Lauderdale Community Development Trust
Lauderdale Community Development Trust Page
Link here to Lauderale Community Action Plan Web Page
Link to Lauderdale Community Action Plan Leaflet Page 1 Page 2
03/09/26
First Members Meeting 23rd September 2026 @ The Smiddy
Come along to our first members meeting and be part of shaping the future of Lauderdale Community Development Trust!
This is your chance to have your say, use your voice and you members vote for the people who will form our very first Board
Guest Speakers: Grace Murray ( Chair of Stow Development Trust)
Hot drinks and Snacks will be available.
Contact lcdtmembers@gmail.com for further information or membership form
17/08/26
Brief Update on LCDT activities
a) Following a successful launch on May 26th in the public hall, kindly provided free of charge (and using our new projector!), we successfully recruited a number of new members, and our membership now stands at nearly 50. We were greatly helped in this by Pamela Barnes from DTAS (The Development Trust Association Scotland) and Lara Porter of SBC. Steve Aitchison acquired the projector for the public hall free of charge too. We have also successfully obtained a bank account with the co-op.
b) We are applying for charitable status.
c) We have been invited to apply to the Tweed Forum for funding to commission a condition report for the public hall. This is a necessary part of the process of considering whether the public hall could be successfully transferred as an asset for the local community, and is a top priority in our CAP. We are in the process of developing our application. Marilyn has been attending meetings of the public hall steering group which has been very informative and collaborative.
d) We are holding our first members’ meeting on 26th Sept, 7.30 in the Smiddy, which is kindly being provided for free for this meeting by the Community and Leisure Centre. All are welcome, and you can join LCDT at this meeting. The main agenda will be to elect the LCDT Trustees. The Founder Members will step down. Going forward, we need at least three elected trustees and can have up to 11. So do please consider coming along and getting involved.
Contact lcdtmembers@gmail.com for further information or membership form
LCDT Update – 19/06/26
For a larger copy of the below pages please go to this link or double click each photo.
For further information or for general enquiries please email LCDT
“The Community Action Plan (CAP) was published in the spring edition of the Lauderdale News and leaflets were distributed as to all households across Lauderdale. Recognising the need for a community development group, a steering group has been established and the Lauderdale Community Development Trust was launched on May 26th. All residents in Lauderdale were invited to listen and learn more about the workings of a Trust and to potentially join the group – Lauderdale Community Development Trust.
If you would like to know more feel free to email us at
LAUDERDALE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TRUST (LCDT)
‘Together for our shared future’
*Do you want to take part in shaping the future direction of Lauderdale?
* Do you want your voice to be heard in how funding is distributed?
* Do you want to know more about LCDT and Development Trusts?
If so:
*Join LCDT (membership is free): email lcdtmembers@gmail.com
WHY LCDT?
Lauderdale Community Council members and other volunteers have been working hard to create our Community Action Plan and held extensive consultations with our local community- see May 26 edition of Lauderdale News for a brief summary. We now have leaflets with a longer version of the CAP which we are making widely available. We are also posting the CAP online on this LCC website and facebook pages.
During our consultations, various people recommended we set up a Community Development Trust. This is because (a) the need for an overview development organisation for Lauderdale became apparent and (b) funders require some mechanism for giving funds to Lauderdale and (c) the CAP identifies our direction of travel for Lauderdale parish which funders usually require.
Lauderdale parish badly needs funding. Many of our important public assets need money to make improvements (e.g. Community and Leisure Centre) or even to keep going (e.g. possible sale of Lauder Public Hall).
LCDT will seek funding to support local developments the community wants, as identified primarily in our CAP (which will be regularly reviewed).
LCDT is a company limited by guarantee, with all its purposes being charitable purposes, and is applying for charitable status with OSCR. LCDT has already benefited considerably from free advice and support offered by the Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS), and we hope to become a member of DTAS very soon.
LCDT’s role is to ‘benefit principally the community of Lauderdale which comprises the parish of Lauderdale…..[by]..the advancement of community development…to the extent that [this] is consistent with furthering the achievement of sustainable development and our charitable purposes’ (quote taken from LCDT Articles of Association).
Our CAP will play a significant role in how LCDT operates– the CAP tells us what our community development priorities are, and therefore what we want to focus on. LCDT will seek funding to support local groups and activities and will encourage community conversations. Therefore we need your voices to help shape our decisions e.g. what we do first.
The CAP Leaflet
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LCDT AND LCC
LCDT is an independent organisation separate from LCC. LCDT will feed back to LCC at least quarterly.
LCDT now has founding members. We are all very grateful for the support of LCC in getting LCDT off the ground, and for a financial contribution of £500 so we can pay for our incorporation and other setting up expenses.
WHAT TYPE OF ORGANISATION IS LCDT?
LCDT is a company limited by guarantee. It is applying for charitable status.
LCDT is a membership led organisation. This means (a) that members elect the Trustees who form the leadership team for the trust. (b) that general meetings will be held at least quarterly where your voices as members guide the trustees as to LCDT direction of travel and decision-making.
The main role of the Trustees is to generally control and supervise the activities of LCDT, especially monitoring the financial position.
LCDT MEMBERSHIP
You can apply to join either by picking up a membership form in Weigh Greener (open 9.30 -4.30 Tues-Fri, and 9.00 – 1pm Sat), or by emailing us on lcdtmembers@gmail.com
Membership is free, and is renewed annually. We ask you to agree to the purposes of LCDT, to agree to pay LCDT £1.00 if LCDT needs to be wound up during your membership period, and to receive communications from LCDT –updates and notices of members’ meetings.
There are 4 categories of membership:
1. Full membership (you are 16yrs+ and resident in the parish of Lauderdale (full voting rights)
2. Associate membership (you are 16+ and do not live in the parish of Lauderdale (no voting rights but can be co-opted onto the Board if members agree)
3. Junior membership (you are 12-15yrs old .You do not need to be resident in Lauderdale parish); please note we will need your signature and a parent’s signature on your application form. (no voting rights but you can attend members meetings and potentially sit on the Board and make your voices heard)
4. Organisational membership: You can represent an organisation. No more than one person nominated by each organisation can be a member of LCDT at any one time. (Please note, you will need to provide confirmation of your nomination by an appropriate officer of that organisation)