Background

Carr-Bridge Ahead Ltd  is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee.
It was formed in July 2004 with the purpose of supporting development in the community for the benefit of residents, working in partnership with the Community Council, the Business and Tourist Association and other voluntary groups and local charities to enhance the village and promote community projects.

The major priorities were initially set in 2001 village development consultation, revised in 2016 and in 2022 Voluntary Action Badenoch and Strathspey (VABS) led the consultation for the Carrbridge Community Action Plan with representation from key village groups and organisations and consultation with the community.

Membership

CBA operates as a membership organisation, which is open to local groups and all permanent residents over the age of 16 living in the PH23 3.. postcode.
There is no fee for membership and liabilities are limited to £1 per member.

Applications for membership can be found here:

• Individual Membership Application,
• Group Membership Application.

Printed copies of the membership form can also be obtained from the Carrbridge Artists Studio.

Directors

Members of the community company can become Directors of the company.  They are in turn, Trustees of the Charity. The Board works closely with the Community Council and other member groups in the village, many of whom are represented on the Board.

The principle task of the Board is to oversee the work of the company and to agree the direction, strategy and investment for developments proposed by members.

Directors report annually to members about their work and the allocation of resources at their Annual General Meeting.

The roles and legal responsibilities of a Director or Trustee of a charitable company are laid out in detailed guidance published by OSCR.

Meetings

The Board of Directors normally meets every 2-3 months to discuss grant applications, matters relating to the running of the company.

In June 2021 an EGM of members was held to update the Articles of Association to comply with legislation changes. The EGM also agreed to increase the number of places on the board to 15 Directors with the desire to include representation from as many groups in the village as possible to ensure we are inclusive in our work.

Directors work on a voluntary basis and details of the role are available here

Applications can be made here

Method of Working

Projects and activities are run by sub-groups each of which must include at least one Reporting Director, but can have as many members as are interested.

These groups progress their own activities, reporting to the Board’s bimonthly meetings.  Individual members of the groups do not have to get involved with governance, charity or legal compliance.

However each group is responsible for managing their own finances.
Audit and banking services are also provided via the Community Company Bank account.

The groups currently include:

• Carrbridge Bike Skills Park – creating a Pump Park adjacent to the village sports facilities.
• Children and Young People Fund- administering small grant financial support for the development of Children and Young people 8-18 yrs.
• Carve Carrbridge ®- The Scottish Open Chainsaw Carving Competition®
• Golden Spurtle ®- The World Porridge Making Championships®
• Duck Race – an annual event previously delivered by Carrbridge and Vicinity Community Council, to fund the Senior Citizens Christmas Lunch
• Carrbridge Community Orchard – a space for the community to grow fruit and other edibles with an understory of wildflowers and habitats to increase biodiversity.

The Community Action Plan is anticipated to increase the number of specific interest groups.

Similar examples can be found on the Boat of Garten Community Company webpage.

Current Directors

• Individual directors lead on other activities such as
  • policies and procedures,
  • windfarm liaison,
  • strategic development,
  • grants, as well as
  • executive roles such as Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
• The company has no employees (other than an honorarium for book-keeping and minute secretary).

Finances

Since 2006 CBA has had the role of distributing the funds generated by village events such as Carve Carrbridge, Golden Spurtle and the Duck Race for the benefit of the village and its residents.
CBA is also now the designated recipient of the annual Community Benefit Fund payment from the Tom Nan Clach Windfarm.

Grants-  There are 4 ways to access funds

• The funds raised from the Events and the Community Benefit income from the Tom Nan Clach windfarm are disbursed by the Directors after consideration of  applications from groups in the village.
• The qualifying criteria are detailed in the links for each of the funds below.
• Applications are assessed against a points based system and the amount of the award decided accordingly. Membership of the Community Company adds to the points score.

Children and Young Persons Fund can award up to £500 for groups or individuals between 8-18 yrs old.
This fund was established to support children and young people to access a range of social, cultural, environmental, and sporting activities to give them opportunities to extend their skills and experiences.
Details of eligibility can be found on the Children and Young People’s  Fund page.
All Applicants are encouraged to be Individual or Group Members.
Young People under 16 can become affiliate members and should do so with parental consent.

 New Groups a Start Up fund of up to £250 is available to book meeting rooms in Carrbridge Village Hall or the Marie Anderson Pavilion ( April- Oct only) or help with other reasonable costs to get a project off the ground.
Applicants are encouraged to check the Community Action Plan  to identify the priorities set out by the village residents which may help in writing your application.
You don’t need to be constituted or have a bank account as the costs will be paid direct.
All applicants are encouraged to become Individual and/or Group Members 

Carrbridge Small Grants online application form for small grants up to £500. Applications received by the end of each month will receive a decision in a few weeks.
All applicants are encouraged to become Individual and/or Group Members 

For Grants Over £500 – The Application Pack for funding can be downloaded here: Community Benefit Fund Application Form .
All applicants are encouraged to become Individual and/or Group Members 

Decisions on Grants are not made by any one individual, all grants are considered by a panel of Trustees/ Directors and assessed objectively against the criteria set out in the Articles of Association.

Contact Us

Contact with Carr-Bridge Ahead can be made through the directors listed above or by email to [email protected]

Company Limited by Guarantee (No 270555) and a Registered Charity (No SCO35965) and is regulated by both Companies House and OSCR (Office of Scotland’s Charity Regulator).

Updated December 2023