Winter Update from Jeremy Spurway, new Chair of Comrie Trust
5 January 2023
Hello, First snow on the Ben and a new Chair for the CDT Board! (these are almost certainly not linked). We thank Alan Moffat for his time, dedication, and enthusiasm during his tenure as Chair through what has already been a difficult year — more on that presently — and wish him well with concentrating on A&E Training. And I thank the Board for their confidence in electing me as the new Chair, so I'd like to take this opportunity to reach out to the people who give us our purpose — You! The CDT members. In preparation for the AGM — which we intend to hold towards the end of February — there are a few key announcements I'd like to draw to your attention. Firstly, we have secured support from PKC to develop a Community Action Plan — this will gather suggestions, opinions, and priorities from Comrie residents to inform the design and delivery of further new services and facilities — this will provide CDT with clear direction on the community's priorities, and will help with securing funding for these. I strongly suspect that the affordable housing deficit featured in the recent needs survey will be at the forefront of this. Secondly, amongst the ongoing projects facilitated by CDT (woodland, orchard, outdoor playgroup, Men's Shed, and so on), and against the tricky backdrop of the pandemic, we have managed to get 5 of the self-catering huts at Cultybraggan up-and-running, with a successful first season pointing towards a significant income stream to help support other community benefits. In addition, despite being similarly constrained, there has been real progress on revitalising the Camp heritage experience for visitors — again, this helps build our income, and also promotes understanding and enthusiasm for our unique asset. And all of our visitors have been delighted to find tasty treats and a cup of tea available from the cafe, initially with the fantastic help of the Cancer Shop crew, and