Scotland: National Rural NetworkVisit date: Wednesday 6th April 2011
Glenkens Community & Arts Trust (GCAT) was established in 2001 and is the umbrella organisation responsible for the management and delivery of a range of services at The CatStrand Arts and Community Centre, which opened in 2007.
The CatStrand is in the town of New Galloway in the Glenkens, set in the heart of Dumfries and Galloway between Ayr and Dumfries.
The original aim of GCAT was to develop an old derelict primary school into a local community hub. Now an established community resource, GCAT's vision for The CatStrand is to enhance and enrich the lives of people in the Glenkens through a range of initiatives and activities. The main aims are to:
The CatStrand's Going for Growth project started in 2009. Inspired by the initial success of The CatStrand it specifically aims to increase the numbers of visitors to the centre and further improve its sustainability.
The CatStrand is a contemporary, state-of-the-art community venue. Its facilities include:
Throughout The CatStrand, GCAT delivers arts and cultural events, business and community services and facilities, conferences and training courses, tourism and heritage information and public information resources.
GCAT also offers many volunteering opportunities which develop skills and increase employability in the area, as well as managing the Glenkens Transport Initiative using the community bus, and producing and distributing the Glenkens Gazette for every household in the area.
Since opening, The CatStrand has become a thriving hub for the community and is now recognised as one of the region's most successful community resources, greatly improving social cohesion.
It has established a reputation for being the primary venue in Dumfries and Galloway for touring companies and exhibitions. This has been complemented with high quality programmes of traditional, jazz and classical music and film.
The Going for Growth project has resulted in the development of new resources and the recruitment of a dedicated marketing assistant, driving forward new marketing and communications initiatives and increasing business for the enterprise. In the last 12 months The CatStrand has welcomed over 20,000 people through its doors!
For the Going for Growth project the key challenge is maintaining growth during the current economic climate. Whilst a significant increase in visitor numbers has been recorded and resulted in growing craft sales, there has been a greater challenge in attempting to increase venue hire for meetings and conferences.
GCAT currently has over 80 volunteers who commit their time to support The CatStrand and are vital to its success. GCAT are developing a volunteer programme, led by a Volunteer Coordinator and focusing on:
Increasing opportunities for young people
The CatStrand will always require a level of grant funding but is also developing its own income generation through services such as venue hire, the craft shop and cafe, all contributing towards future sustainability. Work is completed according to a fundraising plan which targets funders to support the diverse project and enable it to continue long into the future.
Developing innovative ways of working so that The CatStrand can become even more accessible (e.g. digital development)
You can find out more about what GCAT and The CatStrand are doing by visiting their website
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