If you are interested in offering CDT support in a voluntary capacity by joining the CDT Board, one of its working groups, or in some other capacity, please find out more from the detail below and complete the application form pdf, which can be accessed by clicking on this 
Link (Opens on a new page)
This page can be downloaded as CDT Volunteer Opportunities
CDT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT – COMRIE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
CALL FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT
CDT is calling for additional support from people in the community, and camp users, to joining the CDT Board, project groups and work in other voluntary capacities. Help is needed to successfully deliver the Cultybraggan Development Project and maintain CDT’s current operations.
MAJOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS
Two of the three necessary elements are now in place to maintain Comrie Development Trust and deliver the Cultybraggan Development Project.
CDT has the funding in place for the self-catering development, which should give the Trust financial sustainability. Success has also been achieved in grant applications to employ two full-time staff to implement the project.
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
The project has five main aspects:
- repair and refurbishment of 11 B listed Nissen huts to become self-catering units;
- implementation of the linked Heritage Activity and Training Plan;
- an infrastructure study with technical plans produced for improving services – fresh & foul water, electricity and broadband;
has been completed (The Goodson Plan)
- delivery of a series of events in 2020 – 2021
- business friendly development to improve Cultybraggan as an enterprise location
GRANT FUNDING NOW AVAILABLE
Grants for the repair and refurbishment work to deliver self catering development have been committed from four funding sources:
- The Heritage Lottery Fund £638,900
- Historic Environment Scotland £108,000
- SSE Sustainability Fund £36,350
- Community Shareholders £27,525
Four other funders will be financing two Project staff, other project costs, and the fees of the engineering and electrical consultants to carry out the infrastructure study and deliver modular improvement plans:
- P&K LEADER £43,396
- Scottish Government Strengthening Communities Programme £35,215
- Architectural Heritage Fund £25,204
- Gannochy Trust £14,000
VOLUNTARY ASSISTANCE NEEDED
Whilst this £928.6k project is underway, the CDT Board requires six further members to assist with its current functions and development programme. Additional voluntary help is also needed in working groups for particular areas of development, and with the general administration of the Trust. Without additional help the Trust will have major difficulties in managing the development project and delivering day to day management of the Cultybraggan site.
CDT CULTYBRAGGAN PROJECT – AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS AND COMMERCE
Cultybraggan Camp is already a location used by 27 businesses, in the privately owned commercial quadrant, rented or repairing lease huts. There is a growing food sector and craft enterprises, alongside a range of companies related to construction work.
The P&K Local Development that “community owned land at Cultybraggan has significant potential for development, and …. this will provide important opportunities for sustainable economic growth in a rural location.”
With a number of vacant huts, there is great scope for business development. The engineering and electrical consultancy, now funded, will be a major step towards funding applications and improving the service infrastructure, presently a barrier to change.
The site also has potential to become a Business Improvement District. Initial discussions with BIDScotland have been very positive, with excellent contact also made with Scottish Enterprise and the Tayside Business Network, all of whom offer advisory and financial support.
For this potential to be realised the Trust now needs people, who might come from the business community at the camp, to express an interest in becoming Business Development Group Chair (and CDT Board member) or group members. Without this additional support and expertise, the Trust will be unable to fully realise the potential opportunities.
HERITAGE ACTIVITY PLAN
The CDT AGM in December 2015 approved a 10 year strategy, which included developing Cultybraggan Camp as a major visitor destination with museums, educational and event resources, retail and leisure facilities. This would be designed to complement current tourism services, but also bring significant additional income Comrie and the wider Strathearn area.
Comrie Heritage Group (CHG) has drawn up a Heritage Activity and Training Plan to provide knowledge and appreciation of the camp in various ways, through:
- signage, storyboards for people exploring the site;
- a geophysics exploration to test out and identify the location of three escape tunnels said to exist under the camp;
- more in-depth educational resources, including information packs and ‘hands on history’ workshops; and
- specialised training for the volunteers who lead camp tours for the public, special interest groups and media representatives.
The grant funding already allocated includes the cost of employing a Heritage Activities and Events Organiser, already funded for the next 12 months, with potential to arrange grant funding for a further year. The Heritage Group needs additional members to join the group working to deliver this ambitious programme of activities.
EVENTS AND SPORTS
Vintage Motorcyclists diner at the Camp
The CDT Event and Sports Group needs extra members to assist in planning and attracting events and providing background support when they occur.
ORCHARD AND WOODLAND
The year-round work of the Orchard Group continues with increasing production of fruit since the original planting. A Woodland Group is now meeting and planning funding applications and a fencing, and planting programme for native species on CDT’s community owned hill ground by the camp.
COMMUNICATIONS
The Trust has to to communicate its activities well. It needs good communications within the Trust, with its members and people in Comrie, other organisations, politicians and the media. There has been a lot of activity over the last 12 months featuring Comrie, CDT and Cultybraggan Camp, and public interest is likely to continue.
CDT needs someone to express an interest in joining the Trust Board who is able to lead its communications work, and for others to volunteer to join a CDT Communications Group
ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
The planning and management of the 50 acre community owned site involves a complex set of arrangements with business owners and tenants, local enterprises and community groups holding repairing lease agreements, community groups in certain huts, the community allotments and Orchard, with the Comrie in Colour polytunnel.
All of these activities exist alongside visitors coming for the site’s heritage or for events. Self-catering accommodation will, in due course, take CDT into long-term financial viability, and will add people staying on site to the other functions.
CDT staff provide administrative cover for basic tasks, supplemented by valuable volunteer contributions. Delivering the financial and administrative backup to CDT’s development programme, whilst maintaining current systems, would benefit greatly from additional volunteers.
SITE AND TENANCY MANAGEMENT
Community ownership of the camp has given Comrie and the local area, a valuable resource for individuals and for a range of business and community purposes. The tenure arrangements are often customised to individual huts and users. CDT has a place on the Board for a volunteer to take this forward.
SUPPORT POSITIONS REQUIRED FOR CDT MAINTENANCE/DEVELOPMENT
Delivering the developments and maintaining activities at their current level will only be possible if people come forward to provide their local knowledge, and their skills and experience. Please consider what you can provide and mark expressions of interest in the relevant boxes below:
Roles for Volunteers
| Support areas where Volunteer Work is needed | Mark X |
| as interested | |
| Business Development | |
| Business Development Group Chair and Business Development Group members | |
| Comrie Heritage Group | |
| Additional group members to plan and oversee developments and support existing work programme | |
| Events and Sports | |
| Additional event planning and event management volunteers for group meetings and event support | |
| Orchard and Woodland | |
| Additional group members group meetings and work activity in the Orchard and on the hill ground | |
| Communications | |
| Communications Group Chair and 2 communications volunteers for a wide range of tasks | |
| General Administration | |
| Admin/HR Group Chair and 2 part time office volunteers to work with staff and current volunteers | |
| Tenancy Management | |
| Lead Board Member to support staff with tenancy matters, lettings, hut user liaison and finance issues | |
| Legal advice – voluntary support required for legal advice on contracts and other tenancy matters | |
| 2 x tenancy management volunteers | |
| Facilities/Estate Management | |
| Maintenance volunteers to support work to maintain the site for community users and visitors | |
| Financial Planning/Financial Management | |
| 1 x Finance assistant – incomes and expenditures – to support CDT Treasurer and Finance Officer | |
| 1 x bookkeeping volunteer – to assist with accounts – rental/charges/grant income – project costs |
Name:……………………………………………
Address: …………………………………………………………………….. Post Code: ……………..
Phone Number: landline ……….……………………… mobile ……………………………………..
E-mail Address: ……………………………………
Please complete and return to:
Comrie Development Trust, Hut 3, Cultybraggan Camp, Comrie, PH6 2AB
Alternatively, complete the following short online version.
