Reflecting On Our Time at DTA Scotland’s Conference in Glasgow
The DTA Wales team recently attended our sister organisation’s annual conference, held at Glasgow Caledonian University. With over 300 delegates in attendance, the two-day event was a vibrant gathering of community groups, practitioners, and leaders from across Scotland and beyond.
Like us, DTA Scotland is membership-based and supports development trusts – community-led organisations that use enterprise to achieve sustainable regeneration in their local areas. Their members run everything from community-owned housing and renewable energy projects to local services and facilities, all with the aim of building resilient, inclusive, and self-sustaining communities.
We were delighted to support our members Lynne (CEO) and Angela (Founder and Treasurer) from Splott Community Volunteers to attend the conference with the help of a bursary. Fresh from celebrating their charity’s 10-year anniversary, Lynne and Angela joined an inspiring programme of talks, workshops, and networking opportunities. “We learned so much, met many, many inspirational people and got to experience an incredible historic city. As professional experiences goes, this was top notch! Will be bringing the learning back to Splott,” they reported.
The event opened with a keynote from former MSP Andy Wightman, exploring Common Sense, Common Good: Rebuilding Democracy. His session examined the historical context of Scotland and the potential impact of devolved, community-level decision-making on local democracy.
Delegates then took part in a wide range of workshops, covering themes such as community-owned energy, climate adaptation, manifesto writing, and effective communication. Beyond the formal sessions, the real highlight was the conversations taking place over coffee or lunch – where the buzz and energy in the room spoke to the strength of Scotland’s community sector.
For us at DTA Wales it was an opportunity not only to learn and connect but also to reflect on our own programme of events. While we are currently happy to host two single-day conferences each year in Wales, we’re curious to hear from members whether there would be interest in longer, multi-day gatherings in the future.
Overall, we left Glasgow inspired and excited to bring new ideas, energy, and connections back to Wales to strengthen and support our communities.
If you’re a DTA Wales member, why not apply for a bursary to attend the upcoming Locality convention in Liverpool on 12th and 13th November? Get in touch to find out more – there are a limited number available.
