tcf - huntly heart - business plan

HuntlyHeart

BusinessPlanApril2019

ThisBusinessPlanispartvision,andpartpragmaticassessmentof how to realise it. It has been inspired and shaped by theenthusiasm, commitment and suggestions of the communitychampions of this project, but tempered with the reality ofdeliveringaprojectofscaleandambition.

Our ambitions are bold and, we believe, create an excitingstimulus for the activities that can take place within therepurposedbuilding.Itwillcreatearevitalisedcommunityassetforthetownand,moreimportantly,helpbreathenewcultural,economicandsociallifeintoourtowncentre.

BoardofDeveronProjectsThisBusinessPlanispreparedandpresentedbytheBoardofDeveronProjectsandoutlinestheirvisionandaspirationsforanewcreative,communityspaceinHuntly-andprovidesanachievablesolutiontohowthesemightberealisedeffectively.Ithasreceivedkeyinputandadvice fromAberdeenshireCouncil,andHuntlyandDistrictDevelopmentTrust. IthasbeencoordinatedwiththeexternalassistanceofCreativeServices(Scotland)Ltd.

Contents Page

ExecutiveSummary 1

1StrategicVision 7- TheVision- IntegrationwithAimsandObjectives- DeliveringtheVision

2TheObjectives 12

- Objectives- ImpactandBenefit

3TheContext 15

- Huntly- DeveronProjects- BackgroundtotheProject- OptionsAppraisal- Displacement

4Demand/Market 27

- Local:Priorities- CommunityConsultation- AB54- SummaryofDemand

5TheBuilding 34

- BuildingElements- AssessmentofCurrentBuildingCondition

andValuation- ArchitecturalSolutionandApproach- PlanningPermissionsandConsents

6TheOperation 46

- Operation- Governance- MonitoringandEvaluation

7CapitalCostsandFunding 52

- CapitalCosts- SourcesofFunding

8IncomeandExpenditure 55

- AnnualOperation- One-offTransitionalCosts- Income- 5-YearProjection

9Risk 68- Contingency- RiskTable

Appendices

A DeveronProjects-Mission,AimsandObjectivesB DeveronProjects–VisionandProgrammeC BackgroundInformationonNo.11caféD HuntlyVisionfor2030–ConsultationSummaryE CommunityResponse–UsesofSquareDealF IndicativeProgrammeofActivityG 22-23TheSquare,Huntly–ValuationH DeveronProjects-CurrentBoardofDirectorsI DeveronProjects–AnnualAccounts2017-18J LettersofSupport

Submittinganideaforhow22-23TheSquare,Huntlymightbebroughtbacktolife,oneofover100submittedbythecommunityinDecember2018[seeAppendixE]

Whatcanwemakeofthisplace?

After20yearsofdevelopmentprojectsinHuntlywehaveoutgrownourcurrentbuildingresourcestoserveourcommunity–weneedspaceforinternsandartists;afit-for-purposespaceforregularevents;ahomeforourtown-to-gardeninitiative;andflexiblespaceto

incubateideasandpeople.We’vefoundanidealsolution–watchtheshortfilm(clicklink)togetanideaofwhatwecanmakeofthisidealplace.

WatchourshortfilmHEREtofindout!

HuntlyHeartBusinessPlan–page1

ExecutiveSummaryWewant to create Huntly Heart – a community asset for our town that embodies thespirit of theworkwe do, assistswith regeneration, and supports the creativity of localpeopletofindsustainablewaysofenjoyingandgrowingtheircommunity.

Deveron Projects is a community organisation based in Huntly, Aberdeenshire. We workwithpeoplefromalargevarietyofbackgroundsonawiderangeofprojectsofcommunityconcern.

Wework under theprinciple of the town is the venue through projects that relate to thecommunity, history, identity and environment of the town of Huntly and its surroundingAB54 areawithmultiple community partners for activities that bring together the peopleandplacesinourcommunity.

Huntly Heart will be an incubator of ideas and social purpose that helps deliver a moreinclusive townwithaccessible, sustainable communityandculturalopportunities forall itscitizens,byprovidingabaseforourresidentartists,thinkers,andassociatedactivities.

ItwillcreateaspaceinthecentreofHuntlythatbringsanexistingbuildingbackintoactivepublicuse, improves the amenityof the towngenerally, andprovidesanappropriatebasefor thediverse rangeofactivitiesourorganisation requires to fulfil ourobjectivesand thepotentialofourcreativeteamandassociates.


HuntlyHeartwillbeoperatedbyDeveronProjectsandourassociates,residents,andinterns, to deliver transformational change to the community and the life of individuals,throughaccess tonewsocial, culturalandeconomicopportunitiescurrentlyunavailable tothem.

HuntlyHeartwillbe located inthelong-empty(since2012) ‘SquareDeal’shop inthetownsquare, alongwith its associated residential accommodation, storage andworkshopsspaces, garden and street frontage,whichwill be refurbished and repurposed to createasustainablefocalpointforthetownofHuntlyandsurroundingarea.

Huntly Heart’s objectives are economic, social and cultural, and complement and supporttheexistingbroadregenerationinitiativesin,andplannedfor,thetown.DeveronProjectsiskeenlyawareofpossibledisplacementofactivitywithin the towncentre, sotheproposedactivitieshavebeendesignedtocomplementandenhancecurrentprovisions.

Thetown,and itscentre inparticular,hasbeennegativelyaffectedbythechangingglobaleconomicclimate,andthisprojectwillhelp increase footfall tothetowncentre.Caféandrestaurantprovision in largevenuesnearertheA96hasresulted in lesscarandfoottrafficto the town centre – as a consequence there is no centrally located social or culturalgatheringspace:HuntlyHeartwillprovidethis.

Huntly Heart will be delivered and operated byDeveron Projects (DP), an active partner in theHuntly Town Team, who have deliveredcommunity projects in the AB54 andAberdeenshire area since 1995, and have a verysuccessful track record in delivering tangibleoutcomes, including people involvement, projectmanagement, involving partners and leveringotherfinancialresources.


Huntly Heart will allow DP tomake practical interventions to help deliver its objectives –townregeneration,andwaystodealwithsocialissuesinHuntlysuchasemptyshops,ruralisolation and youth unemployment through promoting sustainability and local foodeconomy-thishasbeenourmodusoperandiformanyyears.

By developing the property to include a range of versatile spaces – workshop,accommodation,street-frontmulti-purposegathering,retailandmaking-HuntlyHeartwillmeet a number of identified needs that spanboth the local community inHuntly and thecommunityinAB54morebroadly,enablingitto:

playaleadingroleintheregenerationofthetowncentre meetdemandforlow-cost,informalandchildfriendlycommunityspace providetrainingopportunitiestolearnskills satisfytheidentifiedneedforhealthy,affordablefoodchoicesinHuntly activelyengagewithlocalandnationaltargetsonsustainability generateincomethatcanberecycledinthetown,supportingjobsandretainingpeople

We anticipate a seasonal programme of events and activities thatwill vary in detail eachyear,althoughwithcorecomponents, inoneformoranother i.e.aprogrammeofculturalactivity,afoodoffer,asocialenterprisepresence,andsuchlike.Thevariousspatialelementsrequiredforthebuildinghavebeendesignedtomatchthedemandandpurposesthisrequires-an indicativeProgrammeofActivityshowshowthesespacesmayoperate–theyareinfivecategories,namely:

LivingRoom TheTown’sGarden WorkRoom ThinkingSpace Storage


Followinganoptionsappraisalofseveralproperties,SquareDealclearlypresentstheoptionthat can deliver the desired objectives most effectively. It provides a more flexible andcomprehensive solution for DP’s various activities, with spaces that are more suited forpurpose, have greater visibility and accessibility to the public, and create more/betteropportunitiestogenerateincomestreams.

Facility Management will be absorbed into the duties of DP’s current staffing structure,which isacknowledgedbyCreativeScotlandandotherpartnerstobeadedicatedandwelltrained team. Additional services, such as cleaning andmaintenance,may be outsourced,andfromyear3wewillhaveadedicatedp.t.booking/adminpost.

Weenjoyacloseworking relationshipwithHuntly andDistrictDevelopment Trust (HDDT)and share their strategic objectives. Theyareplanning to reopen another propertyon theSquare1 - there is a synergy in social objectives between the two initiatives and anopportunitytosharesomeofthemarketingandoperationofthetwobuildings–thereareseveral shared facilitymanagement issues thata jointapproachwillmakemore financiallyefficient.

Huntly Heart will benefit from being part of DP’s well-established and extremely well-managedfinancialoperation,whichhasanunblemishedtrackrecordinreportingtofundersandotherstakeholders.

Thecurrentvaluationfortheentirepropertyat22-23TheSquare,Huntly (SquareDeal) is£260,000.Afurther£199,992willbe required tomakeadditionsand refurbishments,withone-off transitional costs of £45,0002. Acquisition costs are £5000, professional fees£15,000,managementcosts£14,400andwehaveallowedforacostof£15,000toenablecollaborationwithlocalcraftspeopleandartiststocreateatrulytransformationalspaceforHuntly.Atotalcapitalcostof£554,392isanticipated.

1ThisHDDTprojectissubjecttoapplication,HuntlyHeartisdesignedtobecomplementarytoitsactivities2ScopeofworkscompletedincollaborationwithJillAndrewsRIASandJohnPascoeCQS


We are seeking investment from the Scottish Land Fund as our primary source of capitalfunding to enable the purchase of this asset. Tobring thebuildingup to standard, and todelivertransformationalchangeforHuntlytowncentre,weareseekinganadditional£213,592investmentfromtheAberdeenshireTownCentreFund.

Insummary,HuntlyHeartcapitalfundingwillcomefromthefollowingsources:

Source Amount(£) Status

AberdeenshireTownCentreFund 227,992 Applicationpending

ScottishLandFund 266,000 Applicationpending,outcome23rdMay

AspiringCommunitiesFund 28,000 Applicationpending:outcomeinearlyJune

DeveronProjects 14,400 In-kindmanagementsupport

PrivateSource 5,000 Inplace

DeveronProjects-Reserves 13,000 Inplace

Total £539,992

The estimated running costs are relatively modest, largely as the bulk of staff costs arefound from existing sources, and additional specific operational costs will be met fromproject budgets. Additional costs such as marketing specific to the venue and annualaccounting/auditing will be assimilated in the DP annual budget. The annual directoperatingcostsareprojectedas:

Item Cost(£)

FacilityManagement 7,800

Programmestaff 6,600

Administration/Booking 3,200

Cleaning 5,200

DirectCosts 9,200

Events 2,000

Total £34,000


Income(fromyear2)isprojectedfromseveralstreams,includinggrantassistanceandearnedincome,summarisedbelow,allowingforasmallsurplusoverexpenditureeachyeartobeallocatedtoreserves.

Item Cost(£)

CentralDPfunds(inkind) 14,400 14,400

ThinkPad 5,200 7,800

WorkRoom-upper 3,000 6,000

WorkRoom-lower 2,000

Commission 2,000 3,000

Foodsales 2,000 2,500

Box-office 2,000 2,000

Total £28,600 £39,200DPretainssomereservestoenableone-offprojectsorcontingency,however,itisintendedthatourannualoperatingmodelallowsacontributiontoreservesinordertoaddressfuturecapitalspendonrepairsandone-offmaintenance.


1 StrategicVision

DeveronProjects isbasedintheruralmarkettownofHuntly,Aberdeenshire.We connect artists, communities and places through creative research andengagement.

The Town is the Venue describes the framework in which we work andcontributetothesocialwellbeingofourtown.Wedonothaveagalleryorarts centre; the town is the playground, stage andmeeting place for ouractivities. Huntly’s small town context, 18th century streets andsurroundingAberdeenshire countryside offer anabundance of possibilitiesto work with. We inhabit, explore, map and activate the place throughculturallydrivencommunityprojects.

DeveronProjects:Mission/BusinessPlan2017-221.1 TheVision

1.1.1.To helpus deliverourmission tohave ‘the town as the venue’wewant to create

HuntlyHeart–acommunityassetforourtownthatembodiesthespiritoftheworkwedo,assistswithregeneration,andsupportsthecreativityof localpeople to findsustainablewaysofenjoyingandgrowingtheircommunity.

1.1.2. Specifically, through Deveron Projects’ core business of connecting artists,

communitiesandplacesthroughcreativeresearchandengagement,ourprojectwillcreateaspaceinthetownthatwill: provideacommunitymeetingplaceformultipleusership advocateandinspireahealthy,sustainableandaffordablefoodculture collaboratewithmigrantandlocalcommunities houseourcreativepractitioners,internsandartists encouragethoughtleadershiponwaystogrowthecommunityimaginatively

1.1.3Deveron Projects is ambitious for the project, and clear about the civic context in

which itwill both sit and serve, as reflected inourorganisation’s coreMissionandAims (detailed inAppendixA)and integrated into theVisionandObjectives fortheHuntlyHeartproject,outlinedbelow.


Vision1.1.4Tocreateanincubatorofideasandsocialpurposethathelpsdeliveramoreinclusive

town with accessible, sustainable community and cultural opportunities for all itscitizens.

Mission1.1.5Tocontribute toHuntly’s regenerationby revitalising itsheart,enhancing its social

andculturalinfrastructure,anddevelopingthelocaleconomy.

Values1.1.6 Ourcorevaluesforthisprojectareto:

actlocal,butalwaysinaninternationalcontext befair,inclusive,welcomingandimaginativeintheplanning,development, deliveryandoperationofHuntlyHeart inhabit,explore,mapandactivatetheplacethroughartist-drivenprojects beinspiredbyPatrickGeddes’townplanningmodelofPlace/Work/Folk.

Proposition1.1.7Toeffectivelyrealisetheabovevision,mission,andvaluesandobjectives,Deveron

Projects propose the creation of a space in the centre of the town that brings anexisting building back into active public use, improves the amenity of the towngenerally, and provides an appropriate base for the diverse range of activities ourorganisation requires to fulfilourobjectives and thepotentialofour creative teamandassociates.

1.2 IntegrationwithAimsandObjectives

1.2.1Inour2017-2022BusinessPlan,DeveronProjectsclearlysetoutourthreeprimary

objectivesforthisperiod,assummarisedintheillustrationbelow.


1.2.2ThecreationofHuntlyHeartwillgreatlyassistinhelpingusdelivertheseobjectives

by providing a physical locus for ourwork in a series of linked spaces that allowarange of activities to take place simultaneously, therebymaximising our efficiency.The three key overlapping themes were identified through extensive communityresearch,andaresummarisedbelow:

RegenerationHuntly1.2.3DeveronProjectsundertookresearchthathighlightedthecommonconcernthatthe

towncentreisrundown,lacksactivitiesandhasmanyemptyshops—largelyduetothearrivalof supermarketsandthe increaseduseof internet shopping.As thishasbeenidentifiedasthehighestcommunitypriority,alongertermapproachisneededthat looks at the built fabric and natural assets of the town and its surroundings,withstrongpartnershipswithcivicandlocalorganisationsandwiththeresponsibilityand power to affect change. Huntly Heart would be a significant, and a symbolic,earlyachievementforthetowncentreregenerationprocess.

1.2.4FundedandworkingcloselywithAberdeenshireCouncil(MarrAreamanager),

DeveronProjectsconsideredtheproblemscreativelyandisdevelopinganumberofinterventions, and possibly permanent commissions, tomake the centre a vibrant,welcoming place for locals and tourists alike. Research was carried out with artistJacques Coetzer, (Room to Roam town branding) and published in early summer2017 (RoomtoReinvent)whichhas informedtheprogramme. In themeantimewehavescopedoutthekindofprogrammethatweenvisageoverthecomingyears inourArtisticPlan.


FoodCulture1.2.5AlthoughHuntlyisthecentreofaproductiveagriculturalarea,andourcollaboration

withtheFarmers’Markethasencouragedmore local interest, thetownhasapoorreputation for fresh local food. Shops and food outlets do not oftenmake or selllocally sourced ingredients, and a wider range of healthy, ethnic and imaginativefood isabsent. There isahigh takeupof the local foodbank,whichalsodoesnotofferfreshingredients.HuntlyHeartwilllookatawiderangeoffoodrelatedaspectsfrom food production to distribution to consumption, the politics of food, and thejoyofmakingandsharingfood.

1.2.6Cultural activity is based more and more around the social act of eating, people

often travel furtherafield rather thangettingtogether locally inHuntly.Our recentworkwiththeSyriannewScots,OmarAfifandartists/groupssuchasRhynieWoman,hasshownthatqualityandrangeof localproductionandconsumptionareof interest; this has also been evidenced through our extensive communityconsultation process. We plan to build on this to develop the local market forgrowing, cooking, selling and promoting imaginative, fresh, locally sourced butinternationallyinspiredfood.

SustainableConnections1.2.7BasedonGeddesianprinciples,andstartingwithhomeasafocus,wewillbeusing

widerglobalconnectionstodevelopnewapproachesthatplacepeopleattheheartof sustainable development, exploring new connections and building long-termrelationshipsthroughalocal/globalapproach.HuntlyHeartwillcreateacommunal,accessible(street-front)andwelcomingspacetoenablethis.

1.2.8Building on our work around theWhiteWood, Huntly Heart will present a

continuationofthinkingaboutart,ecologyandpeacethatofferssocialandculturalperspectives on sustainability: local and global understandings and lived practicesaround the world. Activities at Huntly Heart will ask what role art can play ininvestigatingthekeyprinciplesofsustainability,suchasecology,socialjustice,grassrootsdemocracyandnon-violence.Byprovidingaspacethatbringstogetherpeoplefromarts, anthropology, ecology, politics, peace-making in our locality,wewill askhow we can foster a culture of complexity, an art and a community that workstogetherforabetterfuture.

1.3 DeliveringtheVision

1.3.1 Toeffectivelydelivertheabovevision,mission,valueandobjectives,Deveron

Projectsproposethatthe long-empty‘SquareDeal’shop inthetownsquare,along


with its associated residential accommodation, storage andworkshops spaces,garden and street frontage, is refurbished and repurposed to create a sustainablefocal point for the town of Huntly and surrounding area, as outlined in theproposition,above.

1.3.2 ItwillbeoperatedbyDeveronProjectsandourassociates,residents,andinterns,to

deliver transformational change to the community and the life of individuals,through access to new social, cultural and economic opportunities currentlyunavailabletothem.

1.3.3HuntlyHeartwillcreateaccessiblespacesresponsivetotheneedsoflocalpeople.In

particular,itwill:

! createacommunitydrivenmulti-purposehubthetowncurrentlylacks! providelettablespaceandopportunitiesfornewsocialenterprises3! beameetingspaceforsharingfoodandinspiringhealthyeating! provide a long-term solution for housing DP requirements (housing

artists/interns;homeforfood-based,andother,initiatives)! improvethepublicrealmoftheSquare! openaccesstoanewcentralgreenspaceinthetown! provideahome for reflection and ideas generation; a space forour associates

andresidentstoliveandshare! createamodelforfuturetowncentreregenerationprojects! enablegroupsandindividualstogatherinaffordablespace/s

3ComplementarytoHDDT’sproposedHub,whichwillprovideaccesstosupportservices


2 TheObjectives2.1 Objectives

2.1.1 Huntly Heart’s objectives are economic, social and cultural, and complement and

supporttheexistingbroadregeneration initiativesin,andplannedfor,thetown.Assuch,itwilldeliverspecificoutcomes,namely:

2.1.2 Economic

! increasefootfallthatwillencourageprivatesectortoreturntothetowncentre! createan‘ideasincubator’forthetownwherenewproductsandservicescanbe

devised,trialled,developed,andthenmoveon! providedirect retail outlets for small localmaker businesses, i.e.Handmade in

Huntly,andHuntlyHerbs(thevegetable‘swap-shop’alreadytestedbyDP)! thesocialenterprise incubatorspacewillcreatespacefor2-3socialenterprises

tooperatefrom(andwill,therefore,contributetosustaininglocaljobs)! new volunteering, learning, and skills development training and opportunities

(seesection4.1,below)! supportandcomplementtheday/eveningandnighttimeeconomies,byadding

anewdestinationforlocalsandtourists! helpsustainathrivingtowncentrebydeliveringnewamenities

2.1.3 Social

! create a welcoming, comfortable space for the community – a one-stop-shopwhereeveryoneiswelcomed

! providealocusforDP’svarioushealthyeatingandfoodcultureinitiatives! increaselocalcivicengagementthroughthecommunity’scontinuedinvolvement

withthevariousDPprojectsandinitiatives! workcloselywithHuntlyandDistrictDevelopmentTrustandotherTownTeam

partnerstodeliverthe‘Placetothrive’objectivesofrevitalisingthetowncentre! beaccessible,withclearsignage,appropriatedesign,andtrainedstaff! deliver a safe andwelcoming environment for ongoing projects withmigrants

andrefugeesinAB54,andthewiderAberdeenshirecatchment! Develop further collaborative trainingpartnershipwith the GordonSchools (for

school leavers that are not going to higher education, with whowe aredeveloping Flagship Partnership agreement for training (letter of support inAppendixJinrelationtobaking/cookingtraining).

2.1.4 Cultural

! bringalong-disusedcentralshopandgardenspaceintocommunityownership


! create free access to quality public spaces (internally, and in the communitygardenattherear)

! providespace/sthatcanbeusedforsmall-andmedium-scaleculturalactivities,suchasreadings,concerts,artworkshopsandgaladays

! improve thephysical appearanceof the town, given its prime location,with anemphasison‘greening’thepublicrealm

! developingamarketforlocalfoodproducts improvingthetown’scarbonfootprintbyreducingthenumberoffoodmiles increasingthequalityandamountofaccessiblegreenspaceinthetown encouragingnewgrowinginitiativestosupportfoodsustainability

2.1.5 RegionalImpact

address social and cultural isolation in AB54 recognising the various demographicimbalancescurrentinthearea

provide a space where new social enterprises can be supported and given theopportunitytoexperiment

delivertrainingandlearningopportunitiesfromlearningprovidersaddress current gaps in provision of: a quality civic space with an inclusive

environment; a lack of facilities for young people, older residents, and thefinanciallydisadvantaged

provideanopportunityforsocialcohesion,toreducestigmatisation,andtocreateasafe,accessible,environmentforeveryone.

encourage our staff andproject associates to engage in development to enhancepersonalandemployabilityskills

Offeremployment,training,andvolunteeringopportunities2.2 ImpactandBenefit

2.2.1Deveron Projects is keenly aware of possible displacement of activity within the

towncentre,whichis whytheproposedactivitieshavebeendesignedtocomplementandenhancecurrentprovisioneconomically,culturallyandsocially.

2.2.2Broadly,theprojectwill increasefootfalltothispartofthetowncentre.Caféand

restaurantprovisioninlargevenues(suchasDeans,andtheASDAcafé)hasresultedinlesscarandfoottraffictothetowncentre–asaconsequencethereisnocentrallylocatedsocialorculturalgatheringspace–HuntlyHeartwillprovidethis.

2.2.3 Therefore,economically,theprojectwillcontributethreethingstothetowncentre:

Helpexistingsmallbusinesses in the immediatevicinity (bybringingmorepeopletothearea),includingincreasingthetradeoffoodandbeverageoutlets


Provideaspaceforsocialenterprisestodevelop,andgrowacommercialmarket Enhancethenight(andday)timeeconomy(byincreasingthenumberofpeople

circulatinginthetowncentre)2.2.4AsindicatedinthePlacetoThrive2030Strategythetownneedsto‘openaHuntly

Hub…ata centralpoint in the town’wherepeoplecan justdropby.HuntlyHeartwillcreateawelcomingspacethatcombinessocialpurposewithclearculturaluse.

2.2.5 Therefore,culturally,theprojectwillcontributethefollowingtothetown-region:

An imaginative and active food programme that encourages local growing andhealthyeating,andsupportsthosedevelopingtheircookingknowledge

An‘ideasincubator’inits‘ThinkingSpace’and‘ThinkPad’thatencouragesideasgenerationofnewprojectsandinitiatives

Versatile space to host small and medium-scale community celebrations, e.g.festivals

A full-time programme of cultural activities – talks, seminars, exhibitions andperformances

2.2.6Socially,thetownhasfewfacilitieswherepeoplecanhirespaceforpublicorprivate

meetings and events, particularly since Huntly Hotel closed down andtheGordonArmsHotel has areduced service. Theotherplaces arehalls,with little ambienceandlimitedcooking/cateringfacility.Although they are busy, Huntly could sustainanadditional community-usedbuildingthat focusesoncomplementaryprovision.[Note:thisisoutlineinmoredetailinoursectiononDisplacementin5.4,below]

2.2.7 Therefore,socially,HuntlyHeartwillcontributethefollowingtothetown:

skillsdevelopmentthroughtrainingandleisuresessions/classes comfortable,free,drop-inspaces newgreencivicspaceintheredevelopedgardenandalley(backcourtand

pend),andareinvigoratedpublicrealminthepavedareaoutsidetheshop-front2.2.8 ItisintendedthatHuntlyHeartwillbecomplementaryintheservicesandfacilitiesit

offersthetown,andwoulddelivertheminDP’scustomaryenvironmentofinclusion,inspirationandfun.


3 TheContext3.1 Huntly

3.1.1Huntly isa18thcenturymarket townsituatedbetweentheconfluenceof theRiver

BogieandRiverDeveron. Ithasapopulationofaround4,500peoplewithasimilarnumber living in the surroundingarea.With the recentoil crisis inAberdeenandasteady decline in local business, Huntly is showing signs of economic instability,evidenced by the numerous empty shops in the town centre and an increase inreliance on the local food bank. Our extensive research, backed up by our owncommunity consultation, Room toThrive,andalso JacquesCoetzer’s Room toReinventinthePeople’sCafe,identifiedtwoareasthatarebelievedlocallytobekeyfactors in the regeneration of the town: the appearance and functionality of thetowncentre;andthecurrentlimitedfoodculture.HuntlyHeartwilldirectlyaddressbothofthem.

3.1.2 Life in Huntly has seen a number of important changes over the last five years.

Significantimpactsinclude: declining employment: in agriculture and significant cuts in the oil industry—for

whichweareinthecommuterbelt;declineinretailsector. challenges in education and skills provision, as highlighted in themost recent

SIMDfigures,areamplifiedbythedifficultyofaccessingfurthereducation. changing demographics: due to loss of employment, wealthier AB employees of

theoil industry,and increasingnumbersofmigrantsand refugees.Over24%ofthepopulation is65yearsoldorover,wellabovetheAberdeenshire (17%)andScottish(18%)averages.Inturn,the16-64agegroup(59%)isconsistentlybelowtheAberdeenshire(64%)andScottish(65%)average.

declining town centre:due toarrivalof supermarketsand increasedonlineshopping—increase in empty shops, loss of sale of local produce and products,limited social spaces and food outlets. A recent Place Standard Assessmentundertaken by several local groups showed that ‘economy and localemployment’wereHuntly’skeyweaknesses.

increasingsocialisolationforyoung,old,andunemployed.3.1.3Deveron Projects is a partner in the Huntly Town Team, comprising local council,

third sector and business communities working together for the architectural,economic and social regeneration of Huntly. Funded by a LEADER EU ruraldevelopment grant, Huntly recently completed a town strategy project led by IceCreamArchitecture (ICA). Theyworkedwith theHuntly Town Team (HTT) and thewidercommunitytoprepareacommunitycapacitybuildingstrategythatfocusesonthedeliveryofaco-createdHuntly2030strategyandactionplan.Thisbusinessplan


hasbeendevelopedwithinthecontextoftheprincipalstrandsofthistownstrategy,anditsimplementationwillbeasignificantearlycomponentofthecommunity’sbidtoregeneratethetowncentre,itseconomyandculturallife.

3.2 DeveronProjects

3.2.1HuntlyHeartwillbedeliveredandoperatedbyDeveronProjects.Wehavedelivered

communityprojectsintheAB54andAberdeenshireareasince1995.Wehaveaverysuccessful track record in delivering tangible outcomes, including peopleinvolvement, project management, involving partners and levering other financialresources.OurvisionandprogrammeisoutlinedinmoredetailinAppendixB.

3.2.2 Inourworkwestrivetoidentifynewwaysofintegratingthemostvulnerableofour

community through socially-engagedartspractices.Over the last20yearswehavebuilt upanational and international reputation for addressingdifficult local issues,workingdirectlywiththecommunityandartists,todevelopnewideasandcreativeresponses to localchallenges.Wehavepreviouslyworkedonprojects that respondto community concerns such as foodwaste (WanderingWaste), thewithdrawal ofruraltransportation(LinesLost)andimprovingthelocaldiet(TheTownisthe


Menu).ThisgainedHuntlytheCreativePlaceawardin2012and2013fromCreativeScotland.

3.2.3Wearecurrentlylookingattownregeneration,andwaystodealwithsocialissuesin

Huntly such as empty shops, rural isolation and youth unemployment throughpromotingsustainabilityandthelocalfoodeconomy.WeareanactivepartnerintheHuntlyTownTeam,whichisidentifyingnewwaysofregeneratingourtown,andarethereforeideallyplaced,andwell-qualifiedtodelivertheHuntlyHeartproject.

3.2.4DP’sclearthetownisthevenuemissionisstillforemostinourthinkingandplanning,

andthisprojectwillhelpusconsolidateanddevelopthisattherighttimeforusasanorganisation, andatimewhen the townneeds thesortof inputweenvisage tohelp address its various economic and social challenges.We have consideredbuilding-based projects before and undertaken feasibility assessments and optionsappraisals to test them,buthavenever felt thateither theprojectwas sufficientlysustainable, or our organisation had sufficient capacity at that time to deliver iteffectively.However,withthisprojectwebelievewehavetheskills,experienceandcapacity,alongwiththeopportunityofabuildingthatperfectlymatchesourvariousspatialrequirements.

3.2.5 We have outgrown the town living spaces we already have in the town for

artists/internsandothers:atOldRoad(nolong-termcontract)andEasdale(nowonthe market) and are at a point in DP’s development where we need to providebetter,moresustainableaccommodation,whichourmarketcurrentlyexpects.

3.3 BackgroundtotheProject

3.3.1Lookingforward,recentyearshavedramaticallydemonstratedhowswiftlyour

contextchanges locally,regionallyandglobally.The imagesabovedemonstrate thelocalconsequenceofthesechanginginternationaleconomicandmarketcontexts,towhich our town has to find new ways to respond. As part of this response, ourcommunity identified the new priorities reflected in our three themes for 2017-2022:RegenerationHuntly,FoodCultureandSustainableConnections.

3.3.2Ourworkingmodelofidentifyinginnovativeartists,partnersandcuratorsona

rollingbasisaddressingsignificant issues inrecognisable,human-scalewaysenablesus to respond quickly with a number of interventions to even very large socialchanges,andshowsthatitisessentialforustoremainflexibletolocalandworldwidechanges.Todate,wehaveretainedthisflexibility inouruseofspacesinthe town throughwhichwe channel or host projects, inmany cases bringing backintouseformershoporresidentialunits.After21yearsofthistypeofinnovationwe


believe a more permanent set of spaceswill help root our initiatives moresustainablyandeffectively.

3.3.3 HuntlyHeartpresentsanopportunityforustoretain flexibility,whileevolvingand

growing our 5-year programme that addresses the key priorities identified by ourcommunityandkeypartners.Someofwhich,ourexperienceshows,willtakelonger-term investment than our previous pattern of rolling 3 month residencies and,therefore,requirethesecurityofpermanentspace/s.

3.3.4 OurRegenerationHuntly themeaddressesqualityof life inourtown, includingthe

look, economy, and daily function of the place. Food Culture looks to investigaterelationships to food and themanifestation of this in Huntly, utilising cooking andsharing as a method for building relationships and awareness. SustainableConnections encompasses our changing context. Freedom of movement,unemployment,deprivationandeconomicandsocialdisarrayareglobal issues.Weaddress these on a local level, but also link with other places bringing togetherpeoplefromarts,anthropology,ecology,politics,peace-makingand,ofcourse,fromthelocality.

3.3.5Theseprojects have strong evidence of demand demonstrated through our

communityconsultation (seeSection4,below) -andaretied to regionalaswellaslocal development priorities and partnerships; as such they contribute to oursustainabilityasanorganisation.Theyalsofocusonsustainability,bothasasubjectand inoutcomes forourcommunity.Webelieveoursustainability isdependentonthe highest artistic quality. Our aspirational programme has included socialengagement front-runners, such as US artist Suzanne Lacy, new models ofarts/architecture collectives and artists from the Middle East working with locallybasedrefugees.

3.3.6HuntlyHeartwillallowustomakepracticalinterventionstohelpdeliverour

objectives–thishasbeenourmodusoperandiformanyyears.Forexample,thelackofhealthy,affordablefoodandplacestosocialisehavebeenhighlightedrepeatedlyin community consultations run by Deveron Projects and other organisations. WeactedonthesethroughthecreationoftheNo.11Café–ahugelysuccessfulinitiativethatsawusbringbackadisusedshopintolifeasacommunityhubfor8months,andallowedustofocusonfoodcultureandsocialeating,informedbyabeliefthatfoodcan play an important role in the revitalisation of life in Huntly, not only for itsresidents,butasaplacetovisitandstay.

3.3.7 Over the last year, research, restructuring and strengthening of our processes has

enhancedourabilitytodeliverlong-termplanswithafocusonsustainability.Weare


an ambitious yet resilient organisationwith the capacity toadapt and change.Ourstakeholders,funders-andprimarilyourcommunitiesandtheartistsweworkwith-moveforwardwithuswithconfidence.

3.4 OptionsAppraisal

3.4.1 Basedon the requireduseswe identified, an options appraisalwasundertaken of

availablespacesinHuntlythatmaybeabletodeliverthevarioususessoughtbythecommunity.Thisappraisalincluded:•Easdale,DeveronStreet•FormerSquareDealshop•HuntlyHotel•No.11GordonStreet•RBSBank•Cruikshank’sDepartmentstore•Miscellaneouslocalhouses

3.4.2 Thetablebelowsummarisesourinitialanalysisofthesespaces:

Property Advantages Disadvantages

1.Easdale,DeveronStreet

Triedandtestedpropertyoverthelast2years

Ownerisamicableandlikestoworkwithus

Goodkitchenwithsmallcaféandsmallgardenfacility

Housingofuptofourpeopleatatime

Comfortableambience Central(butnotonSquare)

NotonSquare(1minaway) Limitedtypesofspace,

focusedonresidential Constraintsforcertaintypes

ofuse Nosocialenterpriseincubator

space

2.FormerSquareDealshop

CentralonSquare Goodlivingaccommodation Goodambience;inrelatively

goodcondition Excellentrangeofspaces–

veryversatile Shopfrontoption Potentialtoopengardento

public

Pricemaynotbenegotiable Shopwillneedconversion

intokitchen,possiblylicensingrequirement

Maybecompetitionwithothercommunitygroups


3.HuntlyHotel CentralonSquare Needforthecommunitytodo

somethingwith(eyesore) Opportunity for nice café

withgoodviewsontothesquare

Kitchenavailable(althoughinpoorstate)

Goodrangeofspaces

Toolargeapropertytomanage

Veryhighcostsforconversionattached(possiblyashighas£1m)

Runningcostslikelytobeprohibitive

4.No11GordonStreet

Central(butnotonSquare) Familiarwiththespaceand

howitcanwork

Notonsquare(1minaway) Toiletfacilitysharedwith

BeautyParlour Nolivingaccommodation Limitedrangeofspaces/uses Notonmarket

5.VarioushousesinHuntlyonthemarket

Relativelycheaptopurchase Noeasyconversionintocafé/publicstylespacesofgroundfloor

Notinthecentre Notenoughliving

accommodation

6.RBSBank CentralonSquare Nolivingaccommodation Difficulttoconvertfront

(currentlysetuplikeabank,notkitchen,etc)

Currentlylookedatbyanothercommunityorganisationforpurchaseasaworkhub

7.CruickshanksdepartmentStore

LargepremisesontheSquare Versatilespaces

Veryrundown Toobigforourpurposes Difficulttoconvertintowhatis

needed


3.4.3 Thetable,below,summarisesthestrengthsandweaknessesofallavailableoptions.Criteria

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Location

Central 8 10 10 9 3-7 10 10

Passingfootfall 5 8 8 7 5 8 8

Visible 4 9 10 8 5 9 9

Impact

Localtrade 3 7 7 7 6 7 7

Towncentre 3 9 9 8 5 9 9

AB54 2 3 3 3 3 3 3

Social 7 8 9 7 5 8 8

Cultural 7 7 7 6 5 5 7

Economic 3 7 3 5 3 5 5

Visual 3 8 7 6 5 5 7

Publicrealm 2 8 8 6 5 5 6

LocalPriorities 4 8 8 5 4 6 8

Delivery

Availability 10 9 8 2 5 4 7

Conversion 5 7 2 2 2 2 5

Cost–purchase 9 7 2 - 4 2 5

Cost–refurb 7 7 1 - 5 5 4

Cost–operation 9 8 2 7 5 5 4

Spaces

Kitchen/Food 6 7 5 3 6 5 5

Public/meeting 6 8 7 5 4 6 7

Soc.Ent.Incubator 1 9 5 5 3 6 7

Residentialaccom. 9 10 8 0 7 0 0

Garden 4 8 0 0 7 2 0

Exhibition 2 7 7 4 3 5 7


Retail 1 8 7 6 1 4 8TOTAL

124

183

143

111

106

126

1463.4.4 As the table above shows, the Square Deal (No.2) represents the option that can

deliverthedesiredobjectivesmosteffectivelyandisthereforeourpreferredoption.It provides a more flexible and comprehensive solution for our various activities,withspacesthataremoresuitedforpurpose,havegreatervisibilityandaccessibilityto the public, and create more/better opportunities to generate income streams.The capital and operational costs associated with it are outlined in more detail inSections 7 and 8 respectively, below. The building has an interesting social historywhichweintendtobringbacktolife:itwasoriginallyaforgeandtin-smith,andhasbeenasavingsbankaswellasaretailoutlet.

3.4.5Thelocationofthebuildingisshownbelow,offsetfromthetownSquare(left)andin

thecontextofthetown(right):

Easdale

3.4.6 Itisworthnotingwespentconsiderable timeconsideringEasdaleas a primaryoption,andcommissionedanindependentvaluationofit.Wewerefamiliarwiththepropertyhavingused it for2yearstohouseDP’s internsandartists,and it


highlightedthattheorganisationwouldnotbeabletodowhatwedowithoutbeingabletoprovideaccommodationforthosecolleaguesandassociates.

3.4.7 For these reasons it was our initial consideration when we first approached SLF,

however, the availability of 22 The Square, and its greater suitability for ourwork(seescoringgrid,above)demonstrateswhyEasdaleisnolongerourpreferredoption.

3.5 Displacement

3.5.1We are clear that wewish thework of the new building to be complementary to

thoseofotherbusinessesinthetown(inparticular)andAB54(morebroadly),andtoavoid any displacement. In fact, our activities are aimed at enhancing existingprovisionandwewill actively looktocollaboratewithbusinesses toensure this,aswealreadydowithDeans,forinstance.Thetablebelow,therefore,summarisestheexisting provision of spaces/services in the town alongside those proposed byDeveron Projects and outlines area in which we hope to collaborate with currentproviders to enhance rather than displace (and notes where these conversationshavebeguntotakeplace).Itdemonstratesthattheprojectwillaugmentratherthandisplacecurrentprovision.

PlannedProvision:HuntlyHeart

Existingprovision

TypeofSpace

✓ Huntly AB54area

Foodculture � Seemoredetailbelowonfoodoutlets.Thekeygapisnotvariousfoodprovisions,buttheneedforahubonthesquare,thatallowscommunityandvisitorstocometogether.Ourfoodenterprisesaremorecommunitylet,basedontraining,growingandlearning,ratherthanregularhourprovision.

GrouseInn–closedinwinter;nopublictransportaccess


Meeting � FewOpportunities(e.g.StewartsHalltoobigwith300+peoplecapacity,Librarytoosmallwith15peoplecapacity)withnohospitalityfacilitiesTheLindenCentreisalocalcommunitycentrethatrunsweeklyclasses.WehaveagoodrelationshipwiththeLindenCentreteamandusetheavailablespaceforvariousevents.Howeveritisverybookedupandoftenatcapacityandhasthereforenoroomforinformalactivities.Theyalsohouseanartworkfromoneofourprojects.NotneartheSquare/towncentre.

----

SocialEnt.Hub � Nonesofar;HuntlyHubwillbethefirst none

CommunitySpace � VariousinHuntly,butnoopenaccess Rhyniehall,limitedaccess

ResidentialAccommodation

� Expensivelocalmarket;lackofgoodfacilities.DPhasoutgrownitscurrentpremisestodeliverexcellentartistinresidencefacilitiesinScotland

limited

Performance � NoneapartfromStewartsHall NoneapartfromTinHut

Exhibition � Limitedinlocallibraryreadingroom OnlytemporaryforweekendsinTinHut

Hub(Enerprise) � Proposedco-workinghubbyHDDTtooccupytherecentlyclosedRBSbank.WehavealongstandingrelationshipwithHDDTwhoisastrongpartnerinourventures.

Retail � DeclineinHuntly,manyaspectsmissing.EspeciallytheSquareTownCentreindecline.

ShopinRhynieonlyinAB54rural

Garden � BranderGardenbelongstoAberdeenshireandnoopenaccessHuntlyFlorist,mainlyspecialisingincelebrationfloraldisplaysandcutflowers(noseedlingsorfoodproduct).Theygiveustheirleft-oversforcompostingandhouseatowncollectionpiecewhichshowsgoodpartnership.TownistheGardenschemeisuniqueinprovisionoffoodrelatedplanting.

NearestinInverurieGardenCentre(30mindrive)

PublicRealm � Noneincentreoftown.NeedtodevelopfacilityonSquare.

----

Storagerental � Veryexpensivefacilitiesandnoaccess ---


Tourism � Huntlya18thCenturyconservationtownwhichisinneglect,declinefromclosedshops.CastleandDeansshortbreadmainprovisionthatwillbenefitfromanaddedfacilityontheSquarethatmakesintangibleassets(folkmusic,craft,etc)morevisibleandaccessible.

LeithHallca20mindrive

ShopFront � No/FewopportunitiesonthetownSquare none

‘ThinkPad’flat � Onlytemporaryrentalsolutionstodate.NextqualityfacilityinArgyle.

----

Food Business Location Whatisit/Collaboration Moreinformation

CastleCafé CastleSt,HuntlyApprox.2minsfromSquareDeal

CastleCafé,nothealthyfood,notopeninevening.CastleCafeisasmallcafeopenfromTues-Sun9am-5pm.Wehaveagoodrelationshipwiththemanager,Norman,andthecafehostsoneofourTownCollectionartworks.Ourteamoftenhaslunchhereasitisthecheapestintown.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Castle-Cafe/172594562767847

BankRestaurant

2TheSquare,HuntlyApprox.2minsfromSquareDeal

Bankrestaurant,veryexpensive–closed3daysaweek.TheBankisanupmarketrestauranthousedintheoldbankingbuilding.ItisopenfromWed-Sun,10.30am-3.30pmandFri-Sat5.30pm-late.Inthepastwehave2xshownworksbydifferentartistshere–wearekeentoworkmorecloselywithTheBankinthefuture.

http://www.thebankhuntly.co.uk/

ASDACafé StevenRd,HuntlyApprox.15minsfromSquareDeal

WeworkregularlywiththeCommunityOfficeratASDAHuntly(whoalsolinksuswiththelocalfoodbank)andthesupermarkethostsoneofourTownCollectionartworks.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Asda/150091088358334

Deans StevenRd,HuntlyApprox.12minsfromSquareDeal

Deans–self-servicenothealthyfood,notopeninevening,selfserviceDean’sShortbreadfactoryisaHuntlystaple,withacafeopenMon-Sun,9am-5pm.SeveralartistsinresidenceatDeveronProjectshaveworkedcloselywithDeansandbasedtheirresearchhere.Theysponsorusregularlywithshortbread/oatcakesandmightbeinterestedtoselltheirproductonthetownsquare.

https://www.deans.co.uk/visit-us/


CastleHotel MarquisDr,HuntlyApprox.30m

CastleHotel,veryexpensive,onlyaccessiblebycar.Lessaccessibleforfamilies.CastleHotelisa4starhotelservingfoodMon-Sat12pm-2pm.Accessiblebycar/footonly.

http://www.castlehotel.uk.com/

MerryKettle 25DukeStreet,HuntlyApprox.3minsfromSquareDeal

TheMerryKettleisasmallcafeonDukeStinHuntly,serving‘pubgrub’hotlunchesandcakes.Capacityissmall,roughly25personsonly.Theteamlunchesthereregularlyandwillcontinuetodoso.MerryKettle–littlehealthyfood;closedinevening.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Tea-Room/The-merry-kettle-tea-shoppe-860513894012198/

GordonArmsHotel

TheSquare,HuntlyApprox.1minfromSquareDeal

GordonArmsHotel–traditionalfoodwillbenefitfrommorefootfalltothetownTheGordonArmsHotelisapubandrestaurantopen12pm-9pm.Thereisaceilidh-hallspaceavailablewhichisusedbycommunitygroupsincludingDeveronProjects.TheGordonArmsalsohostsaTownCollectionartwork.

https://www.gordonarms.com/gordon-arms-hotel


4 Demand/Market

“Huntly in 2030 is a resilient town that gets things done, typified by thestrong character and community-spirit that has driven the town forcenturies.FolkofallagesfeelconfidentthatHuntlyhaswhattheyneedtothrivepersonallyandcollectively.

Thetownsquareandsurroundingstreetsarebustlingwithlifeandcolour.Severalofthevacantbuildingsthatdetractedthetowncentreforyearsarenow owned by different community organisations, offering low-rents tosmallenterprises;agreetingcardsandcraftshop,antiquesstore,soft-playcentre,clothesshop.

Excerptfrom,‘RoomtoThrive:AVisionForHuntly’4.1 Local:Priorities

4.1.1Therecently-completed18-monthlocalcitizenconsultationandengagement

processundertakenbyIceCreamArchitectshasbeenoneofthemostthoroughseeninthetown.738responseswerereceivedfromacrossthecommunity.Thediagrambelow shows a summary of results across 14 areas of particular local interest (seeAppendixDformoredetailontheconsultationresults):


4.1.2 Theconsultationresultedinaclearsetoffiveprioritiesforthefuture:

A town centre with well-maintained buildings and spaces that attract use byenterpriseandcommunityalikeandcommunicatesapositivestorytolocalsandvisitors.

An array of different things to do , whatever your age, background or interest,thatcatersforthelocalcommunityandgivesvisitorsareasontocometoHuntly.

A competitive local economy where current and new businesses prosperalongsideoneanother,whichinturnprovidesamoreprosperousjobsmarket.

Modern school facilities that integrate with the town as a whole, andmeet theambitionsofallwhoattendthem.

Bettertransportdelivering improvedconnectionsbetweenHuntlyandotherplaceswhetherrurallyorregionally,aswellasinandaroundtownwhenyougetthere.

4.1.3ThepublicengagementalsoagreedtoadoptfivePrinciplesthatshouldunderpinall

activitiesanddecisions: EmpowerPeople UnlockAssets PlanningandActionmustgohand-in-hand MakeSprints,notMarathons LeadandCommunicate

4.1.4 In many ways, these objectives and the Principles are similar to those that have

drivenDPforover21years.Itisreassuring,therefore,tofindthatourobjectivesandapproachareatonewiththebroadercommunity

4.1.5Through the Huntly Heart project we want tomeet a number of identified needs

that span both the local community in Huntly and the community in AB54 morebroadly[Note:section5outlinestheways inwhichwe intendtomeettheseneeds],namely,to: playaleadingroleintheregenerationofthe towncentre,whichhasbeen

describedasin‘astateofemergency’withhalfthecentralsquarecomprisedofclosedorclosingbusinesses.

meetdemand for low-cost, informalandchild friendly communityspace thatcanbeused/hiredbyanygrouporindividual.

continue to develop the relationship with the Syrian New Scots community inAberdeenshire.

provide training opportunities to learn skills on-the-job that are vital to findingemploymentandsettingupbusinesses inour community: cooking, foodsafety


andnutrition,hospitality,runningabusiness,marketingandeventmanagement,understandingofwiderissuesaroundsustainability,wellbeingandcommunity.

satisfytheidentifiedneedforhealthy,affordablefoodchoicesinHuntly. actively engage with local and national targets on sustainability, reducing food

waste and miles, raising awareness of climate change and the importance ofecological,economic,socialandculturalresilience.

generateincomethatcanberecycledinthetown,supportingjobsandretainingpeople.

4.2 CommunityConsultation

4.2.1 There has been extensive consultation with the community, not only about their

general prioritiesforthe town(a summary of theConsultationfor Huntly 2030Vision is in Appendix D) but also about the possibility of redeveloping the SquareDeal shopat22-23TheSquare. Inmanywaysour regularpresenceat themonthlyFarmer’sMarketallowsustogetregular,immediateandpersonalfeedbackonideasonanongoingbasis, andwe find that the continuityof community conversation isessentialtomeaningfullong-termengagement.Inaddition,wehaveundertakenthefollowingrelevantconsultations: Twopilotprojectsintowncentreshops DetailedinformationfromIce-creamArchitectsconsultationforregenerating

Huntly/Visionfor2030 The‘ChristmasTree’communityownershipaction An‘ElfWorkshop’dayintheSquareDealshopareatoshowwhatkindofactivityis

possible

Pilotprojects4.2.2Wehaveundertaken twopilotprojects in towncentre shopsto gauge the interest

from the public, as well as test our own capacity in developing and running theshops. Each has been based around a time-specific initiative for which we soughtfunding.Thefirstwasacafé–No.11–amulti-culturalcookingprojectwhichranfor8-monthswith the SyrianNew Scotsnow settled in Aberdeenshire, andwasextremely successful (a summary of the project can be found at Appendix C). Thiswas funded throughAspiringCommunity Fund, forwhichwenowwere invited forphase 2 funding. An application has been lodged (outcome known in June); whichwould provide vitalmatching funding for the first year of programming the newlyacquiredspace.

4.2.3Thesecond,TheTown isTheGarden, isa three-yearproject that isstillongoing. It

has leased anunused shop thathad closed last year after100yearsofoperation,


undertaken a simple refurbishment of the interior to create spaces for a food andveg product swap shop, basic retail of local products, community meetings,workshop,asmall library,andinformationexchange.Theprojecthasdemonstratedthe benefits of a good initiative having a physical locus– it has enabled a broaderrangeof initiativestobeundertaken–re-sellingofproducegrownlocally,abarter-exchange facility, making produce on-site, and generally acting as a visible focalpointfortheprojectandaliteralshopwindowforitsambitionsforthetown.

Thecurrent(8,CastleSt)shopwherethetownisthegardenpilotphasetookplaceisexpensiveandunsustainablein:

environmentalterms:poorcondition economicterms: tooexpensive (onlypossible through short-termgrant

funding),nolong-termcontract socio-cultural–lackingambienceandgreenspace;notontheSquare

We are therefore in need of long-term space that is fit for purpose. The formerSquareDealpropertyisperfect:situatedonthetownsquare,gardenandworkshopspace to continueanddevelop thisworkwithand forour community intoaviablesocialenterprise,wherewecandeveloplocalfoodproducts,engagewithourapplepressing business and above all engage with new training opportunities fr a widerangeofcommunitymembers.

ChristmasTree’4.2.4OvertwoweekendsinDecember2018DPinvitedmembersofthepublic(onthefirst

weekend, at the Farmers’ Market) to submit suggestions for uses of the variousemptypropertiesinTheSquare,and(onthesecondweekend,in22-23TheSquare)to focus on ideas for the Square Deal building. People were invited to write theirideasondifferentcolouredbaubleseachallocatedtoadifferentemptybuildingonthe Square (Huntly Hotel, Square Deal, Cruickshanks, RBS, Post Office/other). ThisChristmas tree then stayed for 2 weeks in the foyer of the public library to invitefurthercomments.Duringtheweekendof15-16Decwethensetup an‘ElvesHouse’ in the former Square Deal chemist shop on 22-23 The Square with manyactivitiestofocusonideasforthefutureuseofthebuilding.Thishadtwopurposes: ToshowwhatispossibleinthespaceTo gather ideas of what people want to do in the space. Over 100 ideas were

suggested from members of the public for the use of the former shop andbuilding,andthesearedetailedinAppendixD(illustratedinthephotos,below).


‘ElfWorkshop’

4.2.5 Aspartofthelocalpre-ChristmasfestivitiesinDecemberweopenedtheformerSquareDealchemistshopanditsgardenonaSaturday.Almost200peopleattendedduringthemorningpublicopening,WatchshortfilmHEREtofindouthowitallwent!Whereweareaskingpeopleaboutwhattheywouldliketoseeinfutureinthespace.Weincludedintheday:storytelling,musicevent,pop-upcafé,bbqingarden,workshopformaking,locallymadebread,wreathmakingworkshopandotheractivitiesthatcombinehospitalitywithartandcraft.Thephotosbelow,indicatesomeoftheactivitiesthattookplace.


4.3 AB544.3.1 Huntly servesa ruralhinterlandofcaanother4500people.Thoseoutlyingvillages

include Gartly, Rhynie, Glass, Forgue, Drumblade, Lumsden, Cabrach, Clatt,Kennethmont.WiththeexceptionofRhynie,noneof themhavea localshop.Theyare dependent onHuntly to shop and for recreation.With limited public transportservice,thereislittletodoforpeoplewhoarewaitingforthebustocome.Asocialspace has been identified by Icecream Architects’ community consultation as apriorityforthecomingyears.

4.3.2AletterofsupporttoDPfortheHuntlyHeartprojectfromAberdeenshireCouncilis

providedinAppendixJ.4.4 SummaryofDemand4.4.1Thetablebelowsummarisessomeoftheexistingdemandforthemainspaces

HuntlyHeartwillprovide.InallcasesthespacewillinitiallybetakenuplargelybyDPactivities,forwhichweknowthereisademandandistheprimaryreasonforlookingfornewpremisestoaccommodateourgrowth.However,wearekeento introducenewusers,andusages,tothespacesasthevenuebecomesbetterknown.

Item Demand/Market

Accommodation-residential

TheresidentialaccommodationwillbeentirelytakenupwithDP’sownneed–thiscomprisesprojectstaffandartistsin-residencewhowillrelocatefromtwootherpremisesinthetownwecurrentlyuseforthesepurposes.Oneofthem(Easdale)weregivenforfreebyalocalresidentforthelastthreeyears.Wearenowinurgentneedforqualityaccommodationforourinternsandartistsinresidence.

Accommodation–academicresearch

ThiswillcomprisetheThinker-in-Residenceprogrammewestartedtorun,augmentedbythenewfundingwehavereceivedfromScottishGraduateSchooltobecomeoneofasmallnumberofvenuestheywilluseinScotlandforlonger-termacademicresidencies/doctoralresearch.Wehopetodevelopthisfurtherinfuturewithuniversities/collegesandindividualsinterestedinourworktocomplementourincomeside.ThenearestsimilarspacewillbeCoveParkinArgyl.


WorkSpace–smallbusinesses

Thisspacewillbeusedforthefirst2-3yearsexclusivelybyexistingDPprojects,suchastheApple-pressingandbakeryinitiatives.Beyondyear3wewilleithercontinuetousethisforourownsocialenterpriseprojectsor,incollaborationwithHDDT,make‘dirty’work-spaceavailablefortheirclientswithintheHubbusinessincubator.

Shopwindow Thereareseveralmakernetworkslocally–suchasHandmadeinHuntly-thatcurrentlyfinditdifficulttofindpremisesforshort-termdisplaysorsellingopportunities.Themonthlyfarmers’marketistheonlyotheropportunityandthisdoesn’tallowforamoresustainedpresenceatkeyselling-timesofyear,suchassummerandpre-Christmas.

CommunityProjects Wehavedemonstratedover20yearsanddozensofcommunity-projectsthatthereisgreatdemandformeetingroomandgatheringspacethatisnot‘institutional’andisfinanciallyaccessible.Wewill,therefore,transferoutcurrentactivitiesinthisregardtothenew‘LivingRoom’space.Thiswilltakeupthemajorityofbookingsfortheinitialyearsofoperation.Duringthattimewewillencouragenewuserstousethespace,includingcommunitygroupsthathaveapproachedusinthepastlookingforspace,andpotential‘overflow’usagefromtheHDDTincubatorhub.

TownistheGardenBarterShopOpeningDay,2018


5 TheBuilding

This section focuses on the building’s fitness for our purposes and how, practically,wewilldeploythevariousspacesfordifferentuses.Itisintendedtoprovideabroadillustration of the way the building will operate as a whole: detail of the type ofactivitythatwilltakeplacethereisincludedintheAppendicesC,FandH).Itincludesa sub-section that considers potential displacement of existingactivity andhowwepositivelyaddressthis.

5.1 BuildingElements

5.1.1Thevariousspatialelementsrequiredforthebuildinghavebeendesignedtomatch

thedemandandpurposesoutlinedabove–weseethembeingoperating(andbeingprogrammed) in a holistic way that maximises the synergy between the variousfunctions, i.e. fromthepractical creationofopportunities for communitymembers(Living Room) and businesses (Work Room) to the intellectual consideration ofapproachestoregeneratingthetown(ThinkingSpace)wehavedrawnthemintofivecategories,namely: LivingRoom TheTown’sGarden WorkRoom ThinkingSpace Storage

Eachoftheseelementswillcompriseseveraluses,namely:5.1.2 LivingRoom

ThisspaceiscurrentlyashopunitwhichfrontsontoTheSquare.Ithasadeepmainspace with some small ancillary spaces to the rear which lend themselves toconversion to food preparation and storage. A kitchen area will also be installedhere.Flexibilityofuseisakeypartoftheattractionasprincipalusesofthespacewillbevaried,asoutlinedbelow:

•Multi-purposecivicspaceAn area for talks, meetings and small gatherings of all kinds. We estimate acapacityofaround50forpublicevents4 (althoughthenatureofthespaceallowsanintimateambiencetobecreatedwithamuchsmallernumber.Currentlythere

4ThisnumberwillbeclarifiedinourongoingdiscussionswithBuildingControl


isnosuchspaceavailableinthetowncentreofHuntly(apartfromHuntlyLibrary,whichhas a capacity ofonly 15and limitedopening hoursor the StewartsHallwhichisfor300people).

• Kitchen/FoodareaAs indicated, this will be a key function of the Living Room, and will require apurpose-builtkitchen5.Ourongoingdialoguewithlocalfoodproviderswillensurethe offerwill be complementary towhat is already in the town centre to avoiddisplacement. To this effectwehaveheldapublicmeeting,whereweproposedourplansfordevelopmentoftheformerSquareDealproperty(4Feb2019).Thiswas attended by some of the café owners,who felt appeased by the prospectsthat we are providing complementary training/heritage bakery cookingprogrammes, which could bring more people into the town. We will not beproviding a caféwith regular opening hours, butwill open at different times ofday/nightasandwhenprojectsrequirethroughworkshops,communitygatherings and training ventures. It will feature events that focus on foodknowledge,growingandpreparation.Atitsessence,thiswillbeafamily-friendlyspace – our No.11 café project found a new constituency for this demographicwho felt theywere not already catered for. The urgency of providing a diversefoodofferinthetownwasunderlinedinJanuary2019whenthelocalbakery,A&ISmiths,wentintoliquidation, losing60jobsandclosingitsthreeshops inAB54(includingHuntly).Ourambitionistoprovidetrainingfacilitiesforyoungpeople,Syrian new Scots in Aberdeenshire and unemployed local people in healthyheritage food production. Applications to Leader EU and Aspiring Communityfunding have beenmade for a Training Coordinator and a Heritage Baker andChefto facilitate thiswork. This would engage6 trainees (2 x 6months, 4 x3months)andbetween10-15volunteersperannum.

Thefoodproducedwouldbe: healthy simple home cooking for drop-in produced through the training

programme(donationonly) heritageproductionforsaleofbread,othersignaturebakedgoods,apple

pressingproducts,localherbalteas/products(someincomeproducedthroughdevelopingsocialenterprise)

ToshowhowthisworkedintheNumber11pilotproject,wehavemadeashortfilm(clickhere:https://vimeo.com/264407105-password:humus)

5 Itisnotedelsewherethatwehavetwofundingapplicationspendingthat,ifsuccessful,willassistwiththefittingsforthekitchen,andstaff–however,ourfinancialprojectionsdonotassumeanyincomefromthesesources


• Street-Facingshop-frontTheshopfrontageanddesignofthespacemakesitidealforretail.Weintendtoprovide an outlet for small-scale local makers, such as Home-made In Huntly,whowouldnototherwisebeable toaffordcentrally-located space.This is likelytobeafocusedseasonaloffer i.e.for4weekspre-Christmas,orduringthemainsummer visitor period -we have been impressed by themodel of theOrcadiancrafts network’s annual pop-up-shop in the centre of Kirkwall, which alsooperatesseasonally.

Theshopareawillhaveparticularrelevanceinrelationtoour‘townisthegarden’projectwhichwillbemovingintotheshop.Wehaveexperimentedwithavery successful Swap Shop of fruit, vegetable and other local products, such asjam,juices,etc.Peopleswapthingstheyhavetoomuchofand,iftheydon’thaveproducts, they can swap time - if they have neither, they can give moneydonations.WeareinterestedinexploringthepotentialofasmallrangeofHuntly-sourced food products, such as signature bread, local herbal teas andapple juice,asoutlinedintheLeaderapplication.Allofthesefood-related issueswillbemademorepracticablebyHuntlyHeart,asthepreviousshop–usedinthepilotphaseisunsustainableandnotfitforpurpose.

We also are interested in developing the mini garden centre concept, that isoutlined in the ICA- Huntly 2030 community consultation. This will include infuture:seedswapping/sales,smallseedlingsinthespringandproductionofindoorplants in thewinter. The space in front of the shop (loan), the pend, thebackcourtandthegardenwillbeperfectforsuchpurposes–adevelopmentthatwouldnothavebeenpossibletodate.

• Seminars/teachingThisisagoodspacetoactasthefocalpointforseminarsandsmallconferences–there are areas for breakout within the Living Room, as well as use of threemeetingareasintheThinkingSpace,whoseusewewillprogrammetoalignwiththeprovision inHDDT’sHub.Therearenoother flexibleworkingspaces likethiscurrentlyinHuntly.

• PerformanceThis is an intimate space for small-scale performance, particularly music,storytelling and writers events, and we will integrate our existing seasonalprogrammeofeventstomakebestuseofthespace.

5.1.3 TheTown’sGarden


Thiswillcomprisethreeprincipalareas,twoofwhichwillbeopenedtopublicaccessforthefirsttime:

BackCourtThe garden at the rear of the property is a pleasant secluded area thatwill beusedas anoverspill foreventsduring the summer, andaneatingareaat othertimes of year. Itwill have an additional practical use as a smallmarket gardengrowing items for use in the Living Room’s kitchen. It also provides outdoorworkshopspacee.g.willowsculpture,composting,smallscalegrowing(seeTownis the Garden reference, above) offering opportunities for training and othercommunityprojectsthataddresssocialisolation

PendThepassagewayjoiningtheSquaretothegardenwillbedecoratedtoprovideanattractive public realm addition, using lighting and other design orientatedfeatures.Wewillbelaunchingadedicatedartist’sprojecttodevelopthisuniquespaceintoanattractivecommunityfacility. Itwillalso,onoccasion,beusedforstalls during events, or as an overspill area for the food offer from the LivingRoom.ItwillinparticularcomplementeventpossibilitiesduringlargecommunityeventssuchasHuntlyHairstandChristmaslight-switch-oninDecember.

LoanTheareaofpavementoutsidetheLivingRoomisastrategicallyinterestingpointin the Square (one of its corners) and offers great scope to improve the publicrealm through temporary and permanent installations of plants, trees, andimaginative public art. It will support the ‘town is the garden’ swap shop andmini-garden centreinitiatives in the summer as a spill-over onto the Square,whichwillbegreatlyenhancedinvisualterms.

5.1.4 WorkRoom

This is a good-sized outbuilding on two levels with its own separate access (butattached to the main building), and presents an excellent opportunity to providespace to help nurture small social enterprises and allow them time and space todevelop theircommercialpotential.Weanticipate that, for the first2-3years,DP’sownApplePressinitiativewillcontinuehereuntil,asboththeHubandHuntlyHeartbecome more established, other users will look to use the spaces, as illustratedbelow.WewillworkcloselywithHDDTand theirplannedHub fornewbusiness toensurea)complementarityofprovisioninthetown,b)andaccessopportunitiesfortheirmembers thatmight requireadditionalordifferent spacenotavailablewithinthe Hub. While Huntly Heart will not be structured to provideadvice/funding/development support to social enterprises,wewill favour them as


tenants,andworkcloselywithHDDTtoenabletenants’accesstoHubopportunities.Similarly, HDDT tenants will be able to use Huntly Heart for shop-front, productlaunches,test-trading,andotheruses

•SocialEnterprise–‘dirty’workspaceOn the ground floor 3-phase electricity and water will be provided to allow aflexible range of non-office-type ‘dirty’ uses. This could range from an artisanbakery to a home for the apple-pressing activities that have arisen in the pastyear.

• LettableSpaceTheupperfloorprovidesbasicamenity,againallowingflexibilityofuse,andcanbeadaptedtoprovideworkshopspaceeitherforothersocialenterprisesorsmallbusinessstart-ups,orasanexpansionareaforbusinessesonthegroundfloor.

5.1.5 ThinkingSpace

This will occupy the whole of what is currently the main residential part of thebuilding. It is intended to be a spacewith an ambience that encourages a quieter,more reflective view of how Huntly Heart’s objectives might be met, as well thepractical provision of residential accommodation6. Ideas created here can bediscussedortrialledinthebuilding’sotherspaces,suchastheLivingRoom,withthechanceforimmediatefeedbackfromcolleaguesandthepublic.

ResidentialaccommodationThis will provide bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and lounge facilities for DP’sresidentandvisitingartists, interns, staffandacademic researchassociates thatworkwithourcommunityprojects.Itisintendedtodevelopthelinkswithvarioustertiary academic institutions and encourage mid-long term applied researchresidences in relevant areas of social, cultural and town planning practice. Itshould be noted, that DP has till now rented ad hoc and over the last yearsoccupiedEasdale–whichisnowonthemarketandwhichweneedtovacate.To date we have had almost 100 artists from all over the world and over 80interns/traineesworking with usthrough residencieson sociallyengagedprojects. To compete in the artist in residence market in Scotland we need toprovidebetterandmoreadequate livingaccommodation–HuntlyHeart is idealfor this with beautifully appointed double-glazed windowed rooms overlookingthetownSquare.Thisallowsusnaturallytoimproveanddevelopourservicewithartistsandothercreativesinthecommunity.

6DPhasbeensuccessfultoattractaPhDresidencyandaThinker-in-ResidencewithDundeeUniversitythroughSGSAH;startSept2019.


•ThinkPadThereisanopportunitytocreateasmall,self-containedspacewithinthebuildingthat combinesabedroomandofficewithseparate, lockableaccess,and shareduse of bathroom and kitchen facilities. This will be used primarily for our linkswiththeScottishGraduateSchool;weareidentifiedasoneofonly5locationsinScotland for the SGSAH Academic Residencies for doctoral researchers to takeplace (providing £300 p.w.). We hope to develop this offer further with otherserviceprovidersinthehighereducationsector.WhenthisisnotinuseforthoseitcanbemadeavailableforsomeDPartistresidencies.

•MeetingRoomsTherearethreeareasformeetingsand/oradditionalseminarbreakoutspace.

5.1.6 Storage

Thereisareasonably-sizedgarageattherearofthepropertythatwillprovidegoodstorage space for artists’ materials, equipment and other items. This will not berented out as it provides convenient ‘overflow’ area for DP’s own needs. There isalso a rear egress leading to aparking area,whichmaybeparticularly suitable fordeliveriestoandfromthesocialenterpriseshousedintheWorkRoom.

5.1.7 Thediagrambelowbroadly illustratestherelationshipofthesespacestoone

anotherinthepreferredbuildingat22-23TheSquare,Huntly.HuntlyHeartSpaces:22-23TheSquare,Huntly


5.1.8WehaveprovidedanindicativeProgrammeofActivity(AppendixF)thatshowshowthesespacesmayoperate.Althoughmanyoftheseelementswillhappenthroughout the year, we anticipate a seasonal programme of events and activitiesthat will emphasise them and may, for example, be themed as follows (each willhavearelevancetofoodpreparationorcultivationofsometype:

April–June:- TownistheGarden:seedexchangepreparing,plantingadvicearoundtown,

etc- SlowMarathonprogrammeofwalking:artistNormaHunter

July–August:- TownistheGarden:plantingadvice,growingworkshops,composting- Makers–providingashowcaseduringmainvisitorseasonforlocalfood(and

other)productsmadeinHuntly;artist-maker:GabrieleKonsor

Sept–October:- TownistheGarden:Hairst–thegardenswap-shop;harvestingandpreparing- DoricFestival–artistElaOrleans(traditionalandfusionmusic)

November–December:- TownistheGarden:winterpruning,indoorplantsraising- Pre-Christmasretailfromlocalbusinesses

January–March:- TownistheGarden:preparingforspring;preserving- Planningtimefornewprogramme

Allyearround:- HeritageBakingandcookingworkshop- CollaborationwithSyrianNewScots- ProjectThemefortheYeare.g.in2019-ChristineBorland’sLinenproject

(growingflax,processing,spinning,designing,andmaking)

5.2 Assessmentofcurrentbuildingcondition,andvaluation

Valuation5.2.1 Thepropertyhasbeen recently valued (March2019) at a totalof£260,000 forall

elements.Thisbreaksdownas:


Residentialflat,store[WorkRoom]andgarage-£170,000 Retail-£90,000

5.2.2ThisvaluationbyShepherdCharteredSurveyors(Aberdeen)wasundertakenon18th

February 2019. Further, their inspection assumes that no asbestos or otherdeleteriousmaterialthatrequiresspecialistremovalisfound.

5.2.3Thevaluationassumesthat, ‘therearenodefectspertainingtothepropertywhich

wouldhaveanadverseeffectonthevaluesreported’.TheDPstaffandBoardhavehadseveralsitevisitsandbeenimpressedwiththeoutwardconditionofallaspectsoftheproperty,withnoobviousareasforconcern.However,afulldetailedvaluationandassociated surveyswill beundertakenprior topreparinganoffer forthebuilding.

5.2.4Forcomparison,inNovember2018theownerscommissionedasinglesurveyreport

fromD.M.Hall–thisinvolvedathoroughinspectionoftheresidentialareaonlyandvalueditat£180,000.Webelieve,therefore,there isadegreeofconsistency inthetwovaluations.

5.2.5Thedetailedassessmentofthebuilding’sconditionwas,inthemain,positiveandno

areas were flagged higher than Category 1 (‘No immediate action or repair isneeded’).Thereweresomeareashighlightedforfurtherconsideration,including:

Evidenceofpreviousmovement in thepropertywasnotedwithin the limitationsofmyinspection,butIfoundnoevidencetosuggestthatanymovementappeared serious, or that there are obvious signs of recent movement havingoccurred.

Evidenceofolderwoodworminfestationwasnotedtobeaffectingtimberworkwithintheroofvoidarea.Itisunknownastowhetherspecialisttreatmentworkshave been carried out within the subject property in the past, althoughsignificant works have been carried out as part of the general refurbishment,modernisation, andupgradingprocess. Itwouldbeadvantageous toobtainandretain with the title deeds copies of any relevant documentation for pasttreatmentworkswiththetitledeedsforreferencepurposes.Intheeventthatnosuch documentation is available, a specialist who uses guaranteed repairmethodswouldbeabletoinspectandprovidefurtheradvice.

The slate claddings, appear to be in part of older origin, and will undoubtedlygive rise to a regular and ongoing maintenance liability. The roof structure isparticularly complicated with significant sections of the roof not visible fromground level, owing to the proximity of surrounding buildings. If necessary, acompetent roofing contractor would be able to inspect and provide furtherguidanceonfuturerepairandmaintenanceliabilities.


No reportable defects noted, but adequacy of rainwater goods would becomeapparent during periods of heavy rainfall. Box gutters in particular can proveproblematic, and cast iron rainwater goodsby theirnature, require regular andongoingmaintenance.Weedsedimentanddebrisbuildupwithinsomegutteringshouldbecleanedout,andthiswillberequiredonaregularbasis.

5.2.6 Thediagram,below,showstheexistingelevationsofthebuilding:

5.3 ArchitecturalSolutionandApproach

5.3.1 A great advantage of this property for DP is that appears to be in virtual walk-in

condition for most of our purposes – particularly The Work Room, The Town’sGarden,Storage,andmuchofThinkingSpace.

5.3.2 Therearefourrelativelyminorarchitecturalinterventionswewillmake:

IntheThinkingSpacewewillconvertonebedroomandadjacentofficeintoour‘Think Pad’ flat. Thiswill require slight structural intervention andcosmeticchanges.


IntheLivingRoomwewillcreateanareathatcanserveaskitchen,foodstorageandfoodpreparationareas.Thismayrequiresomestructuralintervention(creatingegressforventpipes,etc)tomeetenvironmentalhealthregulationsregardingventilationandfiresafety.Wewillalsoinstallafully-accessibleWCtoprovideanadditionalnecessarylocalamenity.

In theWork Room we willre-floorand introduce a 3-phase electricity supply and watersupply,andinstallanaccessibleWCforaccessviathestudiospace.

WeanticipateadditionalworksuchasupgradingoftheinternaldoorstobecomefullyHMOfire-compliant.

5.3.3Ourarchitecturalchangeswillbegovernedbyappropriateplanningregulationaround

both residential spaces and kitchen/food preparation areas.Wewillmaintain contactwithAberdeenshire Council who are providing guidance on what is required with regard toappropriatelicensingandregulatoryrequirements.

5.3.4 Our capital estimates (see Section 7 below) have allowed for a total of £199,992 forthis

workandanyadditionalrefurbishment.WeareseekinginvestmentfromtheAberdeenshireTownCentre Fund to carryoutessentialmaintenanceworkson thebuildingand refurbishthe premises to bring about transformational change. We are seeking £213,592 towardscapitalcoststomakethispossible.

5.3.5 Thecurrentlayoutofthebuildingisoutlinedinthediagrams,below:


5.4 PlanningPermissionsandotherConsents

5.4.1 WeareincontinuingdiscussionswithrelevantrepresentativesfromPlanning,

BuildingControlandEnvironmentalHealth,whoareadvisingusonthevariouselements,listedbelow.ThesediscussionswillcontinueasweprogressandourProjectManagerwillliaisewiththeappropriateauthoritiestoensureallaspectsofrequiredlegislationaredealtwith.

Planningconstraints

Pre-planningadvicesuggestsnoconstraintsaslongasaspectsoftheC-listingarenotchanged,e.g.certainwindows

Changeofusepossibilitiesandcosts

Pre-planningadvicesuggestourproposeduseswouldbeacceptableandshouldbeappliedforcollectivelyratherthanseparately;costsareincludedinourbudget

Buildingconversionconsent

Thiswillbeappliedforonsuccessfulpurchase

ConservationissuesWeareawareofstructurallimitations(few)thatwouldberequiredtomaintainthebuildingsC-listing

HMOlicenceformultipleuse

OngoingdiscussionwithBuildingControltoensureappropriateformoflicensing;HMO-compliantcostsincludedinbudget

Environmentalhealth

Ongoingdiscussionstoensurekitchen/cookingcompliant

OutdoorusePreliminaryadvicefromBuildingControlsuggestsnoproblemwithproposedusage;ongoingdiscussion

Otherconstraints

Wearenotawareofadditionalconstraintsatthisstage,butongoingliaisonwilladdressanythatarise


6 TheOperation6.1 Operation

6.1.1 We anticipate theoverall operationhavinga comparativelymodest impact onour

currentoperationasmanyofourcurrentandplannedactivitieswillberelocatedtoHuntlyHeart.Thiswillallowustominimizetheoveralloperationalcosts(seeSection8below).FacilityManagementwillbeabsorbedintothedutiesofourcurrentstaffingstructurealthoughsomeadditionalservices,suchascleaningandmaintenance,maybeoutsourced.

6.1.2Ourcoredeliveryteamwill,therefore,bethatofDeveronProjects,whichisalready

acknowledged by Creative Scotland and other partners to be a dedicated andwelltrainedteam.

6.1.3TheDPmodusoperandiisbasedaroundmaintainingasmallcorestaffandminimal

overheads,enabled largely through3-yearcore funding fromCreativeScotlandandprovisionofanofficebasebyAberdeenshireCouncil,andonlybringinginadditionalproject staff and cost on successful application for project funding tomeet them.Thisapproachhasensuredafiscalrobustnessfortheorganisationovertwodecades,andallowsstaffnumbersandprojectoverheadstofluctuatesafelywithinacarefullycontrolledfinancialenvironment.

6.1.4ThecontentofHuntlyHeart–theannualprogramme–willvaryindetaileachyear,

althoughwehaveidentifiedthecomponentsthatwillbeconsistentlypresent,inoneformoranotheri.e.aprogrammeofculturalactivity,afoodoffer,asocialenterprisepresence, and such like.We have illustratedwhat oneof these strandsmight looklikeinsomedetailinAppendixFtogiveaflavourofwhatactivitiesmaytakeplaceinHuntlyHeart.Itconsidersthefoodoffer,whichwehaveframedintermsofa‘communitykitchen’forconvenienceofreference.

HuntlyandDistrictDevelopmentTrust6.1.5 Weenjoy a closeworking relationshipwithHuntly andDistrictDevelopment Trust

(HDDT)andsharetheirstrategicobjectives,andviceversa.Wehavekeptthemfullyinformedof our proposals andboth organisations are keen towork together in anefficientway.Weare further aware that HDDThasmade an application to SLF foranotherprojectintheTownSquare(HuntlyHive),whichbothorganisationsseeasacomplementary development to Huntly Heart – bringing two or three propertiesback to lifein the Square in quick successionwould send a strongmessageregarding the intended regeneration journey of the town, as well as the variouspracticalbenefitsenvisagedbyboth.


6.1.6We are also delighted that a Town Centre Development Manager has beenappointedbyHDDTfora2-yearperiod.Preliminarydiscussionsindicatethatshewillbe willing and able to assist us with advice and input into some of the projectdevelopmentelementsofHuntlyHeart in the transitionperiodofbringing thenewproperty into being. At this stage this position is for two years and therefore aresourceHuntlyHeartwill haveaccess to foraround 18months.Wehave allowedforformalProjectManagementcostsseparately.

6.1.7Inaddition,wehavediscussedtheopportunitytosharesomeofthemarketingand

operationofthetwobuildings–there isasynergy insocialobjectivesbetweenthetwo initiatives,andthereare several shared facilitymanagement issuesthata jointapproach will make more financially efficient. As the detail of this has not beendetermined at time of writing we have not included this opportunity in ouroperational incomeandexpenditureprojections.However,thismightbeconsideredanopportunitytominimisesomeoftheoperationalriskofbothprojects.

[NOTE:thetwoorganisationshavesharedpremises/facilitiesfor8yearsandhaveaverygoodworkingrelationshipandmutualknowledge]

Staff

6.1.8 HuntlyHeartwillbeledbyClaudiaZeiske,DeveronProjects’foundingCEO(Director).

BothanEconomistandanAnthropologist, shebeganhercareer inhuman rightsatthe British Refugee Council. She has excellent international links, recently visitedJordanlinkingupwiththeart/communityprofessionals,wheremanySyrianssettled.ClaudiaisresponsibleforthegeneralrunningoftheDPorganisation(vision,policies,staffing, fundraising, finance), with an excellent fundraising track record.We haveallowed for 10% of Claudia’s time to be allocated to the senior management rolewhere shewill focusonthesesameareasand retainstrategic responsibility for theobjectivesofHuntlyHeartanditsannualprogramme.

6.1.9DP’sProjectManager,RobynWolsey,willberesponsiblefortheday-to-dayrunning

ofHuntlyHeartwithparticularresponsibilityforreporting,bookkeepingandallofficeoperations.Shewillalsomaintainthebookingofthespaces.Wehaveallowed15%ofRobyn’stimetobedirected towardsthisrole.PetraPennington isourArtsand community worker. Her role is to facilitate the programming with thecommunity and the invited creativepractitioners. Those include the artists in


residence, the tobeemployed chef/baker andother short-termcreative. She runstheregularHOMEprogrammewhichwillbelargelylocatedinthenewproperty.

6.1.10 Othermembersofourcreativeteamwilllocateallorpartoftheirprojectswithinthe

building and, therefore, all members of the DP team will have an input intodevelopingthecontent.Since2017wehavea(CCFfunded)TownistheGardenteaminplacewithaGreenCo-ordinator (JossAllen)andtwogardeners.Their remit istore-motivate people to plant, grow and cook local food again – for health,environmentalandsocialpurposes.ThroughBigLotteryfundingwewereabletohirePetraPennington,ourfull-timeArtandCommunityWorker.

6.1.11 We run a dedicated and highly successful internship scheme – engaging young

practitioners year round to locate with various DP projects. We believe theopportunitiescreatedwithinHuntlyHeart,andtheonsiteaccommodation,willmaketheseinternshipsanevenmoreattractiveprospect.

6.1.12 We have allowed for funding of £20,000 for a part-time Project Manager to

undertake crucial development work, such as bringing all the legal requirementstogether,overseeingbuildingandrefurbishingwork;creatinginterestfortheprojectwithin the community, shaping the vision of Huntly Heart, creating ambience,overseeing necessary changes and purchases, securing funding for the work thatneeds to be done, co-ordinating the development work, undertaking necessaryprocurement(jobdescriptioncanbemadeavailable).Wehaveallowedforafurther£20,000 to fund a designer/artistwhowill help shape anddeliverDeveronProjectsvisionforsustainable,transformational,andimpactfulchangeforHuntlytowncentre.

6.1.13 Wehavepoliciesforworkingwithchildren,youngpeopleandvulnerableadultsnext

to theEDI-Plan, andPetra’s role ensures that communityparticipation is central toall our projects including the implementation of our Equalities and Diversity Plan.These will all play a part in the design and content of the Huntly Heart annualprogramme and will include new positions created to help with our cookingprogrammes–thislattercanonlyhappeneffectivelyifwehavetheadditionalspacethatHuntlyHeartwillprovide.

FinanceandReporting6.1.14 HuntlyHeartwill benefit frombeingpartof awell-establishedandextremelywell-

managedfinancialoperation.CashflowandaccountsarekeptonadailybasisbyourProjectManagerandoverseenweeklybyourDirector(BABusinessAdministration).QuarterlyreportsgototheBoardofDirectors; includingacashflowreport, stateoffunding,currentfinancialassets;scrutinisedbyourDirectorandourTreasurer,MikeWhittal. We have an unblemished track record in reporting to funders and otherstakeholders. Jane Dempster, an independent chartered certified accountant and


registered auditor, prepares our annual accounts for the AGM and submission toOSCR.

6.2 Governance

6.2.1DeveronProjectsisoverseenbyaBoardofManagement,whichmeetsquarterlyand

represents a broad cross-section of expertise relevant to the organisation: artistic,community andmanagement. In 2018 two young representatives were elected tothe Board – a full list of current Board members is appended in Appendix H. ADirector’sReportispresentedateachmeetingwithupdatesonartistic,financialandorganisationalprogress.AnAnnualGeneralMeetingisheldeveryyearinNovember.An annual away day is organised in January and a Board Development Plan is inplace.

6.2.2 Therearethreeboardsub-committees,whichfocuson:

Programmeplanning,includingaudiencedevelopmentandmarketing Financialplanningandstaffing EqualitiesandDiversities

6.2.3AtanEGMinFebruary2019Membersagreedtoarangeofproposedchangestothe

Constitutiontoensure itremainscompliantwithcurrentScottishGovernmentgoodpracticeforcharitiesaswellasreflectingtheobjectivesoftheorganisation: thepurposeoftheorganisationisnowmoreaccuratelyreflected thevotingarrangementsofMembersandDirectorsareinlinewithcurrent

nationalguidance the geographic boundary forMembership more accurately represents the

objectives,andconstituency,oftheorganisation6.2.4 DPwill continue to employ staff on full-, part-time, and casual basis, and provide

opportunities for workplace learning through secondments, placements andinternships.Our Boardwill remain as volunteers (in keepingwithmost charities ofourscale),however,wearemindfulof theneed to rotatethekeypositionson theBoardtoacknowledge thecapacityofvoluntaryinputandthepressuresthataproject of this type can take, particularly in its development and initial deliveryperiods.WehavealsorecentlyembarkedonaPhDresearchprogrammecalled‘Politics of Small Places’ with the Patrick Geddes institute in Dundee. The HuntlyHeartwillprovidethehomeforthisresearch.

6.3 MonitoringandEvaluation6.3.1Monitoringandevaluationiscoretowhatwedo:contributingtothewelfareofour

town.HuntlyHeartwillbenefitfromourexistingapproach-wecurrentlypracticea


multi-faceted approach to evaluating our projects using a participant observationmethodology.Thisresultsinanextensiveprojectreportoutliningachievementsandproblems encountered; including: artists’ and participants’ comments, archive ofprinted materials, press file, photo/film documentation and any other materialsavailable,aswellasallartistsdeliveringawrittenreport.

6.3.2 Aspartoftheevaluationprocesswearekeentomonitorourworkagainstourkey

goalofdevelopingthetownisthevenueprogrammeandarededicatedtoapplyingnew evaluation techniques that avoid forms (often perceived as obtrusive). Eachproject is followed up with an intensive review bringing together the artist(s),workers, collaboratorsandparticipants.Thishas in thepast includedactivities suchaspicnics,gatheringsandwritingsessions.Theaboveisalsoreflectedinourarchive,which through itsArchiveSheetasks specific, self-reflectivequestions inrelation tothespecificprojectandinrelationtoourmethodology7.

6.3.3 Inpreparationforthisphaseofdevelopmentwecarriedoutstructuredsurveysinas

informalawayaspossible—inconversationsattheFarmers’Markets,withclubsandat other public events. All larger events were followed up with a Survey Monkeyquestionnaire.Wealwaysadheretoourcheckandbalanceapproaches: the 50/50approachofbalancing artists withcommunities,local withglobal,

homewithaway,etc. ThePlace/Work/Folkstructuretocheckourthemesaremetbyourprojects.

6.3.4SocialresearcherFrancesRoweundertookareportonthesocialimpactofourwork

as part of her PhD (University of Newcastle); this showed some of the long-termdevelopmentssuchassustainableculturalgroupssetupandcertainpeoplemovedtoHuntlybecauseofDeveronProjects.What it has not been able to achieve is toestablishthelong-termbenefitofthetownitself.Todevelopandevaluatethelong-termimpactofthisprogramme,weaimtosetupaSocialAnthropologistledresearch project with an academic partner (University of Dundee/University ofAberdeen).Throughthiswehopetodevelopnewwaystoidentifyandevaluatethevalueandimpactofthebenefitsofourwork.

7Documentationisofteninterlinkedwithevaluationandwetrytomakebooks,visualreportsorfilmstocommunicatetheworthofaproject.


MarketingandAudienceDevelopment

6.3.5AttractingcustomersanduserstoHuntlyHeartiskeytoourfuturesuccess.Wehavemanagedtorefineandimproveourapproachtoaudiencedevelopmentthathasledtoourlastbusinessplanfortheorganisationnotingwe: reduced the number of annual events while increasing our average attendee

number(participants/events) increasednumberofnewparticipantsby20% grewouraudienceinthe18-34and55+agegroups increasedFacebookandothersocialmediaaudiencesby25%

6.3.6 Our figures for working with the community have been steady on the rise. Elves

Workshoppiloteventhad194participants(4hoursopen);No.11Cafepilotproject,724 participants in 2017/18; other examples: Community Christmas Lunch, 55participants; HuntlyMeets Syria event, 200 participants; Town is the Garden, 728participantsin2017/18;BarterShopopeningday,54participants.

6.3.7Ourmarketingatalocalleveliseffective:Farmers’MarketStall;blackboardsoutside

ourbuildingontheSquare;integratedworkinginourcommunity;newsletter;HuntlyExpress;postersaroundtown;andlocaldigitalnetworking.

6.3.8Weareconfidentwebring theexperienceand localmarketingnetworks toHuntly

Heart toensure ithasahighlyvisiblepresence fromtheoutset.Ourprofile in theartssectorishigh,nationallyandinternationally,andoursocialmediareportsshowhighprofilelocallyandanincreasingonebeyondthat.


7 CapitalCostsandFunding7.1 CapitalCosts

7.1.1.AsoutlinedinSection5above,thecurrentvaluationfortheentirepropertyat22-23

TheSquare,Huntlyis£260,000.7.1.2 We estimate a further £199,992 will be required to make additions and

refurbishments to fully enable our plans for the various spaces to be realised. Itshouldbenoted,however,thattheseworksdonotrequiretobecompletedpriortoentry–activities can takeplace in thebuilding frompointofentry, althoughsomewill be restricted until the alterations take place.We have allowed the followingamountsforrefurbishment:

Item Cost£

Demolitions&Alterations(incinternalwalls)

3350

Structuralwork 5000

Upgradeexistingupperfloorcovering 2920

Roofstructure,finish&insulation 6725

Replacemetalfireescapeforcompliance 2500

Re-pointingexternalwalls 5500

Essentialupgradetoexistingwindows 13870

Internaldoorupgrades(fire-safe) 8900

Internalwallfinishes 6160

Floor&Ceilingfinishes 29305

Kitchenfittings&installation 18750

AccessibleWC 7050

Waste&Overflows 780

Waterinstallation 2400

Spaceheating 8220

Ventilation 3000

Electricalinstall/rewiring 8820

Siteworks,services 6410


Generalpreliminaries@5% 6750

Contingency@12% 20250

VAT@20% 33332

Total 199,9927.1.3 Thesecostsassumethatfutureworksdonotidentifyadditionalstructuralcosts.

7.1.4 ThetotalcapitalcostrequiredtodelivertheHuntlyHeartis£554,392.7.2 SourcesofFunding

7.2.1 WehaveappliedtotheScottishLandFundasourprimarysourceofcapitalfundingto

enable the purchase of this asset. We have allowed for 95% of the cost of thebuildingassetandadditionalone-off costs to realise this.Weare therefore seeking£266,000fromScottishLandFund.

7.2.3WeareseekinginvestmentfromtheAberdeenshireTownCentreFundtocarryout

essential maintenance works on the building and refurbish the premises to bringabout transformational change.We are seeking £227,992 towards capital costs tomakethispossible.

7.2.4 Wehave applied, following encouragement, to the ESFAspiring Communities Fund

forassistancewithourproposedcooking/food initiative,which includessupport forassociatedprojectrelatedequipmentandresource.Asthemajorityofactivitywouldtake place in Huntly Heart we have allowed £28,000 from this source towardscapitalcosts.

7.2.6We will continue to make grant applications to potential local sources and have

alreadybeenintouchwiththeCommunityCouncil(whooffermicro-grantsofupto£500),andtheGordonandEnaBaxterFoundation(whoacceptrequestsonceothermajor funding is secured).

7.2.7 Weare fortunate tohavesecured£5,000 froma localprivatesourcetocontribute

towardsthecapitalcosts(reductionfromowners).7.2.8 Thefinal£27,400willbefoundfromourownreservesandin-kindmanagementcostsandwewilla l so inviteour longtermfunder,CreativeScotland,toallowustouseapercentageoftheirannualrevenuetoDPtobeallocatedagainstthecapitalcostsofthis


project. Again, we are hopeful that the leverage it will bring combined with theabilitytomoreeffectivelyrealiseourambitionswillresultinapositiveconsideration.

7.2.9 Therefore,insummary,ourcapitalfundingwillcomefromthefollowingsources:

Source Amount(£) Status

AberdeenshireTownCentreFund 227,992 Applicationpending

ScottishLandFund 266,000 Applicationpending,outcome23rdMay

AspiringCommunitiesFund 28,000 Applicationpending:outcomeinearlyJune

DeveronProjects 14,400 In-kindmanagementsupport

PrivateSource 5,000 Inplace

DeveronProjects-Reserves 13,000 Inplace

Total £554,392


8 IncomeandExpenditure8.1 AnnualOperation

8.1.1Based on the demand outlined in Section 4, above, the projected figures in this

section are assumed for year 3 of operation – at this stage we believe the initialtransitionperiodwillbeconcludedandamoreestablishedpatternofusewillbe inplace.Wehave initiallyassumedthatthemanagementandoperationoftheHuntlyHeartproject,includingtheownershipandfinanceoftheproposedpropertyshouldbe structured within Deveron Projects Ltd, the existing registered charity, withouttheneed to set up a separate trading subsidiary. Asmanyof our current activitiesanduseswill transfertothisbuildingourassumptionsarebasedonourknowledgeofexistingnumbers,need,andlevelofusage.

8.1.2Itshouldbeunderstoodthatoneofthemainreasonswhyacharitymightconsider

settingupaseparatetradingsubsidiary is if itwere likely togenerate ‘nonprimarypurpose’tradingincome,theprofitsfromwhicharetaxable iftheturnoverexceedscertainthresholds,namely£8,000inanyyear,orifgreater,25%ofthetotalincomeof the charity in any year up to a maximum of £80,000. Without going into anydetail, the use of a trading subsidiary in such circumstances can helpminimise oreradicate tax on a charitable group’s income. Fromour proposed activities of theHuntly Heart project and the existing activities of DP, it seems unlikely that thesethresholdswillbeexceeded inthenearfuture, followingtheacquisitionofthenewproperty.

8.1.3Inaddition, rental income fromproperty isusuallyexempt fromtaxandsocanbe

excludedfromany discussion regarding ‘primary’ and ‘non primary purpose’trading.Insummary,thisisahighlycomplexareaandwewillcontinuetobeguidedbyourfinancialadvisors,beforecommencementoftheHuntlyHeartprojectandonan ongoing basis thereafter. For internal management accounting purposes, theIncome and Expenditure of Huntly Heart should be accounted for as a separatedivision of DP’s activities. A summary of DP’s annual accounts is provided inAppendixI.

Expenditure8.1.4 Wearerelativelyfortunate that theestimatedrunningcostsarerelativelymodest,

largely as the bulk of staff costs are found from existing sources, and additionalspecificoperationalcostswillbemetfromprojectbudgets.Eventhough,staffingstillrepresentsthelargestitemofannualexpenditure.Wehaveallowedforcorestaffing


represented by 10% of our CEO (called Director)’s time (£4,200) and 15% of ourProjectManager’stime(£3,600)–atotalof£7,800.

8.1.5 In terms of programming content we anticipate our two core creative team

members will locate the bulk of their existing and planned project work in thebuilding (i.e. Town is the Garden), but therewill be additional projects specificallyrelatedtoHuntlyHeart.Wehave,therefore,allocated15%oftheirtimetothis–atotalof£6,600.

8.1.6We anticipate that by year 3 of operation the level of bookings and space

coordinationwillrequiresomeadditionalpart-timeadministrativeassistancetoworkwiththeProjectManager.Thiswillbeanewpost,whichweexpecttoworktheequivalent of 1 days p.w. based on an annual f/t salary of £16,000 – a total of£3,200.

8.1.7Wehaveassumedoutsourcingacontractfortwice-weeklycleaningoftheproperty

at£100perweek–atotalof£5,200.8.1.8Wecurrentlyhaveexperienceofmanagingtwopropertiesinthetownandsohave

experienceofthelevelofdirectoperatingcosts locally.Allowingforadjustmentsofscale and the individual characteristics of each property, we have assumed thefollowingprimaryannualdirectcosts:

Item Cost(£)

Energy/Fuel 3,000

Phone/Broadband 700

Generalservicingofequipment,e.gheating

700

CouncilTax/BusinessRates 2,200

Maintenance 1,000

Materials(cleaning,etc) 200

Misc.incl.licensing 1,000

Insurances 400

Total £9,200


8.1.9 Additional costs such as marketing specific to the venue and annualaccounting/auditingwillbeassimilated in theDPannualbudgetandnot rechargedagainstHuntlyHeart.

8.1.10 Although the programming content will, in large part, be covered within existing

projectbudgets,itisanticipatedthattherewillbeanannualbudgetforneweventsspecific toHuntlyHeart.Wehaveallowedanexpenditureof£5000year1 (launch)and£2,000infollowingyearsontheseevents.

8.1.11Theannualoperatingcostsare,therefore,projectedas:

Item Cost(£)

FacilityManagement 7,800

Programmestaff 6,600

Administration/Booking 3,200

Cleaning 5,200

DirectCosts 9,200

Events 2,000

Total £34,0008.1.12Thefollowingassumptionshavebeenmadewiththeexpenditureprojections:

AllcostsareinclusiveofVAT Energy costs incurred in the operation of the social enterprise space will be

chargedinfulltothetenants,andthereforecostneutral Costsfordevelopingthegardenandpublicrealmwillrequireprojectfunding CurrentexpenditurerelatedtoEasdalepropertywillcease Inflationnotincluded,butexpectedtomaintainatmodestlevel


8.1.13AsummaryoftheanticipatedexpenditureforYear3ofoperationisprovidedbelow:

Year3

EXPENDITURE £

Staffcosts

ProjectDevelopmentOfficer 0

CEO's(calledDirector)time

4,200

ProjectManager'stime 3,600

Creativeteammemberstime 6,600

Administrativeassistance 3,200

Cleaning(subcontracted) 5,200

Directcosts

Heatandlight 3,000

Telephone,broadband,servicingheating/equipment,etc

1,400

Counciltax/Rates 2,200

Repairsandmaintenance 1,000

Cleaningmaterials 200

Misc.incl.licences 1,000

Insurance 400

AnnualEvents

Costsofputtingonevents 2,000

Totalexpenditure £34,000


8.2 One-offandTransitionalCosts8.2.1 Weanticipateseveralone-offoperationalcostsrelatedtocommissioningthekitchen

andoperatingtheLivingRoom.Theseare:

Item Cost(£)

Licensing 2,200

PATtesting 800

Insurance 2,000

Total £50008.2.2Although the building is in good condition it will requiresomeessential

maintenanceworkandwewillthereforerequiretheinputofaProjectManagerroleinthefirst15months.Weanticipatethiswillbeoutsourced(i.e.notacurrentmemberofstaff)andwillberequiredforaround2daysp.w.forthefirst15months(timingmayfluctuate).Wehaveallowedforaone-offcostof£20,000towardsthisprojectdevelopmentrole.Similarly,wehaveallowedaone-offcostof£20,000foradesignertoaidourvisionandcontributetosourcinglocalcraftspeopleandartiststocreateatrulytransformationalspaceforHuntly.

8.2.3Thereforeweanticipatetotalone-offcostsof£45,000.

8.3 Income

8.3.1Theprimary incomesourcewillbetheannualDPbudget,sourcedfromfoundation

grants from the public sector – this will covermuch of the core staff costs to anannualtotalof£14,400.

8.3.2Wewillofferthe‘ThinkPad’space(fromyear3onwards)forrentandbasedonour

contract with Scottish Graduate School anticipate 26 weeks rental per annum at


£300 per hire – giving a total income of£7,800. Thesewill be aimed primarily atdoctoralresearchers.

8.3.3Fromyear3,weanticipateanaverageof2SMEcompaniesatanyonetime,

identified inassociationwith theHub, rentingspace in theupperareaof theWorkRoom. This will be available at £250p.m. each – an amount that is negotiable butshouldbeachievablebymostsocialenterpriseswithpotential(equivalentto£3,000p.a.,each)-thiswillreturnatotalof£6,000.Thekindofpartnersweenvisageare:Dudendance(rehearsalspace),HandmadeinHuntly(workshopspace)–allofwhomhaveshowninterestinthedevelopment.

8.3.4Fromyear3,weanticipateonesocialenterpriseofscale,orpotentialforscale,inthe

lower space of the Work Room. We are happy to negotiate each tenancy on anindividualbasis,butwouldanticipateeitherapercentageofturnover in lieuofrenti.e. 5%, or rent to the equivalent of £2,000.Most likely this will be for the applepressing social enterprise (LEADER application currently under review); otherwisewehavetheindicatorsabove,aswellasforshop/storagespace.

8.3.5 Seasonal ‘shop-window’ opportunities in the Living Room will allow a temporary

selling-spaceforlocalmakersandproducers8andwehaveallowedforacommissionon sales of 10% (lower than would be found in commercial gallery spaces, forexample) - we expect to raise £3,000 in total from this source. Through ourinvolvementwiththemonthly(firstSaturdaymorningofthemonth)farmersmarketwe are very aware for theneed formorepermanent outlets froma rangeof localproducers.AnotherorganizationthatannuallylookforshoppremisesinDecemberisthecharityBooksAbroad(theyhavehadasaleintheTICinthepast,butthisisnowclosed).

8.3.6Wewillrunaregularseriesoffood-relatedevents,withcafé-styleoptionsonsome

evenings. Prices will be kept at affordable levels and will be used largely to covercostsoffoodandtheirpreparation,however,weanticipateaslightsurplusofincomeoverexpenditurethroughfoodsalesof£2,500.

8.3.7Theprogrammeofeventsandperformances(identifiedintheExpenditure)willadd

totheattractionofthetowncentreatnight–wehaveallowedforabox-officeyieldof£2,000eachyear.

8.3.8 Theannualincomeis,therefore,estimated,as:

8Thismayrangefromheritagebakeryproducts,seedsandgardenrelatedmaterial,tocraftsandartwork


Item Cost(£)

CentralDPfunds 14,400

ThinkPad 7,800

WorkRoom-upper 6,000

WorkRoom-lower 2,000

Commission 3,000

Foodsales 2,500

Box-office 2,000

Total £37,7008.3.9 Thefollowingassumptionshavebeenmadewithallincomeprojections:

AllincomeisinclusiveofVAT Inflationhasnotbeenallowedfor;anticipatedtoremainatmodestlevel

Summary8.3.10Theannualprojectionsaboveareforamatureoperation,however,webelievethis

could be achieved relatively quickly and certainly by year 3, largely because wealready have the staff and theprojects inplace,andthebuildingworkrequiredtoentercanbecompletedinyear1toenablethefullsuiteoffunctionswerequire.

8.3.11The projections show an annual excess of income over expenditure by £5,200 by

Year 4 (around 15% of expenditure) and we believe this is an acceptable level ofcontingency for annual operation. However, although DP retains some reserves toenable one-off projects or contingency, we would intend developing an annualoperatingmodelthatallowedustocontributetoreservesinordertoaddressfuturecapitalspendonrepairsandone-offmaintenance.Wearecomfortablethatwewillbe able to establish this working model once Huntly Heart is operational and theactualannualcostsareevident.AsummaryoftheannualprojectincomeisoutlinedbelowforYear3,bywhichtimeastableoperationwillbeinplace:


INCOME

FromDPcorefunding

Year3

£

Publicsectorandcharitablefoundationgrants 14,400

Rentalincome

ThinkPad'spacerentaltoacademicresidency 7,800

Rentsofupperareaworkroomstosocialenterprises 6,000

Rentsoflowerareaworkroomstosocialenterprises 2,000

Retailincome

Commissionfromretailsales 3,000

Foodsales-profit 2,500

AnnualEvents

Boxoffice 2,000

TotalIncome £37,700

Note:Anadditional£1,500p.a.isanticipatedinWorkRoomrentalfromyear4,givingausualaverageincomeof£39,200


8.4 5-YearProjection

8.4.1 Thefigurebelow,showsa5yearprojectionoftheanticipatedincomeandexpenditure,basedontheassumptions,above:

PROJECTEDCOREINCOMEANDEXPENDITUREACCOUNTS:

Year1

£

Year2

£

Year3

£

Year4

£

Year5

£INCOME

FromDPcorefundingPublicsectorandcharitablefoundationgrants

14,400

14,400

14,400

14,400

14,400

TransitionCosts(asdetailedabove)

45,000

0

0

0

0

Rentalincome

ThinkPad'spacerentaltoacademicresidency 3,600 5,200 7,800 7,800 7,800

Rentsofupperareaworkroomstosocialenterprises 1,500 3,000 6,000 6,000 6,000


RentsoflowerareaworkroomstosocialenterpriRetailincome

ses 2,000 3,500 3,500

Commissionfromretailsales 1,000 2,000 3,000 3,000 3,000

Foodsales-profit 1,500 2,000 2,500 2,500 2,500

AnnualEvents

ProgrammingGrant 5,000

Boxoffice

2,000

2,000

2,000

2,000

TotalIncome 72,000 28,600 37,700 39,200 39,200

EXPENDITURE

Staffcosts

CEO(calledDirector)'stime 4,200 4,200 4,200 4,200 4,200

DPProjectManager'stime

3,600

3,600

3,600

3,600

3,600

Creativeteammemberstime 6,600 6,600 6,600 6,600 6,600

Administrativeassistance 0 0 3,200 3,200 3,200

Cleaning(subcontracted)Directcosts

5,200 5,200 5,200 5,200 5,200

Heatandlight 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000

Telephone,broadband,services(e.g heating/equipment) 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400

Counciltax/Rates

2,200

2,200

2,200

2,200

2,200

Repairsandmaintenance 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000

Cleaningmaterials 200 200 200 200 200

Misc.incl.licenses 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000

Insurance 400 400 400 400 400

TransitionCosts

ProjectManagerFee 20,000

DesignerFee 20,000

Additional(detailedabove) 2,500 2,500

AnnualEventsOpeningWeekevents

5,000

Costsofputtingonevents 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000

Totalexpenditure 76,300 33,300 34,000 34,000 34,000

SURPLUS/(DEFICIT)FORYEAR (4,300) (4,700) 3,700 5,200 5,200

AccumulatedSurplus/(Deficit)onGeneralfunds (4,300) (9,000) (5,300) (100) 5,100

8.4.2 Itwillbenotedthattheprojectionsshowastablefinancialperformancebyyear3, i.e.onewheretheannual income isgreaterthanthe

expenditure.We have shown that, without additional grant intervention, therewill be an annually decreasing accumulated deficit thatnormaloperations will have balanced by Year 7. The deficit is accrued through the additional on-off transition expenditure in Years 1and 2, andallowingthevariousincomestreamstodevelopfullyduringthatperiod.

8.4.3 However,webelieve thatDPwillbe able tomanage this deficit from theoutset through a combinationofnewgrant income (these

likelysourceshavebeenidentifiedinsection7),andcarefuloperationalmanagement.8.4.4 ItisworthnotingthatDPalreadymanagestwobuildingsinHuntlythatprovideartistsaccommodation,andthatthesewillceasetobe

usedwhenHuntlyHeartopens.Therefore,inoverallDPoperationalterms,theexpenditureonthosepropertieswillnolongerberequired,allowinganyadditionalHuntlyHearttransitioncoststobeabsorbedintheDPannualbudget.However,inordertodemonstratethatHuntlyHeartwillbesustainableinitself,ourcurrentprojectionsfocusonlythatoperation.


9 Risk

9.1 Contingency

9.1.1 We,ofcourse,intendtheprojecttobeamodelofthistypeofdevelopment,

however,wehaveallowedforcontingencyaroundtheprincipalareasofrisk: Organisationalcapacity:

Our team is small and committed and, by successful time-management andreallocationof existing and newduties,will be able toundertake the operationwith a comparatively small uplift in support. We have allowed for additionaladministrativeassistance tobe inplace fromYear2whichshouldaddressmuchof the ongoing booking and general facility management issues. As outlinedabove, we have also made arrangements for the more resource-oneroustransition period, in particular with the likely input of HDDT’s Town CentreDevelopmentManager.

OnerousBuildingControlrequirements:AkeypartofourLivingRoomoffer isfood-orientedandwe,therefore,requireaworkingkitchen. If forany reason (physical or regulatory restrictions) this isnotpossible it will not adversely affect our current income and expenditureprojections (which are predicated on this element of operation being a self-sustaining break-even operation). We will instead focus on the other usesidentifiedinsection6above,maintainingasustainablebalanceofactivities.

Poor,orunsustainable,take-upof‘LivingRoom’ functions:If thevarioususageoptionswehaveoutlined fail todevelop to theanticipated,sustainableextentthenwewillconsideralternativeusesfortheshop-front–thiscouldincludearentalagreementwiththelocalcommunitybookshop(whowouldrelocate from their current building inDeveronStreet), or re-introducea cyclingrepair shop,orothersocialenterprise thatwouldbenefit fromashop-frontatalowrent

CapitalCostsnotmet:Presupposing a successful SLF application, we are fortunate that c.50% of the£122,000balance iseitherguaranteedorhasaverystrongcertainty.The£65,000 from private sources will then become the key element of the capitalfunding balance – our assurances to date are that this will be forthcoming,however, it isnotyetguaranteed. If thisamountweretofallshortwewouldre-negotiatethecostofthepropertywiththeseller,revisitourothersourcestoaskthemtoconsiderapercentageupscaleof theircommitment,and look tosourceadditionaltrustfunding,tofillthegap.

Lowerthananticipatedgeneratedincomelevels:Asdemonstratedintheincomeandexpenditureprojections,thisprojectdoesnotrequiretogeneratealargeamountofincometocoveritsexpenditure.Withthe


five building elements as we have identified them each considered as a cost-centre in theirown right, itmeans that ifone (or two)areunderperforming theoverall operation can continue to be sustained by the other elements. Ourflexibilityofapproach,combinedgenerallywithlowoverhead,alsomeanswecanaddressanyshortcomingsquicklyandadapttoanewoperationalmodel.

9.2 RiskTable

RiskItem MinimisingImpact Riskfactor

1-10

OrganisationalCapacity

Ourteamissmallandcommittedand,bysuccessfultime-managementandreallocationofexistingandnewduties,willbeabletoundertaketheoperationwithacomparativelysmallupliftinsupport.WehaveallowedforadditionaladministrativeassistancetobeinplacefromYear2whichshouldaddressmuchoftheongoingbookingandgeneralfacilitymanagementissues.Asoutlinedabove,wehavealsomadearrangementsforthemoreresource-oneroustransitionperiod,inparticularwiththelikelyinputofHDDT’sTownCentreDevelopmentManager.

2

BuildingControlrequirementsdifficultto:

We have had talks with the Aberdeenshire councilplanners for the kitchen development. He did not seeanyissueswithgettingpermission.Ifthissituationchangesforanyreasonwewilldiverttoother training opportunities, such as undertaking otherenterprises for example craft and food growing.(section6).

3

CapitalCostsnotmet WithsuccessfulSLFapplicationwehavegoodopportunitytoachievethematchingfunding.Anumberoffundershavealreadygivenusthego—aheadafterphase1(Baxterfoundation,communityfund,Leader,AspiringCommunitiesfund).Wehopethatsuchfundingmatures,ifnotwewillkeepontrying.Wealsohaveenoughinourownresourcestobridgethegap.

2


CoreGrantFundingreduced/unsuccessful

DeveronProjectisarevenuefundedorganisationfrom 2CreativeScotlandwithRFO(regularfunding)status;guaranteedforthenext2years(March2021).Wehaveaverygoodtrackrecordwiththisstakeholderwithwhomwehavegrownfrom£700in1999to£110000regularfundingin2019.Webelievethisisdueto:

- Ourstrongrelationshipwiththecommunity–

uniqueinsociallyengagedartsthroughthe‘townisthevenue’methodology

- Ourstrongandconsistentfundingmixfroma

largevarietyofpublicandprivatesources–unlikeotherorganisationsontheirportfoliowehavelessthan50%comingfromCS

Wehavetalkedtoourprojectofficer,whoconfirmedthata.achievingthisSLFfundingandowningapropertywillputusintoapositivesustainablesituationinthefuture;andb.CreativeScotlandwillnotdropRFOorganisations,butofferalternativeprojectbasedfundingiftheyweretodecidetophaseout.

AberdeenshireCouncilissupportinguswithasmallannualgrantforthelast15years.Thisislikelytocontinue,especiallyifwecanshowthatweareactivelyhelpingtogeneratethetown.Wearealsogettingtheirpremisesinthelocallibraryforfree(1minutewalkfromformerSquareDealacrosstheSquare),whichwecontinuetooccupyoncewepurchasedthebuildingforourprogramming.

Othercurrent/recentfundersinclude: AwardsforAll,HLF,AberdeenshireCouncil,LeaderEU,AspiringCommunitiesfund,BigLottery,privatedonor(anonymous),EsmeeFairbairnFoundation,PathsforAll,BritishCouncil,ForestryCommissionScotland,ScottishRefugeeCouncil,Baxterfoundation,ClimateChallengeFund,variouswindfarmfunds,ScottishGraduateSchool,TESCOcommunityfund,ECO2,Clashindarrochcommunityfund,PaulHamlynFoundation, RSA,GoetheInstitute….

Ourboardkeepsreservesincaseweneedtosupportunforeseenstaffchangestoundertakesuchfundraisingactivities.


Incomegenerationlessthanexpected

Relativelysmallincomegenerationisnecessary.Acquiringthenewpropertywillsaveusmoneythatwehavetospendcurrentlyfromouroverheadandprogrammingcosts(1rentedcottage,1houseonloan,1shop).Weareabletoalsocompensatewithourexcellentfundraisingtrackrecord.

3

ProjectManagercannotbefound

Wehaveagoodtrackrecordinfindinghighlyqualifiedstaffforourorganisation.Wewilladvertisewidelyforthis.Intheunlikelyeventthatwedonotfindtherightcandidate,wecouldsecondformerexistingstaffandreplacetheircurrenttaskwithaformerinternwhohasacquiredthoseskills.

3

Employeeleavesbeforetheendoftheproject.

DeveronProjectswilloffersupportforallareasoftherole,withregularonetoonemeetingswithlinemanagertodiscussprogressagainstobjectives.AnytrainingneedswillbemetviatheDPbudgetwhererequired.

3

Asuitablecandidatefortheposition,withskillsandexperienceasanartisanbaker/cook,runningacafé,knowledgeofhealthandsafety,trainingandrunningworkshops,thatiswillingtorelocatetoHuntlyforayearcannotbefound.

ThiswillbefundedfromtheAspiringCommunities/Leaderpackage.Nationalrecruitmentcampaignthroughavarietyofnetworks.Providinganattractivesalarythatiscommensuratewiththeskillsandexperiencesought,offeringsupportfromtheDeveronProjectsteam,inparticularwithregardstorunningworkshops.Wearealreadyawareofsomesuitablecandidateswhoarekeenonsuchaninnovativeproject.

2

Communitynotforwardcomingtousethespaceanditsservices.

DPhasbeeninoperationsince1995andsteadilygrownitsprogrammeandthereforeaudiences.SupportwillbeprovidedbytheDeveronProjectsteamandaninitialpart-timesalariedpositionwillbeputinplace.

2


22TheSquare,Huntly,asitis

22TheSquare,Huntly,asitcanbe(December2018)


AppendixADeveronProjectsMission,AimsandObjectives

Ourcoremissionandaimsareinformedbythekeyprincipleswhichinformourprogramme,andsupportedbythetoolsandprocesseswehavedeveloped.

MissionDeveronProjectsconnectsartists,communitiesandplacesthroughcreativeresearchandengagement.

OurthreeAimsandtheirObjectives:

1.Linkartistsandcommunities Deliveraprogrammeofnationalandinternationalartistresidenciesfocusinguponsocial

engagement;collaborativelyexploringissueswithinsociety Maintaina50/50approachthatbalanceslocal/global,artist/community,

hospitality/criticality Continuetodevelopanintergenerationalapproach Respondtochangingdemographicsbybuildingrelationshipsbetweenincomingpeople

andlocalresidents Developfurtherhospitality-relatedactivitiessuchascooking,gardeningandwalkingas

toolsforpracticalaswellasintellectualengagement Exploreanddevelopdigitalcommunicationlinkswithartistsandcommunitieswhoare

hardtobringtoHuntly Providearangeofprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities,whereexperimentation,

criticalengagementandsocialexchangearecentral2.Researchanddevelopcreativecriticalexperiences,outputsandoutcomesthataresituatedwithindailylife Identifytopicsoflocalconcernandinterestbylisteningandengagingwithcommunities

onanongoingbasisthroughparticipantobservationtools Createdialoguesthatrelatetosustainabilityfromalocalperspective:theenvironment,

socio-economics,identity,health Develop partnerships in participation and debatewith arts organisations, universities,

funders,thethirdsector,publicandotherbodies;focusinguponsocio-politicalsubjectsandissuesthatarerelevantlocallyandinternationally

Createapositiveworkingenvironment for staff,artistsandboard that fostersaconstructiveandsustainablelifestyle

FurtherdeveloptheTownCollectionandarchive Producehighqualityprintanddigitalmaterialsanddocumentation


3.Exploreenvironmental,economicandsocialconnectionsunderthetownisthevenueprinciple CreateanartisticandexperientiallegacyforHuntlytotakeownershipof Explorewhathomemeanssocially,environmentally,politically,economically Connect Huntly through a local-global/home-away exploration, providing an

internationallylinkedcontextandprogrammetoparticipatein Contributetotheregenerationofthetown Becomeamodelofgoodpracticeintermsofregenerationofruraltowns Buildon thephysical,environmentaland socialheritage of the town through

imaginativeandeffectiveinterpretation


AppendixBDeveronProjects-Visionandprogramme

Deveron Projects is a community organisation based in Huntly, Aberdeenshire. We workwithpeoplefromalargevarietyofbackgroundsonawiderangeofprojectsofcommunityconcern.

Wework under theprinciple of the town is the venue through projects that relate to thecommunity, history, identity and environment of the town of Huntly and its surroundingarea.Ratherthanusingatraditionalartspaceormuseumwegooutintothetowntocreateour projects with multiple community partners – using supermarkets, churches, garages,bothiesasvenuesforactivitiesthatbringtogetherthepeopleandplacesinourcommunity.

Wearecore fundedbyCreativeScotlandandAberdeenshireCouncil (whoalsoprovideanofficebaseinthetowncentre).Movingforward,ourbusinessplanforthenextthreeyearsfocusingonthreecorethemes:RegenerationofHuntlythataddressesqualityoflifeinourtown, including the look, economy, anddaily functionof theplace;Food Culture looks toinvestigate relationships to food and themanifestation of this in Huntly, utilising cookingand sharing as a method for building relationships and awareness; and SustainableConnections encompasses global issues of freedom of movement, unemployment,deprivationandeconomicalandsocialdisarrayfromalocalperspective.

Weact local,butalways inan internationalcontext.Throughadiverserangeofartistswetakeaworld viewthatwhateverhappensonasmall scale isalwaysconnected toa largerlocal/globalreality.Ourartisticproductionscovermanydifferentsubjectareasandplayoutin many ways: public gatherings, forums, gardening workshops, music events, slow


marathons, ceilidhs, discussion sessions, long distance internet conferences and FridayLunch. Walking, talking, gardening, cooking and eating meals are great ways of bringingpeopletogether.

The No.11 Cafe project, running fromNovember 2017 toMarch 2018with Stage 1 fromAspiringCommunitiesFund[ACF],openedupanewspaceinthecentreoftownfromwhichto run events, workshops and our Friday lunchtime talks, the location drawing in wideraudiencestoengagingwithDeveronProjects.

FocusonFoodCultureDeveronProjectstakesakeeninterestinfoodanditsrelationtohealth,socialandeconomic regenerationandenvironmental issues. TheNo.11Cafeproject (formerly theAlNofara Cafe), funded through the Stage 1 ACF, developed out of Deveron ProjectsrelationshipwiththeAmalProject-acommunityorganisationsetupbytheSyrianrefugeepopulation in Aberdeenshire (Syrian New Scots or SNS) with the help of the CommunityDevelopment Team of Aberdeenshire Council. In collaboration with the Amal Project, weranseveralone-offeventswhichexploredthelinksbetweenfoodandhospitality:theWhiteWoodForumandGalaandSyrianSupperClub inSpring2016.FormanyoftheSyrianNewScots, this event was their first opportunity to see more of Scotland and engage incommunityactivity.

DeveronProjectshasanumberofongoingandupcomingprojectswithfoodattheirheart,which complement and strengthen the business plan for Stage 2 ACF funding. We havereceived funding from Aberdeenshire Council’s ‘Opportunities for Young People Grant’ torunaweeklymealandmovieforyoungpeople inHuntly,focusedonissuesofpoliticsandcitizenship.ThiswillallowustokeeprunninganddevelopourrelationshipwiththeGordonSchoolsinHuntly, inparticular,thepop-upcafeatNo.11beingrunbyS2andS3students,giving the students valuableexperiencedeveloping healthymenus for thepeers (asbreakfromchipsandpotnoodles),runningacafeasabusinessaswellasopeningamuchneededsocialspaceforkidsofschoolageinHuntly.

WehavealsoreceivedfundingfromTesco’sBagsofHelpschemetoestablishTheGaither:a cooking collective to dealwith foodwaste and food poverty in Huntly by diverting andcollecting any excess of food from local communities, producers, and food stores, thatwouldnormallygotowaste,andcooktastymeals together.Workingwith localproducers,chefs and food activists our project would create a platform for the sharing of skills andknowledgearoundcooking,promotingasustainable,nowasteattitude.

Since April 2017, Deveron Projects has been running a community horticulture project,Town istheGarden,whichhasnowreceived fundingfromtheClimateChallengeFundforanother two years. The project has been organising workshops developing skills such as


designing a garden using permaculture principles, how to prune fruit trees, how to usesurplus fruit and vegetables in chutneys and pickles; they have also set up a volunteernetwork toexchange knowledgeaboutgrowingandcomposting; created a seedexchangeandsurplusfoodswap;startedworkonacommunityorchard;andstrengtheningtieswithlocal producers. All of which aimed at addressing wider issues of sustainability andcommunity resilience in practical ways. The project provides vegetables fresh fromvolunteers and the allotment for the No.11 Cafe, at least until the quiet season of latewinter,andwasjoinedbyvolunteersinterestedingardeningfromtheSyriancommunity.

Theseprojectsemphasisethepotentialthatfoodhastobringtogetherpeopleacrosssocialandculturaldivides, fosteringspaceswherestories, ideas,andvaluescanbeexchanged,as well as engaging with the wider challenges of creating sustainable connections andregeneratingatowncentrethathasbeenstrugglingoverrecentyears.


AppendixCBackgroundInformationonNo.11Café

TheNo.11CafeprojectFromNovember 2017 toMarch 2018, the aim of this pilot projectwas toworkwith thevibrantfoodcultureoftheSyriancommunityresettledinAberdeenshireinordertoexploreways of influencing and diversifying the local diet and food choices in Huntly, whilstproviding opportunities for classes and workshops to improve people's languages, gainexperience in cooking and hospitality, and learn from other cultures.We recruitedMarcHiggin,ananthropologistinterestedinquestionsofmaterialcultureandcommunity,toruntheproject,togetherwithAyaHaidar,aLebanese-BritishartistwhoseownfamilyfledwarinLebanoninthe1980s.Herfirst-handexperienceofthechallengesandopportunitiesof‘integration’werekeytothesuccessoftheproject,aswellasherfluentArabic.Advertisingthepositionwithin the SyrianNewScots (SNS) community andmeetingwith asmanyofthemaspossible,we recruitedtwowomento share thetraineeposition:AbeerAlhalabeandHayatShahoud.OriginallyfromHoms,bothfledthateruptedandquicklyintensifiedinthewakeoftheprotestsagainsttheAssadregimein2011.Resettled inAberdeenshireaspartof theScottishGovernment’sResettlementProgramme,Abeer studiesatNorthEastScotlandCollege inAberdeenand ishopingtostartanHND inbusinessadministration inAutumn2018.Hayatrunsahouseholdofthreesonsandhusband,heroldesttwoarenowsettlednearHamburg,Germany.Thisprojecthasbeendocumentedthroughashortfilm(clickhere:https://vimeo.com/264407105-password:humus)


Whatwedid:No.11Cafe:Attheheartoftheprojectisthespaceweopenedat11GordonStreet,sharedwiththeTownistheGardenproject.Thisflexiblespacewasusedasproject(s)office,communityspaceusedbydifferentindividualsandgroups,and,mostimportantly,acommunitycafe.• OpenonWednesdaysandFridays,10-4,servingfresh,healthy,vegetarianSyrian-

Scottishfood,andtea,coffeeandcaketothepeopleofHuntly,providinginviting,informalspacetowork,meet,sharefoodandstories.SeethisarticlebyDarkMountainpressforanexampleofmediacoverage.

• Ourdoorwasalwaysopenonotherdaysforanyonewantingacoffeeandchat.• Runbydonations,thecafehascovereditsrunningcosts(minussalariesandutility

bills).• Wehadaround35-40peoplethroughthedoorsoncafedays:parentsandkids,

retiredfolk,peopleonbenefits,thoseonlunchbreakfromworkorschool,peopleusingthespaceasaninformalofficeandvisitorsfromoutsideHuntly.

• Ithasbeenused‘outofhours’bydifferentcommunitygroups:filmclub,folkmusic,LGBTgroup,foodclubs.

Traineeships:employmentastraineeshashadanumberofsignificantoutcomesforbothAbeerandHayat:1.ithasbeenanimportantsourceofincomeforthemandtheirfamilies,despitethe

challengesofnegotiatingthebenefitssystem.2.aswomenwithinthecommunity,thishassentanimportantmessagethatitisnotjust

thementhatcangetjobs,womencanbethebreadwinnerstoo.3.TherehasbeenahugeimprovementintheirEnglish,andwithit,theirconfidencein

speakingtonon-SNS.4.Withourhelp,AbeerandHayat,inconversationwithotherSNSwomen,areexploring

thepotentialofsettingupacateringcooperative.Thebigbarriertheyfaceisthatthepotentialrewardofasuccessfulcompany(thatwouldtaketimetodevelop)isoffsetbytheimmediateimpactonbenefits(JSAinparticular);atrade-offthatthewomen,asheadsoffamilyhousehold,cannotaffordtorisk.Wewouldliketohelpthesewomenfindawaythroughtheseobstaclesinordertolettheirskillsandambitionsfindproductiveoutlet.

Communityconsultations:TheconsultationwiththeSNScommunityincludedpresentingourprojectattheAmalProjectAGM,visitingfamiliesintheirhomes,runningaworkshopaimedspecificallyattrainingopportunitiesandconductingtheskillsaudittounderstandthediversityofskillsthatindividualsinthecommunitypossessedandwhattrainingwouldbemostusefulforthem.Theseconversationswerekeytounderstandingpeople'sneedsandpriorities:language,jobsandstartingbusinesses,andopportunitiestosocialiseandlearnaboutlocalcultureandinstitutions.Theseshapedtheprogrammewedevelopedaroundthecafe:● aseriesofstorytellingandfoodworkshopsthatopenedaspaceforSNSwomenand

childrentosocialisewithwomenandchildrenfromHuntly


● weeklyEnglishintheWildclassestakingEnglishlessonsoutintoreal-lifesituationsaroundtowninInverurie,everyweek(barringsnowstorms)inJanuary,FebruaryandMarch.

● Aseriesofworkshopsrun,incollaborationwiththeFashionandTextilesdepartmentatGraysSchoolofArt,todesignandmakewintercoats.

Atthesametime,theprojectrananongoingconsultationwiththelocalcommunityinHuntly.TheNo.11CafeprovidedaninformalspaceofconversationanddiscussionaroundfoodandthefutureofHuntlytowncentrethatbuildsonJacquesCoetzer’scommunityconsultation:shopsclosing,lackoffoodchoice,lackofinformalspacestomeet,difficultoffindingjobs.Wealsoheldaseriesofmoreformalmeetingswithlocalorganizations,governmentandthirdsectortofindouttheworktheyarecurrentlyengagedinandpossibilitiesforcollaboration.Whatwelearnt1. Thereisacleardemandfortasty,healthyfoodinHuntly.Thisisthebasisfor

expandingtheCafeproject,developingbothmenuandvenue,withtheaimofestablishingasustainablesocialenterprisebytheendoftheproject.

2. ThemainconstraintwefacedhasbeentheminimalismofthekitchenatNo.11GordonStreet.Despitethemanyemptyshops,therearenobetterkitchenpremisesimmediatelyavailable.TheongoingHuntlyHeartprojectaimstosecureaspaceinthetownsquareandincludesdevelopingthespacetoincludeasuitablekitchen.Untilthisisfinalisedweproposeatwo-prongedapproachfordevelopingtheproject:firstly,toworkwithEnvironmentalHealthtodevelopthekitchenatNo.11asmuchaspossiblewithinexistingplanningpermits.Secondly,makethebestuseofexisting,andunder-used,commercialkitchenspaceinHuntly.

3. Localresidentshavebeenoverwhelminglyhappytoseeanemptyshopoccupiedandputtogooduse.Manyexpressedtheirhappinessatfindinganinformal,friendlyplacetohaveacupoftea,meetpeopleandjoinworkshops.Parentswithbabies/toddlers,elderlyandyoungunemployedfolkwerefrequentvisitors,makinguseofthecafeasacommunityspacewheretheydidnotfeelapressuretoleavewhentheirteawasfinishedornormadetofeelembarrassedaboutthenoisetheirchildrenweremaking.Thisfunctionasacommunityspaceisintegraltothedevelopingproject,providingaresourcetobehiredatlow-costtoindividualsandgroupsandhostingacuratedprogrammeofeventsandworkshops.

4. TheCafeprovidedareallyinterestingspaceforculturalexchange,mostoftenfacilitatedbyfood.Thiswasintegrationatthegranularscale,negotiatedbythesometimesawkward,sometimeshilarious,understandingsandmisunderstandingbetweendifferentindividuals.Initsmodestway,theprojecthassupportedtheScottishGovernment’sgoalsonculturalintegrationandtheprojectaimstokeepanddevelopthispersonalfocus.

5. OurconsultationwiththeSNScommunityemphasisedtheurgentneedforopportunitiestolearnEnglish,learnskillstosupporteducationandemployability,andpaidwork.Thetraineeshipengagedpositivelywithalltheseneeds,andthisprojectaimstobuildonthissuccess.


6. Alliedtothis,continuedsupportoftraineesintosustainableemploymentorfindingwaysofestablishingaviablecooperativecateringbusinessthatcouldsupportthemdespitethelossofbenefitincome.

7. InourconsultationwithlocalcommunityinHuntly,inparticularwithStuartCaddellwhorunstheGordonSchool’sDevelopingtheYoungWorkforceprogramme,itquicklyemergedthatopportunitiesformeaningfulworkexperienceandapprenticeshipsarefewandfarbetween,andthereexistsastrongrationaleforexpandingourtraineeshipstoincludestudentsandleaversfromtheschool,aswellpeoplecurrentlyoutofworkreferredtousbyourpartnersatNetworksofWellbeingandGordonRuralAction.


AppendixDHuntly/Visionfor2030-ConsultationSummary

The first stage of the Room to Thrive (Vision 2030) project looked to set a benchmarkofwhereHuntly istoday.Todothisacampaignwascreatedaskingpeopletotakepart inanexercise asking How’s Huntly? The How’s Huntly consultation process undertaken by IceCreamArchitectsaskedpeople togivea ratingon14different areasof life andactivity inthe town. 738 responded and theaverage ratings on a scale between 1 (lots to improve)and7(it’sgreat).There were three approaches to collecting data through the How’s Huntly? exercise:workshops facilitated by the Project Team, exercises facilitated by organisations withinHuntly Town Team, and a campaign encouraging individuals to complete on their own.Digital completion was encouraged via the project website, www.huntly.town. A paperworksheetwas alsoproduced (including a largeprint version). Posters, flyers andphysicalworksheets were distributed around the town, as well as being available at three returnpoints in the Stewart’s Hall, Largue Pharmacy (Gordon Street), and Huntly Asda (StevenRoad).Thiswasalsosupportedbylocalpresscoverageandadvertisingonsocialmedia.Theresponse rate of almost 30% demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach, and isindicativeofthelevelofinterestintheprocess.

A Place Standard diagram was created from the responses (above) as well as acomprehensivereportdetailingtheresponsetoeachquestion,ofwhichtheextractbelowisanillustration.


How’sHuntly:Results;IceCreamArchitects,2018

AppendixECommunityResponse–UsesofSquareDealChildFriendlycafé,somethinglikePlaytowninInverurieCafé/bar/bookshopCaféwithgoodcoffeeorfilmtheatreAcaféCommunitycafé,arts/workshopspaceDropincafé&mediaspaceCinema/caféCafé/artsspace/neosvenue/workshopsCaféCoffee/cakeCafé/GalleryCraftshop/caféCoffeeshop&craft/potteryshopCommunityCaféAcommunitycafé,artspace,venue,projectareatobringtownspeopletogetherNicecosycaféwithsmallplayareaCaféandneworbs’bookshopwithwriting&artworkshopsTearoom/homemadesconesCommunitycaféEvening/teatimecaféCommunitycoffee&gift–familyfriendlyEveningcafé/loungespotNicecoffee/giftshopopenlate.Somewheretogothat’snotapubCommunityhubspaceCafé/barMixedcultural/arts/artists/craftscommunalcaféCommunitylivingroomCommunitycafé(eveningstoo)Communitycafé/arts/craftsworkshopscommunityspace/giftshopMulti-useartsspace&accommodation/caféCoffeeshop!!☺ 7-10amHipstercoffee,10am–5pmfood/canteen,5–10pmgigvenue,10.30chips.Communitycafé/artistsspace/workshopspaceCaféwithpopupspaceWhisky&books&tea!Café&nicegardenSkillsharingcaféPROPERCOFFEESHOPSummerteasingarden

Communitycaféwitheveningtimeavailableforlivemusic&artexhibitionsPets/catcaféCaféwithseatsoutsideNicecoffeeshopwithsomeartsandcraftsCoffeeandcake,niceplacetohavebrunchetc.CaféopeneveningDessertshop!(crepes,shakes,etc.)somethingfunforall.CommunityhubCommunityProducecaféHeartwarmingfood&goodchatShoeShopBookshop&coffeeshopWorkandstudyspacewithcoffee&cakeCommunalpublicspaceforfood&drinkYOUNGPERSONS’SPACE:YouthcaféYoungpeople’sdropincentreDropincafé&recycledrecordshopforyoungpeopleLGBTQ+hangoutzonefeat.RainbowsCommunitybuyoutplaceforteenagerstomeetanddiscussandperformChildgroupdropincafé/craftunitDropinyouthcaféAlovelyspacefortheyoungmusiciansinthecommunitytogettogetherYouthclubCHILDRENS’SPACE:Softplay&caféSoftplaySoftplaySoftplaySoftplaySoftplay&caféSoftplayareaPlayareaIndoorchildren’splayareaTravellingfilmshowsforkidsWorkshopsforkids,bbqingardenKidsbakingDinosaurToyshopARTSPACE:Arts&craftshopArtists’centre,lotsofplantersoutside!ArtGalleryArtclasses,PAINTING!!

BuildanartscentreArtistsstudiosWorkshopspaceforartists/craftsCentreforresidentialartscoursesArts/craftscentreholdingworkshops&trainingSavetheworldwithartAgalleryforlocalartists–aspaceforthemtoorganiseeventstobroadcasttheirworkArtistsstudiospaceAcraftplacewhereyoucanbuycraftandmakecraftsArtgalleryArtclasses:painting,weaving,potteryExhibitionspaceforlocalartistsAmakers’space,localartists&makers,I.TcreativesAnythingartandculturallyrelated,artcaféRETAIL/SOCIALENTERPRISE:PetshopCraftshop–alsobringinothercrafters-differentworkshopclassesZero-wastewholefoodstorePopupshopCraftshopKnitwear/textilescommunityshop,localstuffCommunitycraftshopDiscountstoreagainBakeryGardeningshopOrbsbookshop&GeorgeMacdonaldmuseumPopupshops–localbusiness/localcraftsUsetosellsurplusveg/stuffgrownatschoolBakeryLocalcraftpopupshopMusicshop,gardenshopWaspstudio&coopshopsellinglocalproductsMovethebikeshack&bikehereintotownBuy/exchange/sell.Zerowastesho.SkillsstoremeetingFleamarketsAcommunitygardencentrefornicehouseplantsTheHuntlyapplepressservinglocalapplejuice&craftciders(thenextBrewDog)FancybakeryBikeworkshopPetshop

PERFORMINGARTS:Communityrunsocialspaceforceilidhs/workshopsLocalmusicMusicclubLivemusicsessionsforeverybodywholikestojoininLivemusicvenueDrum,dance&musicdays/evenings(bellydance!)LocalmusicOTHER:FossilcentreCinemaCinemaCafé/cinema/galleryCommunityeducation&languagesHolistichealthcentreCookeryclasses,bakingclassesAccomforcommunityprojectartists&internsTherapeuticpetworkshopRemakeryMultiuse–it’ssoversatile:cinemanights,talks,workshops,pop-ups.Goodluck!CommunityprojectuseBowlingalleyHolidayflatsupstairs,affordablecaféspacewhichisabletobeusedforfilms,meetings,musicvenue,comedystoreetc.uselocalproduceGardeningclub&herbalmedicine.Culturalexchange


AppendixFIndicativeProgrammeofActivityDeveronProjects2019/20

Event Frequency Theme/Focus Demographic/Group Notes

RegularProgrammebyDPstaff

HOME FridayLunchtalks WeeklyFridays Food/Communityinterest

Mixed

HOME FoodChain Food/Community/InternationalCulture/Migration/Skillshare

Mixed/multi-cultural MonthlyfirstMondayeveninginmonth

HOME/TITG FilmScreenings Monthly Resilience/SustainableGlobalConnections

Community-led

TGSLGBTQ+&Alliesclubcoffeemorning

Annual

LGBTQ+awareness

LGBTQ+community&allies

TownistheGarden(TITG)

SeedSwap Seasonal GrowingFood Mixed

Preservingworkshops

Skillshare/GrowingFood/Foraging/Resilience

TITG/Community-led Adhoc/Seasonal

(monthly?)


TITG SN-SFbreakfastreading

groupFortnightly Resilience/Climate Interestedinclimate

issues;academic

HOME FarmersMarketSeasonalCafé

Monthly Local/FoodCulture Couldfunctionasextensiontoourstall-baseddiscursiveactivities?

TITG Weekendworkshops Monthly Growing/Skillshare/Food/Ecology/Activism

People interested ingardening, growing,climate issues, foodpoverty…

WalkingInstitute

*BasecampCafé

Monthly

Walking/Local

Post-walktea,cake&discussion

WalkingInstitute SlowMarathon annual Pathmakers’gathering Long-distancewalkers

Community-led

ExtinctionRebellionHuntlyGroupmeetings

Monthly?

Climate/Resilience/Activism

[Juststartingupnextweek]

HOME DoricClasses Weeklyforseasonalblocks

LocalCulture/Language


HOME LanguageCafe Weeklylanguage

exchangeamonglocallybasedfolks

Language/Culture Migrants/Locals

HOME *Meals&Moviesnights Weeklyduringsummerholidays

Food/Culture/YoungPeople

*RecycledGroovesrecordswapshop&DJingbooth

Recycling/reusing/Skillshare/Young

HOME Monthly?Casualdrop-

in?

HOME RemadeinHuntlyremakery

Monthly?/Weeklydrop-in?

Skillshare/Recycling/reusing/WasteReduction

Community-led

[Meetingplace]

Community/Social

Aplaceforcommunitygroupstoholdtheirmeetings&activities,fromHuntlyYouthPlatform,toLEAPmother&toddlergroup,toWomen’sInstitutegroups

Weekly/Monthly/Adhoc


HOME/Community-led *Icandothat!

Employability/JobCentreoutreach

Monthly? Skillshare/Employability/Community

Unemployed

Artistic Artisttalkwithcurrentartist

monthly [Themeswithincurrentproject]

Placeformeetingsandeventsbetweenartistinresidenceandcommunity.

HOME *Autism&DisabilityAwarenessTraining

2-3sessions Access/Equality/Inclusion

Localbusinesses&community

Simple,affordable(cheap)meals:coffee,cake,soup

Access/Equality/Inclusion/Diversity

FundingdependentNeepsandOkraCafe 5daysaweek;average5hours

SNS/locals/visitors

HuntlyHeritageBakeryandCookshop

Productionofqualitybreadandlocalheritagefoodrange

Daily5daysaweekfromJuneforoneyear

Fundingdependent

CuratedProgrammewithvisitingartists/makers

ChristineBorland projectonHuntly’slinenindustry

3yearongoingprojectfromseedtocloth

Growing,spinning,heritage,weaving

Growers,spinners,weavers

RSAfunded


GabrieleKonsor Partnerlookproject

withGermanruraltownandartorganisation

2yearsongoing IdentifywaysofcooperatingwithruralEUpost-Brexitthroughdesign;Making,crafting

LocalCrafters,fashion,designers

BritishCouncilfunded

PoliticsofSmallPlaces Phdproject 3.5yearsfromSept investigatingcommunityplanningthroughPatrickGeddes’lense

Academics,townplanners,HDDT

SGSAHfunded

DavidWard,composer

Operacommissioninvolvinglocalmusiciansandsingers

Ongoingfor6months

OperadepictingBrexitscenario

Localmusiciansandsingers

ElaOrleans,musician LunarOdysseymusicfilmcommission

Oct2019 ConferenceonSoundscaping

Localmusicians,academictourists

SGSAHandAberdeenshireCouncilfunded

ThinkerinResidence

Variouscommissionsonlocalthemes

8x2weeksperannum

SGSAHfundedAcademicswithlocallyrelevantinterestsinvolvinglocalpeople

Appendix G 22-23 The Square,Huntly- Valuation (page 1and 2}

Full valuation available on request

SHEPHERD CHARTERE 0 SURVEYORS

VALUATION REPORT

22 - 23 The Square

HUNTLY AB54 8BR

Client: Deveron Projects

Date of Valuation: 18 Februa ry 2019

l &. E Shepherd, Chartered Surveyors,35 Queens Road,Aberdeen • Tel: 01224 202800 • DX 556004 Aberdeen 30 • Email: [email protected]

Heart Business page

Deveron Projects 22 - 23 The Square,Huntly, AB54 8BR

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Property Address

Type of Property

Purpose of Valuation

Date of Inspection

Date of Valuation

Basis of Value

Location

Description

Tenure

Interest Valued

Tenancies

Market Rent

Market Value (Vacant Possession)

Special Valuation Assumptions

22 - 23 The Square,Huntly,AB54 8BR

Retali uni t.

Potential acquisi tion. 18 February 2019 18 February 2019

Market Rent and Market Value with vacant possession.

The subjects are located within the heart of Huntl y

town centre. The subjects comprise a ground floor retail unit with storage at the rear and residential premises above over two storeys. Heritable (Scottish equi valent of English

Freehold). Heritable.

None. Retail - £9,500 per annum. Residential - £650 per calendar month. Retail - £90,000. Residential £170, 000. When arriving at our valuation we have assumed vacant possession and taken no account of any occupier in situ. We have assumed that there are no defects pertaining to the property which would have an adverse effect on the values reported herein. We have, in line with RICS Red Book Guidance, assumed a wilil ng purchaser would be available in the market to secure a disposal wi thin a reasonable timeframe. We have assumed that a proactive and extended marketing period,together with flexibility on rent/price and incentives would be available in order to aid a disposal. We have assumed that the residential and retail elements would be sold separately.

This summary is intended for quick reference purposes only and must be considered within the context of this entire report.

2


AppendixHDeveronProjects–CurrentBoardMembership

TheBoard,below,waselectedattheAGMofDeveronProjectsinNovember2018.

Name Profession Expertise/Skills

Yunior Aguiar, Chair Artist/Lecturer, Perth College Visual Arts, International working, Ethnic diversity

Stephen Brown Forester/Piper Environment, Traditional music, Community

Pauline Burmann, EU Representative

Specialist in African Art and Chairperson of The Thami Mnyele Foundation

Visual Arts, Research, Art Education, African Art, Curation, International working

Camilla Crosta Freelance Curator and Producer Curation, International Working, Socially Engaged Art

Iain Irving Independent Curator/Former Lecturer, Gray’s School of Art

Visual Arts

Alan Macpherson Artist/Lecturer, University of Aberdeen Visual Arts, Education, Public Space

Tracy Mackenna Artist/Lecturer, DJCAD Visual Arts, Writing, Research, Education

Kevin McIntosh Teacher, The Gordon Schools Secondary education, Photography

Christine Sell Photographer and Retired Teacher, Gordon Primary School

Community, Photography

Michael Whittall, Treasurer Independent VAT consultant Accountancy, Trumpeter, Furniture maker

Jason Williamson, Secretary Exhibition Manager, Aberdeen Art Gallery

Visual Arts

Chantelle Thomson Pupil, The Gordon Schools Young People’s Representation

Chloe Kift Pupil, The Gordon Schools Young People’s Representation

Our board representation focuses on our key goals: community and culture. As such wehavealltheartformsrepresented.Wehavealsobothschoolsandhighereducationrepresented,aswellasLGBTandethnicdiversity.AVATconsultant-highlyqualified-isourtreasurer.Regardingmorespecificskillswehave:

1.HumanRelations:LynnRutteranHRspecialist-whoisavoluntaryadvisor


2.Legal Advice we get from thehttp://www.culturalenterpriseoffice.co.uk/; the firstconsultation isataveryreducedrate.Moredetailedsupport (whichweso faronlyneededonce todevelopourartist contract) isofferedat very reduced rate.This ismuchmorepreferableforusthatworkingwithalocallawyer,whomainlywouldbeexperiencedinrealestate.

3.Funding:wehavetheskills inhouse(OurDirectorranafundraisingconsultancyformanyyears:www.finefunds.co.uk).

4.MediaandPublicity:weareengagingLesleyBoothhttp://www.gsa.ac.uk/about-gsa/our-people/our-staff/b/booth-lesley/who is a very experienced PR consultant;herfeeispartofourannualsupportfromCreativeScotland.

5.Anyotherexpertsupportwouldbehiredasandwhenneeded.


AppendixIDeveronProjects–AnnualAccounts2017-18

Heart Business Plan page

Artsi ts' s

50 Artsi s

Artists'

5

Marketing

3

Cultural heakh ss

6 10 10

Staffing costs

Office s Office costs- s and Office costs -

uuni:lletl in Accountancy f\fiO finn

Restr Total

Fixed assets Tangible assets

(Note 8) 802

F01 F02 F03

Totallast year

£ F04 F05

6461 - I - I 6461 8081

Current assets

Total fixed assets 805 646: ., 646 808

Debtors (Note 9) 807

Cash at bank and in hand (Note 11) Bo9

Total current assets s1o

Creditors:amounts falling due within one year (Note 10) s11

66

0 I

10.450 I

11.11o I 4.270 I Net current assetsl(liabilities) 812

Total assets less current liabilities 813

35,144 1 61,587 1 96,731 68,540 I 3s.79o 1 61,587 1 97.377 1 69,3481

Creditors:amounts falling due after one year Provisions for liabilities

Total net assets or liabilities

Funds of the Charity

814

815 816

- I 35.790 I 61,587 97,377 I 69.3481

:ndowment funds 817 - l estricted

Jnrestricted funds (Note 12)

B18 819 820

f;l 1

J 61,586 J l 35,791J

rt..- ------ -·- ·-

Expenditure on charitable acti vi ties

Total funds B22 l 35,791_1 61 _1 -

Depreciation Totalexpendi ture on ehtwi" table activitil!s

223 121


Type PE, EE

R or UR

and

ba

R Pro·ect 36 -39

R Core

ew R Soecific

R Soecific R Soecific

WI'Vtewood R o<oiecl

R Soecific

Shadow R Soecific

(to Crea1ive R o<oiecl

Garden - R Soecific A R Soecific

R Specific o<oiecl

R Soecific Other R Mise

Esmee R Management costs

R No no 16

Type EE

R or UR

and

Cteative R Project

R Core ew R Soecific

R R

WI'Vtewood R Soecific 7 R

Shadow R R Soecific

Other

R small

Esmee

R

Management costs

R No na

12.1 Details of materjoa.l funds held and movements during the CURRENT report ng period •Key: PE- permanent endowment funds; EE- expenda.ble endowment funds; R- restricted income funds,including special trusts,of the c-harity; and U- unrestricted funds

TotalFunds as per balance sheet

12.2 Details of material funds held and movements during the PREVIOUS repor t ng period

•Key: PE- permanent endowment funds; EE- expenda.ble endowment funds; R- restricted income funds,including special trusts,of the c-harity; and U- unrestricted fund6

TotalFunds as per balance sheet

Supported 01466

ScottiShCharit'{SC043353 VAT org Scottish

Appendix J Letters of Support- Aberdeenshire Council,HDDT, Community Council,Gordon Schools

Huntly

Gemma Campbell Senior Development Manager Community Assets Team Highlands and Islands Enterprise An lochran,Inverness Campus, Inverness IV2 SNA

28'h February 2019

Dear Gemma,

Deveron Projects,"Huntly Heart",Square Deal, The Square,Huntly

On behalf of Huntly and District Development Trust {HDDT),Iam writing to offer our support to Deveron Projects in their bid to purchase one of the long-empty properties in Huntly town centre through the support of the Scottish land Fund and create the "Huntly Heart" facility.

Having worked closely with Deveron Projects and other localstakeholders in Huntly's Town Team over the past twelve months,Ican confirm the need for immediate and meaningful intervention in Huntly's town square.This is underlined by the conclusions of the 'Huntly Room to Thrive' strategy which identifies reviving Huntly town centre as the community's priority.The closure of multiple localbusinesses and service providers around Huntly in recent years has left a gap needing new models and ideas for 21st century uses of our historic town centre. The strategy also identifies that community ownership of empty buildings is likely to be the best way to turn things around.

The Huntly Heart project is of significant interest to HDDT as it complements our own work to regenerate the town centre. As you'll know the Scottish and Fund recently awarded HDDT a grant towards purchase of the former RBS building on the Square to create the Huntly Hive small business co-working space.These first steps to demonstrate tangible delivery of the Huntly strategy are totally aligned and will hopefully encourage others to come forward and play their part in transforming the fortunes of our town centre.

Deveron Projects is a unique asset to our localcommunity,always looking for new and innovative ways to explore,question,and celebrate our town's rich environment,community and heritage- connecting our place with its past while simultaneously looking towards its future. The Huntly Heart project will help maintain and enhance their delivery.HDDT fully supports them in their efforts.

Yours sincerely,

Donald Boyd GeneralManager

5udding a resliient,inclusive and enterprising community

";,,ri•• ·

Whiteleys

Drumblade

Huntly

Aberdeenshire

AB544AA

22.2.19

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are writing to you to express our strong support for the Heritage Bakery planned by Deveron Projects.Huntly has suffered greatly in recent years due to the closures of more than half the businesses in the town centre, with two more closed in 2019 - and it's only February.Our town square looks neglected and visitors are not as attracted to the town as they were.Despite extensive attempts,we have not managed to attract many new businesses to the prominent,empty buildings in Huntly.

The Square Deal building has been empty,up for sale and an eyesore for many years,giving the town square a dilapidated and neglected look.Local morale,investment and wellbeing would be increased by seeing these buildings return to use and social enterprises seem to be the only chance of this.Deveron Projects are not planning to be in competition with other cafes,and are offering a community space and emphasising the history of Huntly.

This project has a great dealof support in the local community and people are delighted and heartened by the possibility of this building thriving again,and showing us as a thriving town.I hope you will seriously consider supporting this project,which will significantly benefit the local community.

Yours faithfully,

Kelly Gatenby

Secretary -Huntly Community Council

Huntly Heart Business Plan - page 99

Aberdeenshire CO UN C IL

Our Ref: JC/LM Your Ret Jlntltt Clllk.

Nfi Min.i!llf Mil'f Date:27 February 2019

Please ask for: Janelle Clark Direct Dial: 01467 536421

Marr Area omce SChOOl Road

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If you have difficulty reading this document pl ease contact

Linda Milne on 01467 536421

Dear Sir/Madam

OEVERON PROJECTS SLF APPLICATION - HUNTLY HEART.

On behalf of Aberdeenshire Council and as chair of Huntly Town Team Iam wrrting to express support for llle application by Deveron Projects to the Scottish Land Fund towards a project which will create a community asset for the Town.

The Huntly Town Team (HTI) is a multi-stakeholder group which brtngs togelller a range of community organisations and public sector partners with an interest in Huntly and District. The HTT has been undertaken Huntly's Room to Thrive" project over llle last eight months. This hasinvolved several stages including a Place Standard exercise. with almost 800 participants,on 'How's Huntly?'and creation of an online Ideas Bank. The HTIare now finalising a strategy for regenerat on of Huntly over the next 12 years or so.

One key element identified is to address the increasing number empty shops in the town centre. This project will create a space In the centre of the town that brings an existing IJuilding back into active public use,improves the amenity of the town generally, and provides an appropriate base for a number of activrt es. The project will also broadly support the other activities in relation to regeneration and social enterprise.

Aberdeenshire Councli fully supports this approach and looks forward to seeing the benefits it will bring to the community and town.

Page 1 of 2

To reiterate Aberdeenshlre Council woudl like to support this application and would IJe happy to be contacted should any further information be requried.

Yours faithfully

Janelle Clark AREA MANAGER (MARR)

-page 100


HUNTLY COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Stewarts Hall 19 Gordon Street

Huntly Aberdeenshire

AB54 8AJ

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are writing to you to express our strong support for the Heritage Bakery planned by Deveron Projects. Huntly has suffered greatly in recent years due to the closures of more than half the businesses in the town centre, with two more closed in 2019 -and it's only February. Our town square looks neglected and visitors are not as attracted to the town as they were. Despite extensive attempts, we have not managed to attract many new businesses to the prominent, empty buildings in Huntly.

The Square Deal building has been empty, up for sale and an eyesore for many years, giving the town sq uare a dilapidated and neglected look. Local morale, investmen t and well being wou ld be increased by seeing these bu ildings retum to use and social enterprises seem to be the only chance of this. Deveron Projects are not plann ing to be in competition with other cafes, and are offering a community space and emphasising the history of Huntly.

This project has a great deal of support in the local community and people are delighted and heartened by the possibil ity of this bui lding thriving again, and showing us as a thriving town. I hope you will seriously consider suppotting this project, wh ich will significantly benefit the local community.

Yours faithfully,

Kelly Gatenby Secretary -Huntly Community Council


NORTH EAST Developingthe Young Workforce

15 March 2019

To Whom it may concern

Deveron Projects Heritage Bakery and Cookshop Project

Deveron Projects are an integral part of the Huntly community and have worked in partnership for a number of years with The Gordon Schools Huntly to develop a young vocational workforce in their town. This team and the staff of The Gordon Schools Huntly value this partnership and look forward to the activity they have in plan over the next year including:

Project work, work experience,curricular inputs in subjects including geography, modem studies, languages and workshops to develop employment and life skills.

They also support one pupil on an extended work placement and have two pupils who are young board members and Deveron Projects are clearly invested in the young people in this area.

We are sure that the possibility of additional training opportunities for pupils in bakery, cooking and enterprise would be a welcome addition to the support they already offer the school.

We would like to offer our support to Deveron Projects bid to run a Heritage Bakery and Cookshop in line with their project plan.

Mary Holland Director Developing the Young Workforce North East

tcf - huntly heart - business plan

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