About ACSR
THE AUCHTERARDER COMMUNITY SPORT AND RECREATION JOURNEY…
September 2012: ‘Auchterarder Community Sports Hub’ was established, supported by Caroline Ness, from Live Active Leisure.
2013/14: ‘Local Needs Survey’ carried out with safe walking, running, & cycling paths identified as the priorities for 2015-2018.
DEVELOPMENT PLAN CREATED – Caroline Ness
2014/15: ‘Auchterarder Community Sports Association’ was constituted. The ‘Auchterarder Core Paths Working Group’ was formed, working in partnership with Bid Strachan from Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust.
2015/16: Core Paths feasibility study completed and a second community consultation was facilitated, with presentation from Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust.
2016/17: In August 2016, work on upgrade of the football pitch began. In November 2016, a community meeting was held to discuss the redevelopment of Victoria Park, with funding for a feasibility study secured. The ‘Parks & Community Green Spaces Working Group’ was established with the assistance of Perth & Kinross Community Green Spaces. In January 2017, a survey and feasibility study for park redevelopment was commissioned. Auchterarder Community FC was formed.
2017/18: Separate ‘Sport Development and Recreation Working Group’ established & led by Kirsteen Ross, our Community Sports Hub Officer. Jonny Mathews path completed and Phase 1 of the DDA compliant Provost Walk was officially opened, with a further community consultation on the park feasibility study.
DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEWED & EXTENDED TO 2019 – Kirsteen Ross
2018/19: In March 2018, an application was submitted to become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), supported by Kirsteen Ross. ‘Auchterarder Community Sports and Recreation’ was incepted on 25th June 2018 (SC048490), with a Board of 9 Trustees and 3 Working Groups: Paths, Parks & Participation. The football pitch upgrade completed, with first home game played in August. Phase 2 of the DDA compliant Provost Walk officially opened. The community area in the refurbished APFC Pavilion opened July 2019. Funds were raised for Phase 2 of a Mountain Bike Trail in the Park, the Community Cycling Programme was initiated and two eBikes and three hybrid bikes were purchased.
2019/20: Phase 3 of the DDA compliant Provost Walk was officially opened on 3rd July, with the refurbished Community Area in APFC Pavilion being available for hire in the summer. Football Camp and Scottish Outdoor Access Network Event hosted in November, in addition to access by ACSR working groups and clubs.
ACSR facilitated two Community Forums and a Community Consultation on 3rd September 2019. Volunteers came forward to establish a Sports Hub Working Group. The Sports Hub proved was operational from 19th October until 16th March 2020 and Gemma Simpson followed Kirsteen Ross as our new Community Sports Hub Officer
ACSR STRATEGY MEETING TO PREPARE 2020-2023/25 DEVELOPMENT PLAN – Gemma Simpson
2020/21: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in all participation-based projects being put on hold, starting on 16th March 2020. However, the Trustees and all ACSR Working Groups continued to plan for the future - focussing on developing the charity and preparing for the re-start of community projects.
In January 2021, Tim Hart was appointed as ACSR’s Development Manager. February saw two funding awards secured for the development of the park and work being completed to upgrade the pavilion windows and doors.
July and August 2021 saw ACSR launch a ‘Summer Sessions’ programme - a series of 7 taster sessions in different sports and recreational activities, taking place in public park opposite the pavilion and made available to young people aged 6-13 for free.
In late 2021, ACSR became a stakeholder in the Auchterarder and Aberuthven Community Action Plan - being a member of the Steering Group and assisting with the accounting.
2022 saw the the exciting ‘[Auchterarder Public] Park Re-Development Project’ progress, with the old Children’s Play Park being removed to make way for the new and much-improved Children’s Play Park. Work continued through the early winter, with a completion date of 2023 being set.
2022 also saw ACSR publish a new 2022-2024 strategy, aligned with Auchterarder & Aberuthven Community Action Plan which was also published in 2022.
The busy 2022 continued, with a new headline ACSR logo being agreed - and the logos of the three Working Groups being updated, to sit alongside the refreshed and re-focussed groups.