Development Trust brings volunteer groups together

Date: Tuesday 4 February

News Release

February 2025

Development Trust brings volunteer groups together

Ukuleles, friendship, tourism, heritage, trail bike riding, football, litter picking, pipe bands, cricket, community cinema, coffee mornings and ceilidhs were just some of the opportunities discussed at the latest town forum meeting in Blairgowrie and Rattray held recently.

The forum meetings, which are organised by Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust (BRDT), offer community groups, event organisers and associations in the east Perthshire town an opportunity to highlight the work they are doing in the town, make connections with other groups, and encourage more people to get involved with various projects and initiatives.

The quarterly meetings take place in person in the BaRI Building on Blairgowrie High Street and there is also an option to join online.

The latest session saw updates from a range of local organisations, including the Blair Ukes, the Blair Bells, Blairgowrie Stroke Club, the Blairgowrie fundraising branch of Mary’s Meals, Blairgowrie, Rattray and District Climate Café, the Friendship Café, the Our Heritage Group, Strathmore Screen, Tayside Trail Association, Blairgowrie and East Perthshire Tourist Association, Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Trust and the recently reformed Blairgowrie Cricket Club.

Amongst the updates was news that a fantastic new £900,000 community facility at the football ground in Davie Park in Rattray has officially opened, representing the culmination of several years of hard work and fundraising by Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Trust (BRCFT) and an investment of around £2million in the ground over the last few years.

The ground is the home of Blairgowrie Junior FC and the headquarters for all levels of football in the town, including a number of youth teams for both girls and boys, a new women’s team, an over 35s team and walking football sessions, and provides people of all ages with an opportunity to get involved in the beautiful game.

Other exciting sports news is that JJ Coupar Recreation Ground-based Blairgowrie Cricket Club has reformed and has lots of exciting plans for the year ahead.

Tayside Trail Association is working on a developing a network of cycle routes around the area as part of efforts to develop Perthshire as a cycling tourism destination, the Our Heritage Group is working with pupils at Blairgowrie High School to create multi-media information for local heritage trails, and Blairgowrie and East Perthshire Tourist Association (BEPTA) is continuing efforts to promote the area as a must-see destination for visitors.

The Blair Ukes and the Blair Bells are available to play at events and early booking is advised as their 2025 diaries are filling up.

The Blairgowrie Stroke Club is looking for suggestions for activities to include in the programme of sessions offered to those who have experienced a stroke, while volunteers are being sought to help out with the Blairgowrie, Rattray and District Climate Café, Mary’s Meals and the Friendship Café.

As well as the forum meetings, BRDT organises an annual Town Event which this year will take place on Saturday, June 21.

BRDT also collates and publishes What’s On information for the town and the information gathered at the meetings feeds into the events and activities calendar on the Discover Blairgowrie website, the What’s On posters and the quarterly Hub Magazine which is distributed to some 5000 homes locally.  Groups who would like to include their events in the posters and on Discover Blairgowrie should email the information to be included to support@brdt.org.uk by the 15th of the preceding month.    

Lesley McDonald is operations officer at BRDT. She said: “The Forum meetings are a fantastic way for local community groups and organisations to get together and chat about what they’re doing and what they have coming up.

“There is so much going on in our community that it is really beneficial to stop for a moment and take stock of everything that is happening.

“At almost every Forum meeting we hold, useful connections are made between different groups which is great to see and which is what it’s all about.”

The next Forum meeting will be Monday, 28th April, at 7pm in the BaRI Building and online. The meetings are open to all community groups and organisations in Blairgowrie and Rattray.

For further information or to request the link to attend, please email support@brdt.org.uk

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

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