Newcastleton & District Community Trust
Annual General Meeting – Minutes (Draft)
Date: Tuesday 27 January 2026
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: No.8 Club, Montague Street. Newcastleton
1. Welcome, Introductions and Apologies
The Secretary (George Porteous) welcomed attendees to the Annual General Meeting of Newcastleton & District Community Trust.
Trustees Present:
George Porteous (George Porteous), Barry Patterson, Margaret Elliot, Bert Leishman, Ann Brough (Treasurer), Peter Irving, Oli Downey
Apologies:
Caroline Mair (Chair)
Welcomed: Keith Douglas-Hogg (HR Consultant)
2. Minutes of the Previous AGM
The minutes of the previous AGM were noted as a true and accurate record.
Proposed: Peter Irving
Seconded: Barry Patterson
Decision: Minutes approved.
3. Chair’s Opening Remarks
The Chair, Caroline Mair, presented her statement via video, reflecting on the Trust’s progress during 2025 and the wider context in which the Trust has been operating.
Key points highlighted included:
- Continued efforts to strengthen the Board, including the election of three new trustees.
- Ongoing recruitment and adaptation to meet the future needs of the village.
- The importance of stakeholder engagement in supporting community development and achieving strategic goals.
- The role of the Place Plan in keeping the community informed and involved.
- Increasing understanding of regional, Scottish, and UK strategies (including Borderlands, SOSEP/SOSE, and local authority priorities).
- Recognition of the time and learning involved in grant applications and awareness‑raising work.
- The critical contribution of volunteers and community groups to the functioning of the village.
- Commitment to being accessible, listening to community concerns, and re‑establishing community engagement activities such as coffee mornings.
The Chair noted the resilience of the Trust and community following the flood and pandemic, and the increasing recognition of the role played by community organisations.
4. Secretary’s Report
The Secretary, George Porteous, presented the Secretary’s Report.
The report outlined governance activity during the year, including Board development, compliance, and ongoing engagement with partners and sector bodies.
5. Financial Report (Year Ended 31 March 2025)
The Treasurer (24/25 Barry Patterson) presented the financial report for the year ended 31 March 2025. A full set of accounts is available on the Trust’s website.
Summary:
- Total income: £468,897 (2024: £312,227), primarily from restricted grants and donations.
- Total expenditure: £448,574 (2024: £414,791), all in furtherance of charitable purposes.
- Operating surplus: £20,323 (2024: £102,564 deficit).
- Transfers between funds: £50,598 transferred from unrestricted to restricted funds.
- Total funds at year end: £2,744,886.
Restricted funds included:
- Holm Hill: £1,159,221
- Property Fund (including Buccleuch House and 40 North Hermitage Street): £1,216,282
- Mental Health & Wellbeing programmes: £20,555
Unrestricted funds stood at £187,968, aligned with the Trust’s reserves policy of holding six months of unrestricted expenditure.
The Independent Examiner (Deans, Hawick) issued an unqualified report with no matters of concern.
6. Motions
The following motions were proposed:
- Approval of the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
- Re‑appointment of Deans Chartered Accountants as Independent Examiner for 2025/26, with authority for trustees to agree the fee.
- Confirmation of the Reserves Policy, noting unrestricted reserves of £187,968.
- Approval of intra‑year transfers between unrestricted and restricted funds where required to meet project commitments.
Outcome: Approved
7. Election and Recruitment of Trustees
Members were reminded of the importance of recruiting new trustees and the skills required to support the Trust’s future work.
Elected: Pete Lamb
Stood down: Oli Downey
Oli served a one-year role to represent the young people. Oli was thanked for his involvement. Active recruitment is now ongoing for a youth representative.
Break
8. Development Projects Update
The Operations Manager, Vicky Hawes, provided an overview of current development activity, including:
Community Assets and Capital Projects
- Buccleuch House (Hub, Bunkhouse and Laundry)
- Fuel Forecourt – continued community ownership
- Holm Hill – community‑owned land with active development and a plantation management plan
- Multi‑use paths
The bunkhouse and laundry continue to operate as key community assets supporting sustainable tourism, with improvements ongoing.
9. Youth, Learning and Wellbeing Programmes
Updates were provided on:
- Innov8 Youth Club, now operating two weekly sessions with 20–25 young people attending.
- Mental Health & Wellbeing programmes delivered by the Enterprise, Learning & Outreach team.
- Community Learning & Development activity.
- Investing in Communities (Phase 1), supporting the Community Development Plan.
10. Community Support and Outreach
Activity included:
- Cost‑of‑living and energy crisis response work.
- Strengthening partnerships to improve access to advice and services.
- Delivery of community projects such as walking groups, cooking classes, group work, and local services.
11. Visitor Economy and Place‑Based Regeneration
Key activity included:
- Collaboration with Kielder Public Affairs, Forestry England, and Forestry and Land Scotland on trail networks.
- Work to support visitor economy recovery following the reopening of 7stanes.
- Continued repositioning of the bunkhouse as a community enterprise.
12. Strategic Development
Updates were provided on:
- Community Active Leisure Strategy.
- Exploration of new social enterprise opportunities.
- Ongoing stakeholder engagement to strengthen collaboration and identify opportunities.
It was noted that many attendees felt improved communication would strengthen both the position of NDCT and local community groups. It was proposed that opportunities be created for community groups to meet collectively at set intervals, potentially up to four times per year, to support joint planning, information sharing, and collaboration. Preferred venue- Newcastleton Village Hall.
To further strengthen communication from NDCT, it was suggested that key project updates and reports be published in the local paper, Copshaw Clatter.
13. Innov8 – Planning for the Future
An overview was given of future planning for Innov8 and youth provision. Youth ambassadors will shape the design.
Activity 1
Following the stakeholder event held on 15 January, NDCT advised that feedback received had been reviewed and grouped into a set of high‑level themes. These were further refined into four key focus areas:
• Wellbeing and activities
• Tourism and extending the season
• Infrastructure
• Skills
The feedback was also re‑categorised to focus specifically on opportunities that could be delivered on community‑owned land.
Attendees at the AGM were invited to comment on and add to:
• the needs identified, and
• the suggested projects derived from those needs.
Activity 2 – Asset Mapping Exercise
Attendees participated in an asset mapping exercise which invited them to comment on the current assets available within the community. Participants were asked to identify:
• assets currently in place,
• any assets they felt were missing, and
• those assets they particularly value and use.
Young people also undertook the same asset mapping exercise, ensuring that youth perspectives were captured alongside adult feedback. The information gathered will be used to inform future planning, prioritisation, and development activity.
14. Any Other Business (AOB)
None
15. Close
The Secretary thanked attendees for their time and contributions and formally closed the meeting.
Meeting closed at: 8:14pm
Next AGM: FEB 2027