This year's Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS) conference held in early June highlighted some of the opportunities and challenges of transferring assets to community management and ownership.

Alasdair McKinley, the Scottish Government's community engagement team leader, highlighted the opportunities presented by the Asset Transfer Programme which forms part of the community empowerment action plan (see our previous article).  Some of these will be taken forward by DTAS, who have recently been awarded a £250,000 grant to run a two year programme promoting asset transfer from local authorities. This programme will:

• research current good practice in asset transfer;
• deliver a series of seminars aimed at councillors, local authority officers and community organisations, and;
• support a number of demonstration asset transfers.

DTAS also gave a sneak preview of the new DVD resource which aims to inspire communities to take the leap of faith into community ownership. The DVD shines a light on development trusts from Comrie and Westray and lets the people involved do the talking.  It's definitely worth watching.

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