2019 Shortlist | Camuscross & Duisdale Initiative (CDI)
Camuscross & Duisdale Initiative (CDI)
Shortlist – Embracing Opportunity and Harnessing Risk
Who they are
The charitable purpose of Camuscross & Duisdale Initiative (CDI) is to further sustainable community development by owning and developing land and assets; improving regeneration; providing recreational, cultural and educational activities; environmental improvement and affordable housing. The charity serves a small community of 180 people in the south of the Isle of Skye. In 2016, it completed the construction of a new community hub. The hub provides new essential services such as a community shop and post office, cafe and hall that hosts community activities aimed at the retired and elderly members of the community as well as families with young children.
What they’ve achieved
The CDI board secured funding for an independent consultation (published in 2012) to establish top priorities within the local community. The board worked closely with the consultant to devise an inclusive and thorough investigation and discovered that their audiences were most in need (and desirous) of new local amenities such as a shop, café, or community hall. As the community has a high proportion of retired people (more than 30%) – some with mobility issues – and families with young children, isolation and access to amenities (most more than 10 miles away) were concerns for community members. For a charity run by a volunteer board and no paid staff members, addressing these needs presented a monumental challenge, but the board succeeded. CDI applied for and was awarded a Stage One “Growing Community Assets” grant from the Big Lottery Fund to help it develop a business plan for securing the £1.8 million required to fulfil the community’s needs. Trustees’ dedication and hard work paid off when they subsequently received Stage Two funding from the Big Lottery Fund to realise their plans. The CDI community hub was completed on time and on budget, opening to the public in April 2017 and is a thriving centre of business and activity within the community today.
Why they were shortlisted
Judges recognised that the success of this project was an impressive achievement for a volunteer board and an organisation without any paid staff. The board recognised the importance fulfilling the unmet needs of the community, and accepted the risk and responsibility of the role it was being asked to play. Trustees assessed the expertise and skills on the board – members included lawyers, HR professionals, experienced fundraisers, arts and heritage professionals and individuals with detailed knowledge of crofting legislation (important to the building development project) – and also took note of what the board lacked, mainly expertise in construction and large capital project development. The board recruited two local architects as trustees and organised a fundraising committee to focus on the task at hand. Trustees were at the forefront of change and innovation for CDI, not just expanding the board, but redeveloping the entire organisation as the project progressed, transforming the mission and vision of the organisation as well as its operational structure from the ground up.
