Mount Stuart Trust Launches Community Engagement Plan
Mount Stuart Trust has today launched its community engagement plan following extensive consultation with the local community on Bute.
In Spring 2022, Mount Stuart Trust invited individuals and businesses from across the Bute community to participate in a survey and share their views of the Trust, its operations, aims and objectives and how they wished to engage with the Trust in the future.
The survey received 85 responses, with over 90% expressing an interest in more community engagement from the Trust and over 60% suggesting they would like to know more about the Trust and its operations.
In addition to the survey, one-to-one conversations were held with representatives from across the community to discuss in detail how the community would like to communicate with decision-makers at the Trust.
Following the survey, the Trustees appointed Fiona Hardie as Business and Community Liaison Officer to lead community engagement across the charity and act as a key point of contact for community members. Fiona worked with third-party consultant Lucy Laidlaw Communication to develop the strategy, which can be found in full on the Mount Stuart website.
The plan is broken into two sections; activity the Trust will undertake as ‘business as usual’ and activity the Trust will undertake during periods of change.
These will include:
- Introduction of a digital newsletter for the community
- Bi-Annual Community Forums
- Annual Information Day
- Ongoing engagement with schools
- Updates to the website
Fiona Hardie, Community Liaison Officer, Mount Stuart Trust, said:
“We were delighted to receive such a positive response to our survey and have taken time to digest the thoughts and views shared by all those who took part. The result is a community engagement plan that we believe fits the wants and needs of those who live and work on the Isle of Bute.
“We are committed to working with the community to ensure a positive ongoing dialogue on all our operations. We look forward to working with the many individuals, businesses and groups that share our passion for the island. This is an ongoing process, and we welcome any feedback on the commitments we have made.”
Fiona Hardie and Harry Bowman, Head of Rural Operations at Mount Stuart Trust, will attend the Bute Community Council meeting on 15 March 2023 to discuss the community engagement plan.
ENDS
For more information, contact:
Lucy Laidlaw
07834228951
Lucy@Lucylaidlaw.co.uk
About The Mount Stuart Trust
The Mount Stuart Trust is a Charitable Trust managed by a board of independent Trustees, which works to facilitate public interest, understanding and appreciation of the arts, architecture and the rural environment.
The Trust manages and maintains a series of assets across the Island of Bute, including Mount Stuart House and gardens, 36 farms, 100 residential properties, 1447 hectares acres of woodland and approximately 21 commercial properties, including golf courses, bowling greens, fishing and gaming leases.
All funds generated through its operations are reinvested into the Trust to ensure a long-term sustainable future that continues to create economic value for the Island of Bute through employment, tourism revenue, housing and much more.
Details of the Trust’s aims and objectives, trustees, projects and operations team can be found at www.mountstuart.com. The website also provides information on how to contact key members of the Trust’s operational team.
The Trust is in the process of completing voluntary registration of all its land holdings with Registers of Scotland; as soon as this exercise is complete, this information will also be shared on the website.