Buchan Development Partnership recently helped connect Boddam Primary School PTA with Peterhead and District Men’s Shed after the PTA identified a need for acoustic sound panels within the school.

Rather than looking only at funding as the solution, BDP recognised that another local community organisation had the practical skills and experience that could help.

BDP connected the PTA with Peterhead and District Men’s Shed, who were able to support the project by making and installing the acoustic panels, which are now in place within the school.

The project is a simple but effective example of what community development can achieve by making the right connections. BDP’s role is not always about finding a grant; sometimes it is about understanding what a community needs and identifying another organisation, business or partner that is well placed to help.

By connecting organisations that may not otherwise naturally come together, skills, knowledge and resources already available within our communities can be used to create practical local solutions.

For the Men’s Shed, it is also an opportunity to use the skills and experience of its members to support another organisation and make a tangible contribution within the wider community.