Renfrew Development Trust

The community led body with the ambition to improve Renfrew as a place to live, work or invest.

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Vote now to choose which issue facing humanity becomes £10 million #longitudeprize challenge. Vote closes 7.10pm! http://thndr.it/1hRdslX

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RENFREW SPOKE AND WE LISTENED

Renfrew Development trust thank the people of Renfrew for their support and contributions in producing Renfrew’s first community action plan.

  Over 5 months we have taken extensive soundings we identified 4 main themes:

Our Environment – Our Architecture and our Landmarks  

Our Community Facilities for All Ages

Our Jobs and Enterprise                            

Our Events for local people and visitors

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Events for local people and visitors

  There are too few opportunities to socialise in the town and the loss of community ‘gatherings’ are keenly felt. There is a strong desire to (re)create opportunities to showcase the very best of Renfrew and connect people within Renfrew and also those from ‘outside’.

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Community Facilities for All Ages

  Building community cohesion is a central part of peoples' vision of Renfrew. First class social and community facilities are seen as vehicles for achieving this.

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The Environment – Natural, Built and Cultural    

  Renfrew’s rich heritage is evident throughout the town, particularly in its architectural features and landmarks. However, there is a sense that the town is in decline and could ‘lose its heart’.  We agree with the community that there is a need for renewal with a focus on making use of and enhancing the many assets it already has.

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Jobs and Enterprise

  Our vision of Renfrew includes a community that is self-reliant, resilient, responsive, innovative and willing to work collectively to create a better Renfrew.  Community ventures act to galvanise the local population, address unmet needs and harness local passion and drive.

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Our explanatory booklet on the Community Action plan is online

http://issuu.com/foster_evans/docs/rdt_booklet__

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BACKGROUND TO COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN

draft logo designed by Lauryn Bradley, Newmains P7a

Renfrew Development Trust Community Plan

Who We Are....LOCAL PEOPLE DEVELOPING LOCAL PROJECTS

The Renfrew Development Trust is a brand new community based organisation in the town.  The group was started by local people and the entire board is made up of local people whose key aim is to develop projects that make Renfrew a better place to live work and visit.

What We Did...SURVEYED RENFREW PEOPLE TO GET IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE

We decided that any project ideas we had needed to be driven by the people of Renfrew so we commissioned a community plan and tried to include as many Renfrew people as possible.  599 people contributed on facebook.  1424 responded to a local survey.  Over 200 attended open meetings and focus groups and there were lots of one to one discussions and two successful photo competitions showing what people valued about the town

What You Said...MANY THINGS LIKE THE FOLLOWING:

o   77% of people like Renfrew and want to stay here

o   For those that don’t, an unattractive environment and lack of jobs were the big issues

o   44% wanted better local facilities to gather people together and get them involved

o   There is a need for skills, training and enterprise, particularly focussed on young people

o   There were significant frustrations with traffic

What this led to...A COMMUNITY PLAN WE CAN ALL GET BEHIND

We have drafted a long term vision for the community of Renfrew.  This will appear in broad themes over the next few weeks leading up to its launch at the Renfrew Gala Day on 1 June.

For More Information

We want more local people involved in this vision. For more information on what we are doing, EMAIL [email protected]

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Meet the Team - Committee Member

Who: Marie Ward

Marie has 21 years’ experience working in the voluntary sector.  She has an excellent track record in developing new initiatives and was instrumental in the establishment of CDT as a community development trust.  Previous experience includes developing credit unions across Strathclyde and developing Micro Finance initiatives across the West of Scotland.  Marie was also self-employed for a number of years working as a consultant specialising in voluntary sector management, training and assessment. 

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Meet the Team - Committee Member

Who: Stacey Gallacher

Stacey has been working since she was sixteen, originally starting out on a YTS Programme before moving to live in Manchester for ten years.  A Manager for Blockbuster until June 2012 Stacey studied Admin and Information Management at Reid Kerr College, attaining her HND in 2004.  Stacey has worked in numerous office based and retail roles for such diverse organisations as Federal express, Farmfoods, Britvic, North West Water, CIS and most recently Holland and Barrett and Engage Renfrewshire.

Stacey has two children, Reece, 12 and Lili, 4 and lives in Renfrew.  She enjoys long drives, spending time with friends, cinema and music. 

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Meet The Team - The Chair

Who: Foster Evans

Further Info: Currently Chair of Renfrew Development Trust Steering Group. He passionately believes that every community should have a community-led organisation that supports local people to realise their full potential. Having lived in Renfrew for almost 34 years Foster firmly believes that Renfrew should catch up with the 200 other communities across Scotland and establish a Community Development Trust. Now is the time.

Snapshot CV: Board Member of Senscot (Social Entrepreneur’s Network), Chair of Senscot Legal, Treasurer of Partick Thistle Community Trust.  Former Director of Employers in Voluntary Housing, General Manager of Strathclyde University Students Association, Clydeside Against Pollution, British Airways.

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Meet The Team - The Treasurer

Who: Gordon Burgess

Further Info:  Treasurer of Renfrew Development Trust Steering Group.  Gordon moved to Renfrew 35 years ago via a youthful stint in South Africa and is keenly interested in local politics.  He was formerly Chair of Dean Park Residents Association for some 12 years and achieved considerable success in maintaining and improving the Dean Park area. 

Now retired from a successful career in purchasing Gordon is also Minute Secretary and Vice-Chair of Renfrew Community Council and truly believes that a Development Trust in Renfrew could oversee further improvements for the town and its residents in the future. 

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Meet The Team - Committee Member

Who: Atholl Kinnear

Further Info: Having served in the military for over thirty years and on retirement, Atholl joined the military charity ‘SSAFA’,( Soldiers and Sailors Families Association) for whom he still works. Formerly a member of a local residents group, Atholl is currently a member of Renfrew Community Council, aiming to give a voice to local residents. 

In his spare time Atholl likes walking, fishing, gardening and reading.

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Meet The Team - The Secretary

Who: Graeme McMeekin

Further Info: Recently elected Secretary of Renfrew Development Trust Steering Group.  With a background as a youthworker, Graeme has lived in Renfrew since 2005 with his wife Barbara, and currently teaches Youth and Community Work.

He is particularly keen to see the same principles of Community Trusts applied to his own town.  Graeme is currently on the board of a number of charities including Renfrew YMCA and regularly attends his local Baptist Church.