Brora Development Trust was formed in 2013 by a group of passionate local volunteers, in order to establish a grass-roots approach to making our community a better place to live, work and play.
Brora Development Trust is the known as name for Brora and District Action Group and is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SC043968) and is managed by a board of 7 voluntary Trustees.
To help ensure the delivery and development of a comprehensive programme of projects in line with a three-year work plan, the Trust currently employs a full time Development Manager, a part time Project Officer and a team of 6 part-time Youth Workers to deliver a comprehensive programme of work.
The 2023-2026 work plan has been organised into five thematic programmes: Social; Community; Economic; Environment and Placemaking. These themes emerged from the community consultation conducted in the last quarter of 2022.
• Social
• Community
• Economic
• Environment
• Placemaking
Within each of these programmes lie a number of projects:
Community Led Tourism
With funding from the North Highland Initiative and Brora Development Trust, representatives from the Scottish Community Tourism network (SCOTO), visited Brora and facilitated a Press Pause community led tourism workshop on 21st February 2024.
SCOTO met with various local interests from business and wider community. Time was taken to experience the village and explore local sites and features of interest. A report was produced and a follow up meeting then took place on 30th April in Brora to review and prioritise the findings and recommendations.
The full Press Pause workshop report is available at Brora Library or if you click here.
Discover Brora
The Trust set up and manage the Discover Brora website and social media platforms, to provide helpful information for visitors and a platform for advertising for local businesses. The Discover Brora brand was created by a group of local volunteers who are passionate about Brora and the community they live in.
The website is however an organic and ever evolving entity and not a completely finished, well polished website, so we ask for your understanding as the site grows. Local businesses are adding their details to the listings pages and continue to do so. This website truly is ‘by the community, for the community’.
The Otter’s Couch
The Otter’s Couch is an arts and crafts social enterprise located in Brora, providing earning opportunities for local people. The Otter’s Couch has been operating for 5 years and has a wide selection of arts and crafts. The shop also houses a Visitor Information Point, providing information on where to stay, what to see and do and what’s on in Brora.
Brora Youth Initiative
This is a community initiative, steered by a voluntary sub-committee, Brora Youth Partnership, working alongside the charity Youth Highland. Brora Development Trust run twice weekly drop-in youth-led sessions for secondary school aged young people in Brora, in the youth room at Brora Community Centre. Members gave the club the name Brora Youth Room. Sessions take place on Wednesdays from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and on Fridays from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. Members are supported by a team of Youth Workers employed by the Trust.
Happy School Holidays Project
The Development Trust provides support to parents and carers of children and young people in Early Years, primary and secondary education in living Brora during school holidays. This has come in the form of grocery vouchers in the past and currently meal starter kits.
Community Newsletter and Community Calendar
The Trust produce a quarterly newsletter and month community calendars, with information about what’s on in Brora and some of the latest community news.
Previous projects include:
Improvements to pedestrian signage in Brora
Replacement of football goals at Muirfield football pitch
Fair Work First Statement
“Brora Development Trust is committed to advancing the Scottish Government Fair
Work First Policy and the criteria as set out within the Fair Work First guidance
document. We confirm that we pay our staff the Real Living Wage and/or will do so
if we employ people in the future. We make every effort to ensure that our
suppliers/contractors are offered the same Real Living Wage rate when procuring
goods or services. We also confirm that we offer our staff and/or volunteers an
Effective Workers Voice channel within the workplace.”