South Lanarkshire LEADER

It aims to ensure the DT’s are resourced appropriately and have access to a range of skills such as project and events management, marketing and financial administration. A key objective will be to establish a community owned asset base that can recycle income into community projects. South Lanarkshire Rural Partnership's 'Market Towns Initiative', managed and delivered by The Rural Development Trust, aims to support the development of community based, owned and managed delivery organisations, Development Trusts, in the four rural market towns of Biggar, Carluke, Lanark and Strathaven.

A key feature of the Initiative is its asset based approach to community development, supporting and encouraging the growth of both human and physical assets which will contribute to the vibrancy and vitality of South Lanarkshire's rural towns.

Development Trusts are organisations which can be involved in a wide range of activities from running local events to owning local shops and post offices to developing local housing solutions. Regardless of the many and varied functions which Development Trusts perform, invariably they share characteristics which enables them to:

fulfil both a community co-ordination and project development role
act as an umbrella for smaller community groups
deliver priority community projects
be resourced and supported to establish community owned assets and,
become independently sustainable through community enterprise projects and community asset development

Working with a range of partners and with the communities of Biggar, Carluke, Lanark and Strathaven, the Market Towns Initiative aims to build a network of strong, successful Development Trusts which have the skills, knowledge and confidence to be able to deliver successful community led regeneration across the rural area.

Contact: John Gold     Tel: 01555 665064     Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it