Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust incorporates local business association as a core project.

Date: Tuesday 12 August

Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust (BRDT) is to take on the work of the Blairgowrie and Rattray Business Association (BARBA) following the dissolution of the former Merchant’s Association earlier this summer.

The move was agreed at the most recent meeting of the development trust’s board and will see a new Business Focus Group form under the auspices of the Trust.

With the Trust providing administration and governance services and guidance, the new group will be able to focus on representing business concerns in Blairgowrie and Rattray and coordinating events and activities to support local businesses.

The volunteer committee members behind BARBA first proposed disbanding the Business Association in April this year. Following discussions with the Trust and with members of the Business Association, it was unanimously agreed at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in late June that the organisation would be formally disbanded in accordance with its constitution.

BRDT’s Board then met and agreed to take on the work of the Association as one of its core projects.

Chair of BRDT, Linda Tait, said: “While BARBA disbanding is certainly the end of an era for one of our town’s historic organisations, we are pleased that Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust has been able to step in and take on a role in representing the interests of businesses in our town.

“We would like to reassure businesses that this transition will be seamless, and that we will ensure that the history of the BARBA and the Merchants’ Association is preserved by retaining relevant documents and archive material.

“One of the first things we have done is help coordinate the ‘BRAW Windows of Blair’ competition for businesses in the town centre to showcase their creative talent during the popular It’s BRAW! festival in August, which we’re delighted to say has been very enthusiastically supported.”

Linda continued: “As with our other core projects such as the BaRI Food Project, Rattray Community Garden, the HEAT Project and Biodiversity Blair, the work of the new Business Focus Group will contribute towards achieving BRDT’s wider goals and objectives of addressing local needs and creating social, economic and environmental strength in the town, building on the aspirations set out by the community in both the Local Place Plan and the Community Action Plan for Blairgowrie and Rattray.

“We firmly believe that the voice of business in the town needs to be represented and that by supporting the sector in a coordinated, integrated, sustainable and holistic way it will have a positive impact for the whole community.

“We would like to thank everyone who has been a part of BARBA or the Merchants’ Association over the years for all their efforts and hard work, and are keen to hear from any businesses that would like to contribute thoughts and ideas or get involved in shaping the way forward for the new group.”

The Business Focus Group is holding a get together at 7pm on Thursday, August 28th in the BaRI Building at 53-55 High Street to gather ideas for the development of the new project, as well as a Business Breakfast on Friday, September 26th, 2025 at 8.30am in the Dome Restaurant on Leslie Street. All businesses in Blairgowrie and Rattray are welcome to attend. For further details on both sessions, and to help with numbers for catering, please confirm attendance by emailing admin@brdt.org.uk

For further information or media enquiries, please contact Clare McMicking on telephone 07514 343 042 or email media@brdt.org.uk