Dalrymple Community Landscape Project, (Dalrymple, Skeldon and Hollybush Project)
In 2015 Cassillis Estates offered to lease to the community two parcels of land, comprising 6.2 hectares, previously used for grazing of heavy horses. The two areas of land on offer comprise the three fields between the shops, in Barbieston Road, and the River Doon and the four fields behind the Primary School, Hillview, Forglen and Waterside. This latter area is bordered in the north by the Primpton Burn and to the west by the Purclewan Burn.
Following a series of public meetings, held under the auspices of East Ayrshire Council’s Vibrant Communities initiative, a management committee was formed in September 2015 and a constitution agreed to allow us to apply for charitable status to the Scottish Charity Regulator. This was awarded in July 2016.
Stemming from the public meetings it was proposed to construct a community garden with social gathering spaces and children’s play areas in the first field opposite the shops and ultimately an extensive wetland, wild-life habitat for the low-lying ground that is surrounded by the two burns in the second parcel of land. This will have the twin benefits of lowering the water table, thus ameliorating surface run-off during heavy rain, whilst providing a pleasant environment to walk or cycle. There is also the potential for building a pathway between the extensive Primpton housing development and the Primary School creating a safe passage for young children to reach the school and reducing the traffic into the cul-de-sacs of Hillview and Forglen.
To construct the community garden, we enlisted the services of the Central Scotland Green Network (also a charity) who provided the necessary professional guidance including a landscape architect, project management and fund-raising expertise. The cost of the garden was considerable, and the amount raised was through the efforts of CSGN but also the dedicated team that sustained DCLP. The garden was eventually opened in September 2019.
Our aim is to encourage public participation, engender a sense of community pride and to enhance the village environment. Principal amongst our achievements has been the annual three-day festival of Doonfest. Most of the festival is free and ticket entrance to the evening concerts is kept low. The festival was set for its fourth year in 2020 but Covid 19 has of course intervened and all activities have been cancelled.
We have organised a series of concerts (mainly within the Church Hall) which have featured some outstanding performers. One ensemble having performed in Dalrymple the following week was the headline act in Ronnie Scott’s club.
We have also hosted two Flower and Produce Shows and for three years an annual plant sale, pop-up cinemas and in 2020 a Burn’s Night Celebration. The annual Halloween Walk has proven very popular as have Easter celebrations. A Christmas Fair provided local craftspeople with an outlet to display and sell their products.
To raise funds (we do have to pay rent and insurance) we have hosted a charity shop in Maybole on four occasions over the past few years.
That the village now boasts planters filled with narcissi and daffodils spread across the grassed areas is again down to our efforts and the plans for 2020 had been even more extensive. Because there is now a small group of people buying into the ethos we have engendered, we are able to rally support and provide the foundation for other initiatives, such as the formation of the support network now in place to respond to community needs during the current Covid 19 pandemic, thus fulfilling our aim.
In 2018/19 the residents in Dalrymple, Skeldon and Hollybush were invited by East Ayrshire’s Vibrant Community programme to participate in a Community Action Plan. Every house in the area received a form inviting comments and the distillation of this was published in 2019. Some of the aspirations have already been achieved (notably the community garden) and it was apparent that to fulfil more of the ambitions the team behind the Action Plan and DCLP should unite. This was agreed in late 2019 and a quest for a new name for the Charity was launched. OSCR (Scottish Charity Regulator) has accepted the new name which is intended to emphasise that Skeldon and Hollybush are also part of the community. Thus, we are moving to replace DCLP with DaSH Project-the Dalrymple, Skeldon and Hollybush Project. The aims of the Charity remain broadly the same;
- The advancement of citizenship or community development.
- The provision of creative and recreational facilities, or the organisation of recreational activities with the object of improving the conditions of life for the persons for whom the facilities or activities are primarily intended.
- The advancement of environmental protection or improvement
You can find out more about how the charity runs its business under “Constitution”.
The Community Action Plan can be read at;- https://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/Resources/PDF/D/Dalrymple-Action-Plan.pdf
DaSH reports annually to the Scottish Charity Regulator – SCO46688
