New Development Officer supporting Douglas and Glespin communities
A dedicated Development Officer is now in place to support local community groups and projects across Douglas and Glespin, thanks to funding from the Coalburn, Douglas & Glespin (CDG) Community Fund.
About the Role
The Development Officer initiative emerged from discussions between Foundation Scotland and key local organisations, including Douglas Community Council, Douglas Community Development Company, St Bride's Centre, and Douglasdale REAL Group, who identified the need for dedicated community development support. Local groups had ideas and aspirations, but volunteers didn’t always have the time or technical knowledge to take them forward.
Katrina Buckley took up the role in May of this year and is based in St Bride’s Centre in Douglas. She will be in post for at least 18 months.
Katrina will help establish and strengthen local groups and help them implement flagship community projects. The role also includes assisting groups with preparing and submitting applications to local and national funding sources, as well as encouraging and developing local volunteering to build organisational strength across the area.
She is working across both Douglas and Glespin communities. 82 engagements have already taken place with community groups and partners since Katrina came into post three months ago!
A charity already well-known and active in Douglas & Glespin agreed to host the post on behalf of the Douglas and Glespin community. This well-established community health organisation ‘Healthy Valleys’ manages and supports Katrina day-to-day, and a Reference Group made up of local groups and residents offers a sounding board to help the role flourish.
Mary Travers, Foundation Scotland Community Funds Adviser is delighted the post is now up and running.
This is a fantastic opportunity for the communities of Douglas and Glespin and a fine example of collaboration and partnership working, resulting in a post which is set up to meet the needs of the local groups, organisations and residents, helping move forward projects and local development opportunities.
Brian Muir, Chair of Douglas Community Council said:
Our communities are proud of the long history of our area and want this to be promoted and recognised more widely. We have a good range of community owned facilities which are important locally and offer development potential. We have well established voluntary groups and clubs that need support and investment from CDG funding to help deliver short- and long-term projects. Working together and encouraging more activism by engaging with our own dedicated development staff will make our area a better place to live, work, enjoy and visit.
Katrina says:
Since starting the role in May, I’ve had the absolute pleasure of meeting and chatting to so many wonderful people in the local community and really listening to what matters most to you. I’ve been working to help meet those needs and support projects that bring positive change and development opportunities to the area, and I’m grateful for the openness and enthusiasm you’ve shown. A special thank you to our reference group — your support has been amazing and has made this journey even more meaningful. I’m really looking forward to what we can achieve together.
Looking ahead, Katrina will also work alongside volunteers to turn project ideas into reality through planning support, training, and guidance, while also supporting community initiatives outlined in the Douglas and Glespin Community Action Plan 2024-2029.
Community groups and residents interested in accessing support or learning more about opportunities should contact Katrina by phone: 07525 687964 or by email: katrina@healthyvalleys.org.uk
Read more about the Coalburn, Douglas & Glespin (CDG) Community Fund