Who are DTA Wales?

The Development Trusts Association Wales (DTA Wales) is an independent practitioner-based membership organisation supporting and promoting the work of the growing network of development trusts in Wales.

We are part of a larger movement of community-based regeneration and enterprise network across the UK, including Locality in England, DTAS in Scotland and DTNI in Northern Ireland, dating back to the formation of the original Development Trust Association in 1992.

The Development Trusts Association was a response to development trusts and communities who were committed to the long-term regeneration of their neighbourhoods, but felt isolated and lacked information of emerging good practice elsewhere. They believed they had a lot to gain from being able to network with others who shared similar visions and aims and by having a voice at a national level.

In Wales, DTA Wales were established in 2003, originally with the support of the Welsh Government, to support the network of existing development trusts in Wales. Our mission is to strengthen and grow our Member development trusts and their activities, and to assist communities and organisations that with to establish new development trusts and community enterprises by promoting good practice and a practitioner-based learning network in Wales.

To this end DTA Wales delivers a range of peer support Programmes and services which benefit our Members and third sector organisations in a range of ways.

Vision, mission, and values

Our Vision is one of thriving and resilient communities across Wales, places of possibility where people can take control of their lives, through community enterprise, social action and community asset ownership.

Our Mission is to achieve “a successful Development Trust in every community that wants one”.

DTA Wales and our sister organisations across the UK subscribe to key values and principles, as part of the Development Trust Association Manifesto, which include:

• Empowerment: communities must own and control their own future, through their own organisations, with their own assets and community leadership;
• Mutuality: only by working together, sharing skills, experiences, risks and resources, can disadvantaged communities succeed;
• Diversity: promoting diversity and equality within our organisation and local communities;
• Independence: communities, organisations and activities must be independent of the state and private sector;
• Partnership: only by working in partnership, collaborating rather than competing, can real change be achieved;
• Sustainability: development trusts want to help create resilient and sustainable communities through well-managed economic, social, environmental and cultural regeneration. In doing so, they want to minimise or reduce their impact on the earth’s resources.

Staff

Our Staff Team is:

Adam Kennerley, CEO
Dr Nicola Perkins, Operations Director
Arfon Hughes, Head of Community Assets
Mike Brain, Net Zero Programme Manager
Gwyneth Jones, Communications Officer
Matt Swan, (Joint) Head of Outreach & Engagement
Louisa Addiscott, (Joint) Head of Outreach & Engagement
Angela Paxton, Administrative Officer
Kelly Hughes, Administrative Officer

Board

DTA Wales Board members are elected by our Full and Associate Members in Wales and also reflect the regional representation of our members.

Elwyn James (Chair),
Martin Price (Company Secretary), Martin Price Associates
John McKernan, ProMo Cymru
Chris Blake, The Green Valleys