Development Trusts Association (DTA)

Lead Partner: Development Trusts Association (DTA)

Description

The Development Trusts Association (DTA) is a community-based regeneration network and a leading advocate for asset-based approaches. Rural development trusts are a fast growing part of the membership – of 385 members in the UK, 34% work in rural areas and 16% operate in a mixed urban/rural setting. However, a unique annual longitudinal survey taken by the DTA of their membership shows that rural development trusts are finding it especially difficult to acquire assets (buildings and land), access grant income, and in particular generate earned income through community enterprise.

Assets and earned income in particular are key indicators of sustainability, and these results confirm the perceptions that many development trusts in rural areas remain fragile, are not performing well in business terms and therefore are not achieving as great an impact in their communities as they might.

There are of course many reasons why this is happening including problems of access to services, transport, a dispersed population base, low (or inappropriate) skill levels, distorted housing markets and a declining/changing economic structure. In addition major public sector regeneration investment is seldom targeted at rural areas where poverty is more widely but thinly distributed. Against this background, however, many rural DTA members have been able to make a significant impact on their local communities.

Bearing Fruit: Good Practice in asset-based rural community development is a detailed analysis of the stories behind these successful community organisations. The study examines the experiences of seven rural Development Trusts to ‘see what works’. Importantly, the report identifies 10 specific characteristics of successful initiatives and focuses on the attributes of the people who are the driving forces within the Trusts. Amazingly, these individuals shared a great many of these traits!

This report will be an important talking point for the growing number of rural Development Trusts and social enterprises as more and more rural communities assume responsibilities for service delivery and the transfer of assets into community management.

Contact Details

Steve Clare

Assistant Director (South)

Development Trusts Association

National office

33 Corsham Street,

London

N1 6DR

Tel: 0845 458 8336

Email: s.clare@dta.org.uk

Website: http://www.dta.org.uk/