
The development trust adopted its current business plan (pdf) in August 2005.
Via the plan the Trust aimed to:
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Work to ensure trustees understand and are fully engaged with its work by developing a welcome pack for new trustees, working through project management committees, and establishing a trustees contract. |
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Improve methods of consultation with the wider community to provide more opportunities for input into its plans. |
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Re-consider the area that it works in and develop a strategic plan to take over from the market town action plan. |
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Establish the legal structures appropriate for it to expand social enterprise activities, either a trading arm or a community-interest company. |
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Improve staffing, financial and operational procedures by developing formal training plans, agreed financial procedures and a financial reserves policy. |
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Consolidate training and youth provision at the community resource centre. |
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Develop business support projects as social enterprises (book-keeping, business club, incubator units). |
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Develop tourism projects as social enterprises (marketing, website, festival, branded goods, food) |
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Conduct feasibility studies and, if viable, develop green businesses as social enterprises (renewable energy, recycling). |
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Continue to support environmental improvements (footpaths, village orderly, retail area improvements). |
Key achievements in delivering this plan include:
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The creation of Seahouses Development Company Limited as a subsidiary company of the development trust and separation of our main business activities to the company. It started trading on 1 April 2007. |
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Seahouses Accountancy Services has continued to grow and grants have allowed us to employ three members of staff for the service. |
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The Trust has reached agreement to become the corporate trustee for the charity running the Seahouses Community Hub. This will allow us to improve management of the existing building and continue our work to redevelop the site. A lease on land adjacent to the site is being negotiated with the borough council. |
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Support from the Lankelly-Chase Foundation has enabled us to investigate potential social enterprise ideas at the Community Hub. Our long-term aim is to use the building as a premises for the majority of our social enterprises. |
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Funding from the Big Lottery Fund is allowing us to undertake improvements to Seahouses Community Resource Centre creating much needed office space and meeting rooms. Our work supporting businesses, voluntary groups and individuals at the Centre is also being supported. |
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Funding from the Leader+ and Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled us to re-vitalise and sustain the Seahouses Festival and we have a long-term aim of creating a high profile, high quality, regionally significant event. |
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The Trust now employs five full-time and five part-time members of staff. Terms and conditions of employment and processes for staff training have been updated to reflect this growth |
A copy of the executive summary can be downloaded here
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