2017 ANNUAL REPORT

This is the Fifteenth year of operation for the Maud Village Trust and we continue to provide varying services to the community.

The Community Resource Centre remains the hub of the majority of services on offer. We are also actively involved in supporting some key initiatives for the community out of the centre, as outlined below: 1) Conversation café – This pop up cafe was set up to break down the barriers of mental health/loneliness/isolation and to encourage everyone in our community to come along enjoy a free cake and cuppa and have a chat. This helps us to get to know new people, be able to support each other and help develop a stronger community spirit. We have been running the cafe now for over 3 years and it continues to do well and has also produced spin off clubs e.g. book club. Floral art, singing group, gentle exercise class. It has also run a number of subsidised bus runs to St Andrews, Livingston outlet centre and Inverurie. In addition, this year we have run a number of children’s events in the summer holidays and taken part in an Aberdeenshire wide conversation café at Haddo House. All these events have been well attended. 2) M.A.S.A (Minds Applying Stem Activities)- We continue to support this great club which encourages our young people of the community (5-18year olds) to get involved in Maths and science in a fun way. It has changed its times recently in order to get more adult volunteers, it is still well attended and is free to all. 3) The gym continues to be a popular facility in the community and is constantly evolving to include new classes and fitness support for all users. The classes are well attended and offer a varied menu of fitness options.

Our Health Referral Scheme – the ABC project (Active Buchan Community) has been adopted by Aberdeenshire Council and included in the community plan as a way of encouraging those with poor fitness levels and poor physical health to access exercise, with one to one support and tailor-made fitness programs. MACBI has joined with us to strengthen this project and Peterhead leisure centre is also now involved so we can offer the ABC project across Aberdeenshire. The take up for the project has been very positive and the health benefits to those on the scheme are immeasurable. 4) Crèche continues to offer a break for mothers wishing to either use the gym or just have some time to themselves. It is still operated on Friday mornings and opens to all who wish to use the facility or just need some time out! 5) Central Buchan Practice The big development this year for the Centre is the approach by Central Buchan Medical practice to rehouse the New Deer surgery here. This move will now take place mid-January 2018, they will have 2 consulting rooms and a nurse’s treatment room in the building.

The Community Service Centre – We are still awaiting the extension of the café and hope this work will commence soon, in the interim and because the shed has been removed we are using unit 5 for café storage. Scott Cassie videographer has now left the units as he is working more from home and his unit has been let to an independent chiropodist who we needed to rehome out of the resource centre. We feel this move will benefit not only the café with passing trade but also the community with NHS chiropodist’s current waiting lists!

The café continues to do well, with the best cooks in the area how could it not! Despite competition in the area from other food businesses our sales remain constant, due to the good reputation our staff have built up. Our Manager Annette is currently on maternity and we look forward to her return next year, in the interim Margaret and Kate are doing a great job keeping the business going.

The Brighter Village Scheme –We were not awarded any prize for this year in the Village in Bloom competition. However, the gardens and planters have been set up and struggled once again due to the poor weather conditions. The uninviting areas of the village still remain which does not help in maintaining an attractive appearance but the planters and gardens did give out some colour to brighten up the dull days and our thanks go to those dedicated people who have helped to maintain gardens, planters and grass areas their efforts are very much appreciated

Once again, the help and support the Trust receives to maintain the services that we provide is very much appreciated by the Directors and Management team alike. It is our intentions to offer a good service to the community and at the same time examine ways to improve. Thank you.

Thank you.

Report prepared by V. Brown – General Manager. 18/09/2017