- What is the Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust and what does it do?
LCDT is a non-profit organisation set up to help the village of Lochwinnoch thrive.
We will make this happen by:
- Cultivating and developing projects and activities that contribute to healthy and happy lives.
- Promoting a sustainable environment that brings benefits to residents and visitors.
- Creating opportunities for people, communities and agencies to work together and improve lives.
- Encouraging, through community development, action that results in an increase in social quality and economic value.
- Recognising, preserving and promoting the culture and heritage of Lochwinnoch
We work across a number of projects in and around the village. – see our projects page for an overview https://lochwinnochtrust.org.uk/projects/
- Is the LCDT the same as the Lochwinnoch Community Council?
No. LCDT is a non-profit making company limited by guarantee (SC445206), which was originally formed as Lochwinnoch Community Development Company in 2013. In 2018 it changed from a Company to a Trust in order to broaden its remit and is now a member of the Development Trusts Association of Scotland (DTAS). LCDT has also received Charitable status (SC053157). The organisation currently has six directors (unpaid volunteers) and over 300 members.
It supports and initiates and manages a variety of projects (raising funding as required) for the overall benefit of the community.
The Lochwinnoch Community Council is a voluntary body that exists within a statutory framework. They can complement the role of the local authority but are not part of local government. A key purpose is to ascertain, co-ordinate and express the views of the local community to public authorities in relation to their designated areas of responsibility, and to act in the interests of the local community.
- Can anyone become a member?
Yes, ordinary membership is open to anyone living within Lochwinnoch but t is possible for those from outside the area to join as an Associate member. There is even a section for junior members, aged between 12-16.
If you are interested in physically supporting us in our activities, or simply adding your voice to provide feedback on what we are doing, we would love to hear from you.
- As a member, what would I have to do?
You can choose your own level of involvement. You could be a volunteer assisting on one of the projects that we or our colleagues manage; become a member of a project steering group to help direct and organise the implementation of a project that is of interest to you, or become a director to offer your particular skillsets to help manage the overall operation of the Trust. The amount of time and commitment is entirely up to you.
- What is the role of the Steering Groups?
A steering group is a small band of volunteers that want to help LCDT from an early stage in initiating, planning and managing a specific project. It may be that a person has a real interest in the purpose of the project, or that they have a specific skill or knowledge to contribute in helping deliver the project. Some members of the group may be extremely active, taking on various tasks, whilst others may attend in an advisory capacity.
The team work together, each taking responsibility for specific task so as to spread the workload. There may be a formal structure e.g. chair and secretary, to keep things organised and on track, plus an LCDT director to act as liaison and provide guidance and direction from the LCTD board who are ultimately responsible.
- Where does LCDT get the money to finance its activities and projects?
In the beginning we raised money through donations for Lochhead Gardens and the Park refurbishment projects. Since then, the number and size of the projects has increased and the emphasis has been on making grant applications to different organisations who support particular schemes or themes e.g. Warm Spaces or Winter Connections to cover the cost of groups meeting on a regular basis to maintain contact with friends. Renfrewshire Council is also a key source of funds to support various initiative that help the community.
Recently, for some of our smaller projects needing immediate finance (funding applications can take months to process), we have sought donations, subscriptions for Lochwinnoch Online and run a “race night” for the Lochwinnoch Business Network.