Durness Development Group is a Community company limited by guarantee without share capital. Registered in Scotland Number 222915 Recognised as a Scottish Charity Number SC 032179 and Recognised as Community Body under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

The main purpose of the organisation is to promote the benefit of the inhabitants of Durness and its environs so that their conditions of life may be improved. To advance education and to promote training programmes and opportunities for the benefit of the residents. We aim to protect and / or preserve the environment, in consultation with conservation bodies, for the benefit of the general public and to promote, establish and operate other schemes for the benefit of the community. Our Organisation serves the parish of Durness and its environs. Our community has a general and concerned interest in identifying the historical, traditional cultural and environmental aspects that we may further develop for a more sustainable future which better meets everyone's needs and cares for our environment

Our group works for the interest of the whole community and the diverse blend of schemes we undertake reflect this.

The group tackle a range of projects each independent, some inextricably linked and this is an ongoing process to encourage and promote sustainable development in the Parish of Durness for the benefit of the community. The sustainable development is made up of four key goals. Making the most of the natural and cultural resources without damaging them, retaining a viable and empowered community, reducing problems of remoteness by delivering local needs locally and reducing dependence on external inputs and avoiding harmful effects on other people, places and future generations.

The group in itself is addressing a required local need by providing the structure and fabric for prolonged sustainable development to proceed allowing a professional community approach to local problems and concerns by tackling them from the grassroots. We have been in existence since June 2000. The need for such a group was identified from individuals and groups in the Community. Approaches were made from the population to the local enterprise company and Community Council to establish a structure that could tackle the problems of the area. This area has been the subject of various initiatives the most recent Duthchas a European Scheme and Initiative at the Edge a Government programme. In their three year lives these projects set in motion the first stages whereby the area communities could draw up their own development programme and then with the assistance of local funding agencies take some of the projects forward.  Amongst the conclusions drawn was that that local remote villages should form structures as the Development group to tackle local problems from local ideas. This group is following model examples provided from these initiatives.

The group aims to involve all age groups by initiating projects suggested from the group encouraging participation from every quarter of the community to help advance all levels of education.  The group aim to help the people of Durness to improve as individuals and develop the locality by providing leisure, recreational and enterprising opportunities currently unavailable in the immediate locality.  The group propose to keep an unbiased aim within the remit of providing a community based structure to contribute to social, environmental and economic aims with a constructive purpose. The group are achieving this by assisting any other local groups by close cooperation in providing services, technical expertise and equipment that the group has to enable the other groups to benefit from their existence. We are co-ordinating services and facilities required by other local voluntary groups to ensure that duplication and overlapping of admin and other local needs is omitted The group raise funds by various means and work with grant giving agencies of the public and private sector to secure appropriate finances to accomplish the objectives. The group aim to form partnerships with other local groups and agencies to make available the structures necessary to provide the means to achieve a better quality of life for the people of Durness. We are aiming to create opportunities and meaningful interests to keep young people in the area, by providing local employment.

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