Development Trusts
Development Trusts Association Wales (DTA Wales)
DTA Wales is an independent practitioner based membership organisation promoting the work of and supporting the growing network of currently 40 Development Trusts in Wales.
It is part of the UK wide Development Trust Association (DTA), the community enterprise and regeneration network and fast growing movement of more than 400 trusts with community owned assets of 300 million.
DTA exists to help members bring significant and lasting benefit and change to their communities. It promotes development trusts and exchange practitioner skills and experience.
It can also help new development trusts get going, and once they are underway help them grow from strength to strength, not least by encouraging them to learn from each other.
For further information please contact:
Development Trusts Association Wales
35b Albert Road
Penarth
Vale of Glamorgan CF64 1BY
Tel 029 2019 0260
Fax 029 2019 0258
Email info@dtawales.org.uk
What are development trusts?
Development trusts are enterprises created by communities to bring wealth and improvements to their area. They are defined as organisations which are:
- Engaged in the economic, environmental and social regeneration of a defined area or community
- Independent, self-sufficient or aiming for self sufficiency, and not for private profit
- Community based, owned and managed
- Actively involved in partnerships and alliances between the community, voluntary, private and public sectors
What do they do?
Responding to local needs, development trusts make things happen in their community: business start up, managed workspace, recycling, environmental improvements, management of public space, advice and debt counseling, welfare advice, energy efficiency advice, family support, child care services, community grants schemes, affordable housing, volunteering, job training, youth work, micro credit, supplementary education, community safety, transport schemes, festivals and arts activities, sports and leisure, community cafes and restaurants, food markets, healthy living schemes….
Who do they work with?
Development trusts are part of the community enterprise movement. This means they are community-based and work alongside the local voluntary sector, public authorities, and private sector.
What do they achieve?
They aim to achieve their goals by making profits through trading, providing services and acquiring assets (such as buildings and equipment). These profits are not-for-private-benefit and are used to create community wealth that has a lasting impact on the renewal and improvement of an area. To put it simply, development trusts are: community owned and led, cultivating enterprise, building assets and securing community prosperity.
(Source: Development Trusts Association)
