep its village alive and viable.  

Need for Support

We have worked with them for over three years to support their desire to take assets into community ownership, which would ensure they are available for local people and not lost to private developers.  

What we did

We undertook a feasibility study and business plan for the Trust in the old primary school. They then secured funding to commission us for two years to provide capacity-building support and secure the assets and funds to develop the enterprise.

We have provided new financial procedures to help the craft gallery run more smoothly. Bold, our design division has also delivered a new brand. We supported the development of the plans and the submission of funding.  

They successfully secured funding to proceed with the school's ownership and renovation. They then turned their attention to progressing with a separate project to take three housing units into community control.

 Alongside Dumfries and Galloway Small Communities Housing Trust, Community Enterprise supported the Trust to develop a clear, sustainable business plan to secure ownership of the 3 housing units from the Housing Association into community ownership to back up bids to the Scottish Land Fund and Rural Housing Fund.

Watch the YouTube video below from South of Scotland Community Housing about the Glentrool project and why it shows the power of community-led regeneration. 

Image credit: Tom Manley Photography

Outcomes

The trust has achieved a lot over the past few years, but the main highlights are the asset Transfer of the old school building, successful applications to the Scottish Land Fund and Rural Housing Fund and the acquisition of the housing units.