ABOUT US
WHAT IS DÒCHAS?
Dòchas was established as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation in March 2022, following a decision by the The Applecross Forum to establish an incorporated body to hold, manage and distribute community funds.
The Applecross Forum was set up in 2017 primarily to improve communications between Applecross Trust and the community and encourages inputs from all who have an interest in the Peninsula . The Applecross Forum has proven to be a beneficial community development which facilitates regular and ongoing communication between all stakeholders in Applecross. Such a Forum, believed to be innovative in the Highland context, provides a completely open platform for dialogue with the Applecross Trust in which all members of our Community will be welcome to take part.
Early meetings established that funds from the local Hydro project would be made available to the community, and soon after the Trust proposed to transfer the income from the sale of two house sites to the community. This led to much exciting discussion and extensive debate about how the funds could best be held and managed. There was a desire to keep the Forum unencumbered by the rules of incorporation and continue to promote the flexible open and free style of its operation, leading to the formation of Dòchas.
Having agreed to set up a SCIO, four shadow Trustees took forward the work: David Mackie, Tery McCowan, Jon Glover and Fiona Mackenzie and appointed a Solicitor to help with the required advice on the establishment of a Constitution, and the liaison with the Scottish Charitable Regulator (OSCR).
Following the transfer of funds from the Trust to the new Charity in January 2023, the Directors placed a portion of that money in a Community Growth Scheme through Foundation Scotland, and began to prepare for the body to become operational. The first AGM was held in December 2023, and at that time, two addition Trustees, Sue Groocock and Gregor Mackenzie joined the Board. The Trustees have since focused on the appropriate management of the funds, the agreement of a Three Year Strategy to guide decision making and prepare the appropriate documentation to begin to make grants in January 2025.
Dòchas 3 Year Strategy 2024-2027
Introduction
This short paper outlines the approach that the Trustees of Dòchas plan to take in terms of the direction of the organisation over the next three years, and it provides a backdrop to funding decisions that will be taken over this period.
Priorities
The Trustees believe there are three important areas to be considered. Firstly there is the securing of the current fund in the most appropriate way. Secondly there is the question of how the fund can be grown and added to for the future. Thirdly there is the desire to make some allocations from the fund during this timescale in an open and transparent process. These issues are dealt with in turn below:
Management of the fund
The Trustees believe that there is a careful balance to be struck between investing the fund to grow it for the future and having access to funds as required. Accordingly our approach for the next three years is to leave the investment made in Foundation Scotland to grow, to otherwise hold the minimum needed for running costs in an accessible Account, leaving the remainder in a Notice account to be accessed as needed.
Growing the fund
In addition to the growth that the Trustees envisage from current investment, we intend to explore ways in which to attract further income to the Fund. This approach will include examining any new opportunities locally but also searching for opportunities more widely. This latter element may take time to yield results, but the initial investigation and research will start now.
Making allocations from the fund
The Trustees understand that there is interest locally in seeing the fund put to practical use, and accordingly envisage a process whereby there will be an opportunity to apply for funds on an annual basis over the next three years.
The process for application will be clearly set out and publicised before the end of 2024.Allocations will be made in the first quarter of 2025. All applications will have to satisfy a set of criteria which will be included in the application process and all successful applications will demonstrate how they will meet the enabling objectives of the fund as set out in founding documents and attached to this paper.
As part of our approach to funding ,the Trustees envisage a total allocation of £15.000 being made in each of the next three years , £2,500 of which will be for small projects of less than £750. This overall figure has been arrived at by looking at current interest rates and those likely in the future and striking a figure which will maintain the integrity of the bulk of the fund into the future, but ensure that the fund is being put to use.
Conclusion
The approach outlined above will guide Dòchas over the next three years and will be reviewed and updated in 2027. In support of this the Trustees will ensure that communication of the approach and news generally about the organisation is well publicised through local media and our own Facebook Page. Arrangements are being put in place to get the Facebook page in place as soon as possible and if possible the application process may be able to run on line from the 2025 funding cycle.
The purpose of Dochas is to hold and distribute funding within the area of the Applecross peninsula west of the A896 road from Tornapress in the South to the junction with the C1091 road to the north for:- (4.1) the prevention or relief of poverty; (4.2) the advancement of education; (4.3) the advancement of health; (4.4) the saving of lives; (4.5) the advancement of citizenship or community development; (4.6) the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science; (4.7) the advancement of public participation of sport; (4.8) the provision of recreational facilities, or the organisation of recreational facilities, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the persons for whom the facilities or activities are primarily intended; (4.9) the advancement of environmental protection or improvement; (4.10) the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage; (4.11) the advancement of animal welfare and (4.12) for any other purpose that may reasonably be regarded as analogous to any of the preceding purposes.